Little Ringed Plover

Dungeness - 0645hrs - cold, cloudy, snow flurries, ne 3 - A 90 minute seawatch from the hide in the company of TG & SO moved along nicely with a steady flow of mainly Gannets, divers, auks and 200 Brents, plus single figures of Pintail, Curlew, Med Gull and Sandwich Tern. As we left the hide a heavy snow shower came in off the sea but didn`t last for long and none settled.
ARC - 1000hrs - From Hanson a distant Bittern, Great White Egret, 18 Goldeneyes and 12 Smews, including the `white nun`. Plenty of activity from the Willow Trail with Long-tailed, Great and Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Robin, Wren, Cetti`s Warbler, Water Rail, singing Chiffchaff and best of all a stunning Firecrest.
Dengemarsh - The flood and hayfields attracted the now regular dabbling ducks and waders, including 2 Ruff and an open-billed Oystercatcher. Barney confirmed that the anti-predator fence is juiced up...

" Walks me round here looking for some duck or other, only to get me nearly electrocuted, now where`s that number for the RSPCA?..."

                                Oystercatcher with open-bill

                                Little Ringed Plover, Dengemarsh

                                3rd winter Glaucous Gull, Boats

Denegmarsh - 1400hrs - Having missed yesterdays bird returned to Dengemarsh this afternoon with MH to twitch and year tick (146) a Little Ringed Plover (things are that desperate!) which was feeding in a puddle close to the track leading down the gully. Smart birds are LRPs and one of my favourite summer visitors. On the drive out 2 Corn Buntings by the chicken sheds.
Dungeness -  At the entrance to the concrete road a 3rd winter Caspian Gull was located amongst its common cousins (MH could hardly contain himself...) while further down the road the old favourite, the wintering Glaucous Gull was drinking from a puddle. A quick look at the sea yielded more Gannets on the move and loads of grebes on the water.