Cold, cloudy, NE 3-4 - With a rasping wind out of the north, that picked up through the day, it was far from ideal weather for a guided tour for Clare and Peter from London. However, we started at the Kerton quarry where six Dunlins and two Ringed Plovers showed well, while from the Tavern viewpoint 12 Curlews, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, four Dunlins and a Sanderling were amongst 100 plus Oystercatchers. At Lade pits hundreds of hirundines and Swifts swirled over south lake in the chill air. Moving onto Dungeness where we mopped up on Wheatears, Black Redstart, Linnets, Skylarks, Stonechats and Meadow Pipits, along with two parties of Bar-tailed Godwits and several Sandwich Terns from the seawatch hide.
The rest of the day was spent on the bird reserve where hundreds more Swifts and hirundines (mostly Swallows) were present. At ARC several pairs of Black-headed Gulls had settled on a shingle island along with a pair of Avocets, plus four Common Sandpipers, Shoveler, Pochard, Teal, a Bearded Tit, calling Cuckoo and Lesser Whitethroat. Highlights around the main body of the reserve included several Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers, a booming Bittern, up to ten Hobbbies over Dengemarsh, Lapwing chicks and Barwits on the hayfields, two Whimbrel, another Cuckoo, a Yellow Wagtail and a Little Ringed Plover on New Ex. A decent day`s birding then, considering the brisk, cold wind, in fine company, during which we rattled up a respectable 81 species of birds.
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