Sooty Shearwaters

Lade - Cool, cloudy, rain by mid-rain, heavy pm, ese5 - An early morning foray over the pits was largely fruitless due to the strong easterly and the only migrants of note was a flock of 100 Swallows over south pit. The promised wind and rain eventually arrived by mid-morning.
Dungeness  - 0830hrs - Joined the Ashford Three at the boats for a seawatch in blustery/showery conditions. They`d already had 4 Sooty Shearwaters (one so close you could see its tubular nostrils!) and over the coming hour I also scored with a distant bird moving east. A scattering of Gannets, Guillemots and Sandwich Terns were feeding offshore, along with singles of Red-throated Diver, Little Gull and Kittiwake. Several small groups of Common Scoters and Brents moved down-Channel, plus 2 Arctic Skuas offshore and at least 10 porpoises. Best of all though was the sight of a steady passage of Swallows pushing out into the easterly and heading for the Continent.
Also noted earlier, a Leache`s Petrel (BM).
Scotney - 1500hrs - In driving rain at least 20 Barwits feeding on the grass beside the lake alongside a number of Curlews, Lapwings and Golden Plovers.
ARC - The Pectoral Sandpiper showed briefly at the southern end from the causeway road alongside 2 Dunlins.