Chilham Lake - 1000hrs - mild, misty, light airs - Visited Chilham Lake this morning for a magazine article, a site I`ve driven by many times before but never stopped to investigate. The lake harboured a Hooded Merganser a few years back, while Dipper have been reported along the Stour in the past, but there were no such gems today. However, we completed a very enjoyable circular walk along the northern side of the lake, returning via farmland on the margins of Denge Wood and crossing the River Stour at bridges either end of the site. The lake was heavily fished, and with restricted viewing, but we managed to see several Mandarin ducks on an island, Grey Wagtails and Kingfisher along the river, Buzzard over the wood and a range of common wayside and woodland birds including Treecreeper, Yellowhammer, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch, Greater pecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Jay.
So, in summary a very pleasant couple of hours in peaceful Kent countryside, while the old mill building adjacent to derelict water cress beds was an added bonus; if of course you`re interested in old industrial buildings, as I am - sad, I know, but it gets me through the day...
Dungeness - An hour seawatching from the boats this afternoon delivered nothing much more than a few distant terns and Gannets, while an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a 1st winter Caspian were on the beach.
ARC - From Screen hide both Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret showed well along with 130 Golden Plovers, four Ruff and two Black-necked Grebes. A Marsh Harrier kept the wildfowl and waders on the move and a Kingfisher zipped by.
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