Passage migrants

Lade - cool, dry, sunny, nw 3 - At last a dry day, and one full of passage migrants from the off with small parties of Siskins, Goldfinches and Mipits over the cottage, plus 2 Grey Wagtails. More than 100 Mipits were grounded on the shingle ridges by south lake along with 10 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Wheatears, while over the water hundreds of hirundines hawked insects. By the ponds a large passerine flock comprised mostly Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, plus 10 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats and a Goldcrest (but not a sniff of a Yellow-browed...). Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzard all noted around the site.
Dungeness - We then worked the bushes along the edge of the Desert at the point which was full of common migrants as follows: 100 Mipits, 2 Tree Pipits, 10 Pied, 15 Yellow and 3 Grey Wagtails, 25 Wheatears, 4 Whinchats, 10 Whitethroats, 15 Chiffchaffs, 20 Chaffinches, 5 Reed Buntings, 5 Blackbirds, 2 Willow Warblers, 20 Robins and a Black Redstart, plus hundreds of hirundines over and singles of Hobby, Swift and Greater pecker. Brilliant stuff, and shades of the `old days`. 

                                "Now, where`s that Wryneck gone?"

                           Great Spotted Woodpecker, Whinchat and Wheatear, Dungeness

Greatstone Beach - Finished off early afternoon checking the waders on a rising tide in warm sunshine where the highlight was a flock of 21 Knots amongst hundreds of Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Sanderling, plus a massive 220 Sandwich Terns and more Yellow Wagtails and hirundines heading south along the beach.
Over the three days, of variable weather conditions, we located 121 species of birds for Ray and Stuart with the undoubted highlights being yesterdays seawatch and this mornings passage migrants.