A Strengthening Easterly

Lade - 0630hrs - mild, sunny, easterly force 2 which steadily built to a 5/6 by midday - Single Whinchat was the highlight over the back along with 2 Wheatears, Whitethroat and a garden Willow Warbler. A party of 200 odd Sand Martins and Swallows fizzed purposefully south, as though being chased by a flock of Hobbies, along with a trickle of Yellow Wagtails. For some reason, which I couldn`t fathom out, Jackdaws seem`d to be everywhere this morning...
Another decent catch in the moth trap with a rarely caught Green Carpet putting in an appearance.
Dungeness Boats - 0930hrs - Joined the Joker and Plodding Birder (both in arm chairs and looking set for a long watch) for a half hearted seawatch during which several Arctic Skuas and a steady flow of terns and Gannets noted (they`d had a Red-throated Diver earlier).
ARC - 1130hrs - From Hanson a good selection of waders on the ridges included, 290 Goldies, 120 Knots, 20 Dunlins, 15 Barwits and singles of Little Stint and Common Sandpiper, while the Goosander roused from its slumbers to prove it isn`t actually stuffed. From the Willow Trail, plenty of dragonflies sheltering from the strong easterly (mostly Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters), several Common Lizards and a small Great/Long-tailed Tit flock.
The Cattle and Great White Egrets remained, over-the-road.
Lade Bay - 1730hrs - The waders were well scattered by the kite-surfers but a close flock near the boardwalk included 20 Barwits, 15 Ringed Plovers and 30 each of Dunlin and Sanderling. Further out, hundreds of Knots, Curlews and Oystercatchers. A lone Arctic Skua passing over the sands caused a temporary panic amongst the Sandwich Terns.

 Green Carpet, Plovers - A common enough, and distinctive moth, which turns up occasionally in the garden trap.

Common Darter, Willow Trail, ARC - A sheltered spot ideal for dragonflies and other insects.