An Interesting Day!

In freezing northerly wind with drizzle, this mornings sea watch ended before it began. As I opened the door to the hide AJG and PW were coming out shaking there heads. I met up with DW at the lighthouse where a couple of Chiffchaffs were seen and a Firecrest was heard, we were just moving away when a movement in the sycamore alerted us to a Ring Ouzel, which flew out to West Beach gorse to join another 3-4 Firecrests and then out to towards the trapping area.

Ring Ouzel at West Beach Gorse.

I joined MH at Boulderwall and we drove to Dengemarsh where a Sedge Warbler was singing and the Garganey had been seen, also there 2+ Great White Egrets, 3 Little Egrets and 2 Swallows.
From Dennis's hide 3 Goldeneye and c30 Shoveller. While in the visitor centre another 5 Swallows and 6 Dunlin flew through.

Goldeneye from Dennis's hide

Black-necked and Slavonian Grebe, New Diggings,

A look at the southern end of the ARC was disappointing with little of note there. Over the road on New diggings 2 small Grebes swimming around together turned out to be a Slavonian and a Black-necked Grebe. At Scotney the drake Scaup still present also 3 Brent Geese on the turf and a Little Ringed Plover on the east pit. 

Scaup Scotney.

14.40-16.20 from the point.
Teal: 2 E
Gannet: 9 E    3 W
Common Tern: 11 E in a single party.
Sandwich Tern: 14 E
Auk sp: 7 W
I only stayed that long because I noticed a trimaran capsize a mile or so off shore, called the coast guard and guided the lifeboat very badly to the stricken vessel. Apparently the 2 sailors were picked up safely and taken to hospital by helicopter.

The stricken trimaran with 2 sailors on its upturned hull can just be made out between the lifeboat and the bulk carrier.