First Blackcap & Goldcrest

Dengemarsh Gully - 0900hrs  - cool, sunny, sw 3 - Once the overnight rain had cleared a bright, sunny day followed, but with a keen wind. The gully produced our first Blackcap and Goldcrest of the spring along with 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Stonechats, 2 Reed Buntings and single figures of Mipit, Skylark, Wren, Robin, Great Tit and Dunnock. A pair of Teal were disturbed from the sewer and both Raven and Med Gull passed overhead. MH joined us, while at the Penn Bars end there was at least six Wheatears on the shingle.
From Springfield Bridge the usual Marsh Harriers over the reedbed, plus 8 Shelduck and 2 Ringed Plovers on the hay field. The range road around Galloways was virtually birdless apart from a few corvids.
Scotney - Pretty quiet here too, apart from a pair of Avocets, 35 Dunlin, 10 Redshank and 2 Grey Plovers. A small party of Wigeon was still present and a Great White Egret flew over the new gravel pits.
Dungeness - 1430hrs - An hour from the fishing boats delivered no actual movement although single figures of Gannet, Kittiwake, Guillemot and Red-throated Diver were milling around offshore, along with 50 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Harbour Porpoises. A Sandwich Tern passed west along with an unidentified grey goose. On the beach the 1st winter Glaucous Gull was still present and I managed to id a 2nd winter Caspian Gull amongst several hundred large gulls.
NB: Also reported on the RSPB reserve today were Smew, Long-tailed Duck, Pink-footed Goose, Black-throated Diver, Firecrest and the years first, and early, Willow Warbler.