Grebes & Geese!

First thing this morning in calm cloudy conditions I walked round the back of Scotney towards Jury's Gap. 2 Lapland Buntings were in the fields though I only saw them in flight,as when they landed they disappeared in the furrows and vegetation, c 50 Corn Buntings were around as well as a few Skylarks, Reed Buntings and a Stonechat. Several raptors were seen Marsh Harriers, Peregrine, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. A Black-necked Grebe was on the back lake among 6 Little Grebes as was a Green Sandpiper, A Great White Egret flew over, 14 Egyptian Geese, 6 Brent Geese were among some Greylags and Canada Geese.

 White-fronted Geese

At Camber the Red-necked Grebe was  still showing distantly in the North West corner of it's chosen lake because the rest of the lake was frozen. Back at Scotney from the double bends the sun was  shining, a Black-necked Grebe was feeding along the back edge on the lake some White-fronted Geese(now called Russian White-fronted Geese) flew in to join others already on the spit making a total of 41, 6 Pink-Footed Geese, a single Tundra Bean Goose were also there resting among the Greylags and Barnacle Geese.

 White-fronted Geese

 White-fronted Geese

5 of 6 Pink-footed Geese present today

The Ring-necked duck was  at the far end of Cook's Pool in a small unfrozen area, also a red head Smew there. A Slavonian Grebe was on Burrowes from Dennis's hide and another from the causeway at Boulderwall end of the New Diggings also several Great-crested Grebes making another 5 Grebe day.

At The Patch in the company of MH, PB and DW in the appalling light we found 1 of the Iceland Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, the drake Eider, a Great Skua was marauding off shore, several Red-throated Divers were tooing and froing, also several rafts of Guillemots off shore.

The Long-eared Owl was back at the Dipping Pool per PB. 44 Bewick Swans were west of Cheyne per BB and 8 Great White Egrets came into the ARC roost per PB.