First Sedge Warbler

Dengemarsh - cold, sunny, nw 3 - 0730hrs - For a change of scene this morning we walked the gully, which was predictably quiet in a biting nor-westerly. However, four Redwings flushed from cover and a Wheatear out on the desert towards Penn Bars was some return for our efforts, while  Barney almost nailed a mink along the sewer bank. Both Raven and Peregrine were present overhead. From Springfield Bridge there was plenty of Marsh Harrier and Lapwing activity towards Hookers and the two Tundra Geese were in the field near the bungalow with Greylags. The flood and hayfields were bereft of waders apart from Lapwings and Oystercatchers, Shelducks and two Great White Egrets, although two LRPs dropped in on hayfield 2 during the afternoon (PB).
By the Dengemarsh hide our first Sedge Warbler of the year was already in song, while the two Cattle Egrets remained faithful to the sheep folds behind Brickwall Farm.
Galloways was a bird free zone, while Scotney wasn't much better, unless, that is, you like Herring Gulls...

                                Sheep Egrets, Dengemarsh

Littlestone - I checked the beach for waders this afternoon where a flock of 26 Knot was the highlight amongst the usual Curlews, Oystercatchers, Barwits, Dunlins and Sanderlings, plus two Grey and eight Ringed Plovers.
Lade - Whilst working in the garden the local Herring Gulls went loopy, and it took me a while to discover what all the fuss was about - a distant large raptor, on the edge of my naked eye range (which isn't great these days), up in the cloud base. It could`ve been a Short-toed Eagle for all I knew, but was most likely a buzzard, kite or Osprey heading north.