Surf Scoter and Common Crane

Dungeness - 0630-0830hrs - warm, sunny, e 2 - An early seawatch for the guests from the hide with TG, PB and ML was notable, at 0710hrs, for an immature Surf Scoter within a flock of seven Common Scoters. About the size of a duck Common Scoter, but paler and more uniform in colour with a noticeable whitish belly and pale patch on the face. A good call by Marcus Lawson. Also noted during the watch a steady passage of Common Scoters, Commic Terns, a few Gannets, auks, Med Gulls, Fulmars and Kittiwakes, five Eiders, Black-throated Diver, four Black Terns and four Arctic Skuas.
  After breakfast we headed down to the Patch where the immature Iceland Gull showed well feeding along the scum line. Also here 20 Common and 10 Arctic Terns, two Med Gulls and two Mergansers flying east. The land was generally quiet apart from a singing Black Redstart, eight Wheatears and a several Willow Warblers.
RSPB - A decent scattering of waders on Burrowes included, six Turnstones, three Barwits, three Grey and five Ringed Plovers, a Redshank, Oystercatchers, two Common Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover, plus a Peregrine overhead. On the walk back we noticed a Common Crane coming in from the west high over Boulderwall towards Lydd Airport, and probably beyond, as presumably the same bird was seen later at Sandwich Bay.
  On Dengemarsh we noted up to ten Hobbies, `booming` Bittern, Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Terns, Little Egret, White-front, Whimbrels, Barwits, Tree Sparrows and plenty of Sedge Warblers and Whitethroats.
Walland Marsh - An evening excursion was slightly curtailed due to rain, but we did manage to record a few Corn Buntings, Yellow Wagtails and Common Buzzards.