Monday 30 March 2015

Iceland Gull

Dungeness - 0730hrs - mild, sunny, sw 3 - Joined TG and PB in the hide for an hour of go-slow seawatching with a trickle of distant Brents, scoters, divers and Gannets moving up-Channel. Several Med Gulls flew towards the Patch, a Sandwich Tern flew east and a couple of Mipits came in off the sea. On the land a scattering of Mipits and Chiffchaffs was about it.
Dengemarsh - An afternoon visit yielded the two Cattle Egrets and Tundra Geese either side of Brickwall Farm, plus two Great White Egrets on Hookers; (T&BH found the first Sedge Warbler of the year by the hide this afternoon).
ARC - Cloud cover and increasing wind made for a dismal walk around the back of Tower pits which was almost birdless. From Screen hide several Goldeneyes and Shelducks amongst hundreds of Shovelers.




                                1st winter Iceland Gull, The Patch

Dungeness - Just as we were about to retire for tea news broke of an Iceland Gull at the Patch, found by DW, so we hot-footed down to the hide and enjoyed brief views of a pale 1st winter bird on the beach amongst hundreds of regular gulls. The first Common Tern of the year was also present.

3 comments:

  1. You're certainly keeping them coming Paul. If you read most of the other Kent blogs you'll realise how frustrated we all are at a total lack of spring migrants - it's unlikely that we'll get a Sedgie here on Sheppey for another three weeks yet.

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  2. Slowly the spring migrants are coming, but I reckon this coming weekend should see a bit of a surge as lighter winds and an influx of Easter weekend birders combine.

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  3. Hope you're right Paul. The Alpine Swift at Crawley must be struggling today, it's like a full blown winter's day.

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