`Booming` Bittern & Yellow Wagtails

Dungeness - 0900hrs - mild, cloudy, drizzle, sw 2 - A grotty start to the day with low cloud and drizzle coming and going. Half an hour from the seawatch hide was all we could manage and delivered a paltry six divers, seven Brents and five Gannets. The land wasn't much better with just a lone Wheatear on the power station wall of note.
Dengemarsh - Our spirits improved no end at Hookers where we had superb views of a singing Cetti`s Warbler, plenty of Sedge Warblers, also in song, and a Bittern `booming` for the first time this spring.
Scotney - The Long-tailed Duck took some finding on the small lake to the east of the farm track, but best of all was a flock of 10 stunning Yellow Wagtails by the farm. Redshank, Wigeon and Little Egret also noted.
New Diggings - On the way home we had distant views of an adult Black-necked Grebe in summer plum amongst a flock of Shovelers and Great Crested Grebes. A Swallow zipped over, but we could find no sign of the long staying Black-throated Diver.
A decent mornings birding to finish the weekend on for Jean, Sarah and Judy, during which we rattled up 94 species, the highlights being divers, grebes, Bittern, waders, Glaucous and Little Gulls, Common Tern, Raven and their first summer visitors in the form of LRP, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Willow and Sedge Warblers.
Lade - 1500hrs - Having neglected Barney of late we took a long wander round the gravel pit which is one of his favourite walks. All the usual gulls were on the islands, Shelducks, Mipits and Skylarks, plus another flock of 10 Yellow Wagtails along the fenceline on the edge of the desert, one of which allowed a close approach, what a little stunner.

                                Yellow Wagtail, Lade