Black-winged Stilts

Park Wood, Appledore - 0900hrs - cool, sunny, ne 3-5 - We started the day with a woodland walk where at least three Nightingales were already on territory and giving occasional bursts of song. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were the only warblers noted, plus all the usual resident species including Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Jay and Buzzard. The woodland floor was covered in an array of spring flowers, a magnificent sight.

                                Park Wood, Appledore

Kenardington - A wander along the canal banks resulted in a host of wayside birds: warblers, finches, tits, thrushes and the like, plus our first Lesser Whitethroat of the spring. A family of four recently fledged Song Thrushes proved highly entertaining.

                                Song Thrush, juv, Kenardington

Dengemarsh - Around midday, having just picked up my forgotten phone from home, a call from PB told of a pair of Black-winged Stilts on view from the hide, along with yesterdays five Garganeys. The stilts had obviously just arrived as they were stationary throughout the time we watched them.

                                Black-winged Stilts, Dengemarsh

The two Bean Geese were also on show in the back field, plus the two Cattle Egrets in the sheep field by the battery farm where a Raven was having its fill of lamb afterbirth.
From Hanson hide the only bird of note was a Peregrine.

                                Cattle Egrets, Dengemarsh

                                Sedge Warbler, Dengemarsh

Littlestone - We finished the day scanning the bay for waders where 200 Oystercatchers, 100 Curlews, 20 Turnstones, 10 Sanderlings, two Dunlins, two Barwits and a Redshank were noted.
A cracking couple of days birding for our guest with 114 species noted, despite the nagging north-easterly wind.