A Passage of Grey Wagtails

Lade - cool, clear, n 2 - A pre-breakie walk out back with Barney was notable for a steady overhead movement of Grey Wagtails, strictly an autumn passage migrant down here. During the course of the morning at least a dozen went over; its a good job Grey Wags have a distinctive call otherwise they`d go largely unnoticed. Plenty of Chiffchaffs were present around the ponds with Goldcrests coming and going in the garden firs along with migrant Blue Tits. Also, a lone Snipe flushed from cover on the storm ridges.
I`m determined to find a Yellow-browed Warbler on the local patch this autumn and with birds steadily moving down the east coast (closest at Sandwich Bay) our chances are improving. With the wind now due east an afternoon visit, yielded a small flock of Chiffchaffs feeding in the sheltered fir trees by the aerial mound and several Painted Ladies basking in the warm sunshine.

                               Painted Lady, Lade

Dengemarsh - A midday visit produced very little apart from another Snipe, a flock of 50 Mipits in Hayfield 3, 2 Ravens over and 20 Swallows over the lake.
Ketchley Copse - (aka Lydd Wood). After putting in a shift at the allotment a walk around the small copse by the roundabout delivered 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests and at least 10 Blue Tits.
Dungeness - A handful each of Sandwich Terns and Arctic Skuas, plus 2 Common Terns, a distant auk and a few Gannets was about all we could muster after an hour at the fishing boats this afternoon.