`Weekend Scaup`

Dungeness RSPB - mild, showery, sw 4 - 1000hrs - Accompanied the Joker on a tour of the bird reserve this morning stopping at New Diggings first where two Black-throated Divers and a Great White Egret were present. On ARC, from the causeway road, the usual Gadwall/Teal flock plus a Little Egret. The fields at Boulderwall harboured 100 sleeping grey geese which appeared to be Greylags, plus another Great White Egret. From Dengemarsh hide we had flight views of a Bittern, more grey geese, Shelduck, Dabchick and a mixed flock of Lapwing and Curlew on the hayfield. From Dennis`s a Great Tit/Chiffchaff flock near the hide and a flock of 50 Tufted Ducks on the water below, including a female with a white blaze, which certain local wags refer to as a `weekend Scaup`. Elsewhere on Burrowes a Goosander from Firth, two redhead Smew, three Goldeneye, 20 Pintail a Black-necked Grebe over by Scott, plus hundreds of Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon etc. With all the islands now virtually submerged the Cormorants have taken to the willows with some smart looking sinensis types already claiming nest sites.

                                `Weekend Scaup`

                                Tufted Ducks, Burrowes

Littlestone - 1500hrs - Checked the foreshore from the Varne where the waders were nice and close due the rain keeping Joe public at bay. Eight species of shorebirds noted included 30 Knot, 20 Barwits, Redshank and larger numbers of Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Turnstone. As is often the case, Grey and Ringed Plovers were the absent duo.