Whooper Swans!

A couple of hours first thing this morning looking around the lighthouses, fishing boats and power station for scant reward, the highlights being 4 Stonechats and a few each of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.

Mid morning at Boulderwall saw the 7 Cattle Egrets  and 4 Great White Egrets at the top end of Cooks pool.

The 7 Cattle Egrets showing well today at Boulderwall

As there was news of the first Whooper Swans in the area for 2 years at the back of Scotney, I decided to have a wander out there. I joined Brian at the farm entrance and we made our way into East Sussex to view the Whoopers which were in the company of Mute Swans and 2 Black Swans. We passed a flock of 41 Egyptian Geese adding to the hordes of feral geese at Scotney, 15 Ruff were by the back lake, several100s of Golden Plover and Lapwing were seen, along with Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier, the Little Owl was seen briefly before being disturbed by a tractor, 2 Black Redstarts were around the farm.

Whooper Swans at Scotney

Fast growing numbers of Egyptian Geese on the peninsular

1 of 2 Black Redstarts around the Scotney Farm

Late afternoon on Burrowes from Makepiece 3 Caspian Gulls were seen 2 x 2w + 1 x 1w, also 3 Yellow-legged Gulls.