Sunny Days

Dungeness - 0830hrs - mild, sunny, nw2 - A stunning morning to be out and about after the gales of yesterday. Not so many gulls on the shingle by the fishing boats, but the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was present. However, plenty of gulls just offshore plundering a shoal of sprats, including many Kittiwakes and at least 200 Great Crested Grebes.
New Diggings - A Black-necked Grebe was new for the year here, alongside 15 Goldenyes, 2 Smews, 5 ***** Ducks, 2 Gwegrets and 5 Little Egrets.

ARC - From the causeway road at the southern end, the first `white nun` of the winter plus 3 redhead Smews. From the car park, soaring Buzzard and Sparrowhawk plus Chiffchaff and 5 Tree Sparrows in the willows. At Screen hide a Kingfisher was zipping about and a Bittern showed well. Legions of ducks and Lapwings on the water including several Pintails and Shelducks. On the the walk back to the car a massive flock of Golden Plovers got up from the fields at Boulderwall. Over the road the Long-tailed Duck was on Burrowes and viewable from Dennis`s hide. Good to see plenty of fairweather birders around the reserve today enjoying the sunshine and plenty of good birds.
Elsewhere, this afternoon had a Merlin at Newchurch, while 2 Short-eared Owls were reported from Littlestone Golf Course (BB).