Lade - 0630hrs - cold, sunny, light airs - With clear skies and an overnight frost it was no surprise that the local patch was almost devoid of spring migrants apart from a singing Chiffchaff and a small increase in Linnet numbers. Two Med Gulls flew over south lake and that was about it.
Dengemarsh - 1200hrs - After working up a sweat at the allotment I elected for a stakeout and scan from Springfield Bridge for an hour in warm sunshine. A Bittern `boomed` several times and flew across the reedbed where a Great White Egret was sitting atop a willow bush over by badgers. A flock of 20 Golden Plovers swirled over the fields, Marsh Harriers soared up into the cloud base along with a couple of Buzzards, while Raven, Peregrine and Kestrel all showed briefly.
Dungeness - 1445-1600hrs - A seawatch from the boats/concrete road delivered a steady eastward passage of Sandwich Terns, although some appeared to be feeding offshore, plus 10 Gannets, five mergansers, four scoters, six Red-throated Divers, 18 Curlews and four Common Terns.
There was no sign of the pod of four white-beaked dolphin seen this morning (DBO), only several harbour porpoises close to shore.
Early sunshine here on Sheppey quickly turned to heavy grey skies and much colder temps. for the rest of the day and the only thing out of the ordinary was an Egyptian Goose.
ReplyDeleteLeaden skies here too by mid-afternoon, and the temperature dropped like a stone with a wind off the sea, so another night when the moth trap stays off.
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