Whitefronts!

Another thoroughly dreary and cold day on the peninsular saw me at The Patch just after 07.00, where many 100s of Gulls were milling around the boil with another 1,000+ on the beach. I sat in the hide going through them but found nothing of note. (DW found a 1w Caspian Gull there late afternoon) There were at least 4 North Thames ringed Herring Gulls among them, also Great Black Backed Gull JZ202. After an hour the penetrating cold in the hide forced me to move. At the observatory 1+ Woodcock and a few thrushes were flushed from the moat just before I arrived. 

 JZ202 colour ringed Great Black Backed Gull

On the New Diggings a Black-necked Grebe was the highlight among the Coot and Tufted Duck. Over the road on the ARC 5+ Goldeneye were the pick of the bunch among the Shoveler and small number of Wigeon.

The staff have made a good job of repairing the track to the visitor centre so it was a pleasure to drive down Dennis's hide, despite the gloom and cold caused by the eclipse happening above the solid cloud cover. From the hide several 100s of Shoveler, a red head Smew, a Great White Egret and 2 Marsh Harriers were of note. Also there 100+ Gulls roosting on the submerged islands but nothing of note among them.

This afternoon on Hayfield 3 a Green Sandpiper briefly and 2 Ruff, 5 Redshank, 11 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plovers including the colour ringed individual, 2 Lapwings, a Great White Egret and a Little Egret, it surely can't be long before a Garganey drops in. On the way to Scott hide several singing Cetti'sWarblers, a Green Woodpecker and a Bearded Tit of note.

Back at Springfield Bridge 2 White Wagtails and a Rock Pipit of note among a flock of Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Reed Buntings, while watching them a Bittern flew across Dengemarsh and a pair of Marsh Harriers grappled.

The 2 Cattle Egrets were in the fields around Brickwall Farm and a Raven fed on a dead Fox there.    

 Late afternoon at Scotney a flock of 29 White-fronted Geese flew in high from the south over the ranges, they circled the main lake for a few minutes before disappearing out towards Walland Marsh, looking at the the wing of one of them they may have run the gauntlet of the French guns. A few minutes later 4 more Whitefronts and a Barnacle Goose flew in high from the south and settled on the lake, also on there a Black-necked Grebe now reaching summer plumage.