Dengemarsh

Dungeness - 0730hrs - Cold, frosty, sunny, n 2 - A bright sunny day for the most part until it clouded over by early afternoon. A wander along the shingle opposite Jarman`s revealed little apart from a singles of Skylark, Pied Wagtail and Mipit plus a perched Merlin.

                                                           Merlin, Dungeness

                                                              Spring lambs

t

Rock Pipit, probable Scandinavian race, littoralis - Only had a one minute view before it flew off but I  managed this cropped digi-pic and it did call, a single `wheest`. So, let`s see, its not a Water Pipit cos its way too dark and streaky and lacks a bold supercilium. This bird shows a reasonable super, particularly behind the eye, and a bluish-grey tone to the head, which nominate Rock tends not to. It also has brightish wing bars and a pinkish suffusion to the buffish  underparts (not that apparent from this pic). The legs are a reddish brown and the outer tail feathers appeared brownish. But, its not a `classic` summer plum Scando and I could be swayed back to petrosus Rock if anyone out there has an opinion?...

                                Black Redstart, chicken sheds


 Dengemarsh - 1000hrs - Mrs PT fancied a hike this morning so we parked up at ARC and walked Dengemarsh via the back track to Manor Farm and Springfield Bridge. The fields at Boulderwall were packed out with all the usual feral geese, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwings, Starlings, Stock Doves, gulls, corvids and Curlews. In amongst the throng were 20 Goldies, 2 Ruff, Redshank and Snipe. A Bittern flew out of the reedbed by the Corral and a Stonechat perched up. Around the reedbeds plenty of Reed Buntings and Cetti`s Warblers in song and `pinging` Beardies. The Marsh Harriers put on quite a show with the male `skydancing` out of the clouds; Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard also noted at the back of Hookers. The track to Manor Farm was largely birdless apart from a few Wrens and Song Thrushes in the snowy ditches and displaying Lapwings. On the dung heap a probable Scandinavian Rock Pipit showed briefly before hurtling inland high and out of sight, but I did managed to get a few crummy digi-pics. Plenty of new born lambs in the fields (including one with its body wrapped in plastic!) and the chicken sheds held a Black Redstart. From Springfield Bridge the hayfields had 20 Teal, 12 Shovelers, 50 Lapwings, 4 Ringed Plovers and a Raven flew over. We had further views of Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, a flushed Water Rail and numerous singing Reed Buntings but nothing remotely spring-like. Back at Boulderwall there was plenty of activity around the feeders and a Great White Egret flew over from New Diggings.
A Jack Snipe had been reported earlier on the ponds near Hanson hide (SB).