Shelducks & Spotted Flycatchers

Lade  - 0900hrs - warm, dry and sunny, nw 2 - A good few migrants about this morning with at least 30 Chiffchaffs hereabouts. There was plenty of activity in the willows by the ponds with at least 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Common Whitethroats and singles of Reed and Sedge Warblers, while south lake was smothered in feral geese and common wildfowl including 16 Shelducks. Several huge carp breached in the middle of the lake causing the Coots to scatter. Nothing much in the storm beach scrub apart from several Mipits and Linnets. A number of insects were enjoying the warm weather with Small Heath and Small Copper along the main track and scores of Migrant Hawkers and damsels by the ponds.

                                Shelducks, Lade

ARC - 1330hrs - Very little of note in front of Hanson apart from Lapwings and a flock of 8 Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin. A Common Buzzard moving along the coast disturbed the gulls, while a Honey Buzzard was reported heading south earlier (CP). Checked the south end where 7 Blackwits, 2 Ruff and a Barwit but there was no sign of the reported Pec Sand; 2 Curlew Sands were seen on Burrowes earlier although yesterdays Spoonbill had moved on to Rye Harbour.
Lade - Back home I headed for the aerial mound to scan for any raptors on the move, of which there 3 more Common Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk in 30 minutes.