Firecrests

Dungeness - 0730hrs - cold, dry, sunny, ne 2 - A cracking morning with blue skies and light airs to start, although the wind picked up during the afternoon to a colder easterly. We walked the beach  from the lifeboat station to the old lighthouse searching for an early Wheatear without any luck. However, four Black Redstarts were noted including a singing adult male in full breeding plumage by West Beach, plus Skylarks, Mipits, Kestrel and two Stonechats along the way. In the old lighthouse garden at least two Firecrests were enjoying the suntraps and feeding amongst the bushes. We covered the edge of the desert and trapping area but apart from a few Blackbirds, Robins and Dunnocks there was little else to report.
RSPB - On ARC a female Goosander was the highlight amongst ten Goldeneyes and hundreds of Wigeon, Shovelers and Teal. Another Firecrest was in the willows by Hanson hide along with a tit flock and two Chiffchaffs. It was pretty quiet around the main part of the reserve with singles of Little and Great White Egrets, a redhead Smew on Burrowes, the usual Marsh Harriers coming and going, plus the two Cattle Egrets down Dengemarsh road.