Lade - 0600hrs - warm, dry, sunny w 1 - A stunning morning to be out and about early on, and with only a light breeze there was plenty of bird song from the likes of Skylark, Mipit, Whitethroat, Linnet and Cuckoo. A Whinchat was a nice surprise perched on the desert scrub, while overhead Swallows and 3 Yellow Wagtails pressing north were more expected.
May is usually a good month for waders down here, but so far its been poor, with a notable near absence of Barwits (although some were reported at the point today). However, as most stuff is late this spring there is still time, so it was encouraging to see 4 Common Sandpipers and 2 Greenshanks around the margins of south pit with singles of each at Kerton road pit and a Whimbrel over. Whilst working around the garden and on the allotment today several more Whimbrels went over calling, plus a Buzzard at 1400hrs. Yet again the garden moth trap was barren.
ARC - Had a wander down to the water tower, where we failed to see the male Redstart (it says something when a dozen birders are staking out a bush for a Redstart...). On the pits 3 distant Little Egrets and a drake Red-breasted Merganser, plus 2 Buzzards and 3 Hobbies high over the desert.
ps: Seems to have been generally another quiet day around the peninsula with few grounded migrants anywhere. However, at Dungeness Pomarine Skuas were reported passing the point amongst Greats and Arctics while a continuous stream of Commic Terns ran into the thousands. There remained little of note on the land apart from an influx of Hobbies, while a Great White Egret was seen on the bird reserve and a Serin over the gully. The ranges seemed to have had the best of it with a kite sp, Short-eared Owl and Greenshank.
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