Cold, dry, cloudy, N2 - Spent the day guiding for Mark from Lexington, USA. We started with the obligatory one hour seawatch from the hide at Dungeness in the company of Martin and Richard. A steady tooing and froing of Red-throated Divers, Gannets and Razorbills was the order of the watch along with two parties of Brent Geese and several Common Scoters, mostly moving up-Channel. The highlight though, just as we were leaving, was a distant `smoke` of ducks hurriedly moving down-Channel in a loose flock. At first glance we thought scoters, until Martin scoped `em and confirmed that they were infact Pintails! - around 100 and certainly the largest number I`ve ever seen here. Moving onto the bird reserve and whilst scanning Boulderwall fields a flock of 17 very nervy White-fronted Geese flew in from the east and landed briefly before flying off calling. As we commenced the circular route news came through of a redhead Smew on Dengemarsh lake, the first one for three years, and we were soon enjoying distant views of it along with a much closer Black-necked Grebe. We completed a clean sweep of wildfowl with the wintering Long-tailed Duck and two Goldeneyes on New Diggings. Also noted around the reserve, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Raven, Kingfisher, Shelduck, four Great White Egrets, three Meadow Pipits and good views of several Cetti`s Warblers. A run out on Walland only produced a lone Green Sandpiper of note at Midley; there was no sign of the Bewick`s Swan flock. We finished the afternoon on the low tide from Littlestone Green where seven species of bay waders were logged including 10 Redshanks, two Ringed Plovers and a Black-tailed Godwit. A cracking day`s birding then in fine company during which we rattled up a not too shabby 78 species.
Great White Egret, New Ex
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