A Marsh Rarity

A rare windless and warm day at Dungeness. The sea was calm and from the fishing boats many Guillemots, Great Crested Grebes and smaller numbers of Razorbills, Gannets and Red Throated Divers could be seen on the sea.  6 Common Scoter flew east and this afternoon DW had the first Sandwich Tern of the year. At The Patch plenty of Black headed and Herring Gulls and a single 1st winter Mediterranean Gull. At Lade Pits no sign of the Black-throated Diver(I have over looked it before). The North Pit was virtually devoid of birds. A local dog walker told me a couple of eastern European gentleman had been camping there for a couple of days!

From the RSPB reserve entrance track the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 7 Barnacle Geese with c200 Golden Plover, c150 Curlew, 3 + Marsh Harriers and a Stonechat of note. Best of all was meeting Pete and Mim for the first time this year.

On the ARC from Hanson 4 Smew and 4 Goldeneye were the pick of the bunch. In the Willow Trail a Chiffchaff was singing and 3 Goldcrests were with 4 long-tailed Tits.

A poor image of a marsh rarity 

 While scanning the fields for wild geese near Hawthorn Corner a call alerted me to a movement in the bushes, I was surprised to see a Treecreeper a rarity on the marsh. From the Triangle the Bewick swan flock could just about be seen in the distance. Tickners Lane seed dump still holds Corn buntings, Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings and the Common Buzzard .

Wandering round Fairfield Church I at last came upon the wintering Green Sandpiper but little else there.