Woodlark & Continental Coal Tit

Dungeness - 0900hrs - mild, calm, cloudy - The sea resembled a mill pond for our one hour seawatch from the hide where the only real spectacle was a 200 strong flock of Brents moving languidly down-channel low over the sea. A few Kittiwakes, Gannets, Med Gulls, Common Scoters, two Little Gulls, singles of Arctic and Great Skuas added to the interest, while a large mixed flock of gulls and Gannets were feeding on a shoal well offshore. At the Patch a 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull was the only noteworthy amongst the commoners.
On the land the lighthouse garden held several Robins, Chiffchaffs, Goldfinches, a Blackcap with plenty more Goldfinches, Mipits, Pied Wagtails and Linnets overhead. Moving round to the edge of the Desert a large flock of Mipits cried out for attention and whilst grilling through the wood sage and rank grass, hoping for a `big pipit,` up popped a cracking Woodlark, a scarce passage migrant down here that usually fizzes over calling and rarely grounds. Not so with this little beauty though, as it stuck around for at least an hour affording good views, on the deck and flying around calling, much to the delight of a clutch of local birders.

                        Barney got fed up with seawatching, and somehow found a ball...

                                Goldfinches, Lighthouse Garden

Whilst watching the Woodlark we had brief views of a Continental Coal Tit within a Great Tit flock sporting its distinctive blue-grey upperparts. Also noted around the peninsula several hundred House Martins and Swallows, ten Kestrels, two Black Redstarts, five Stonechats, Song Thrush, Skylark, Reed Bunting and Fieldfare over and a Ring Ouzel in the moat.
Lade - 1200hrs  - A scan of the sands from the boardwalk revealed the expected Curlews, Oystercatchers, Barwits, Dunlins, Sanderling, two Knots and 20 Swallows south.
RSPB - 1300hrs - Pretty quiet here although the Cattle Egret was still amongst the cows and we had a stunning Merlin and a flighty Ring Ouzel near the Corral. On Burrowes a Ruff and four Dunlins were the highlights, while over the road on ARC,  50 Goldies, four Ruff, two Blackwits and two Snipe added to the wader tally, plus 50 Brents over `cutting the corner`. Also noted here and there, Great White and Little Egrets, Swallows, Cetti`s Warblers, Tree Sparrows, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Water Rails (calling), ten Kestrels and Marsh Harriers.
Dungeness - 1515hrs - We finished off at the fishing boats with a 90 minutes seawatch, in the company of PB, where a steady passage of Gannets and Kittiwakes was under way, plus around 10 each of Sandwich Terns, Med and Little Gulls, 200 Brents, 40 Common Scoters, three Arctic Skuas and two auks.
In summary, another cracking days birding around the Dungeness Peninsula.

                                Brents, Dungeness

                                        Gannet, Dungeness