Dengemarsh - 1130 - 1330hrs - After saying goodbye to our guests we walked Dengemarsh starting at Boulderwall, out along the back track towards Lydd, across to the chicken sheds and back round via Springfield Bridge and Hookers. Without doubt the bird of the day was Hobby with at least 15 over the marsh along with hundreds of Swifts, Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls. Cracking birds Hobbies, definitely in my top ten of favourite birds, could watch `em all day.
Anyhow, at least three Marsh Harriers were noted, including an adult male hunting frogs behind Badgers and delivering two food passes to females over Hookers. It was good to see plenty of Lapwings in the bean fields, including sitting adults, but sadly no juvs; judging by the number of broken duck eggs on the track the crows had been busy earlier, at one stage I counted 18 Carrion Crows. A few years ago this walk would have delivered breeding Yellow Wagtail and Corn Bunting, in what is prime farmland habitat for both species, but none were seen or heard today. Hayfield 3 still looked good for waders, but I guess its getting late in the season now with just Shelducks (minus any juvs), Little Egrets, crows and gulls present.
Back at the ARC car park we swapped banter with SB, BP and PB. The main talking point was the elusive group of four Bee-eaters that have been leading everyone a merry dance across the Marsh these past couple of days and had been seen over the point earlier.
Lade - 1900hrs - The wind backed off this evening, so couldn`t resist a look over the desert, just in case those rainbow birds were out there sitting on wires, but there was no sign.
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