Juvenile Birding

Lade - cool, cloudy, start, warm, sunny afternoon, ne 3 - 0600hrs - Another poor catch in the moth trap due to the chilly overnight north-easterly with only 12 species present.
Dungeness - At the Patch at least 8 Med Gulls and 4 Little Gulls amongst the hundreds of Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns. Along the power station wall the regular singing male Black Redstart, Linnets and Pied Wagtails.
RSPB - Spent the afternoon showing Ze from Berkshire the birding delights of the peninsula. She set me the task of finding birds suitable to photograph, which was not easy in such a brisk wind. A circuit of the reserve resulted in all the expected warblers, Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Kestrel, Common Terns, 2 Red-crested Pochards, 2 Shelducks, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Raven, Ringed Plover and a Med Gull. On ARC 6 Blackwits, 4 Little Egrets, LRP, 3 Wigeon, Green Woodpeckers and Swallow at the nest. A pair of Little Owls with 2 juvs provided a good target for the camera.
At Dungeness most of the gulls had moved from the Patch and the Black Redstart proved difficult. Called in at the Obs to check on the House Martin chick, what a little cutie!
In summary a steady afternoon and early evening with plenty of juvenile birds out and about.

                                Juv Little Owls, Lydd

                                Linnet, DBO

                                Swallow, ARC