Snow Buntings!

I joined AJG this morning for a very poor sea watch after half an hour we'd had enough:

07.50-08.20 

Shelduck: 1 W

Red-throated Diver: 2 W  + 1 on sea

Gannet: c12 around

Kittiwake: 2 W

Auk sp: 63 W

As we were getting into our cars 6 finches flew by 3 of which were rather chunky, once in the bins it was obvious they Snow Buntings with 3 Goldfinches. The Buntings alighted on the beach and I snapped a long distance record shot, I turned my back on them because of the strong easterly wind to make a quick call, by the time I looked back they were gone, probably NE towards Greatstone.

A snap shot of the 3 Snow Buntings.

I parked at the ARC and had a quick look from Hanson and the Screen, but the strong easterly wind made viewing very uncomfortable with very little to see apart from a Great White Egret and a few of the commoner wildfowl.

Wandering from the ARC to the back of Hookers and some way up the Lydd footpath to view the Geese, I only found Greylags and Canada's, by the path a couple Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler and squealing Water Rails. I then wandered out to Springfield Bridge then back down to Makepeace seeing nothing of note, then along to Dennis's where a couple of Great White Egrets were the highlights, then back up the entrance track to the ARC car park, a long plod with very little to show for it, no doubt I'll do it all again in the near future.

This afternoon at Scotney a Little Stint with c 20 Dunlin and a Redshank on the flood, also the feral Barnacle Geese still there.

Late afternoon on Walland in the drizzle I watched 3 Marsh Harriers go to roost, also myriads of Lapwing and Golden Plover (2-3,000 of each) being flushed by shooters. Fieldfare numbers appear to have dropped but they may have already gone to roost before I arrived.