Old friends

Walland Marsh - mild, cloudy, sw 5 -  Picked up Val, Sandra and David from Ashford at midday who are down for a weeks birding; the two ladies being our longest clients and old friends, since we started ten years ago.
Whilst having lunch at Faggs Wood we noted Jay, Goldcrest, Long-tailed and Coal Tits around the car park. Along the canal at Kenardington we cleaned up on the thrushes with 500 Fieldfares, 100 Redwings and a scattering of Mistle, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds. Yellowhammer was also noted here along with common finches and tits, Kestrel and Common Buzzard nearby. The blustery wind made for difficult birding with few passerines seen as we crossed the Marsh. A Great White Egret in a field near Midley was of note and the usual Tree Sparrows showed well on the feeders. At the drying barns more Fieldfares and a few Chaffinches, plus a Grey Wagtail on the barn.

                                Great White Egret, Midley

                                Tree Sparrows, Midley

ARC - We finished the afternoon initially at Hanson hide where 2 Goldeneyes and 10 Pintails were the highlights amongst the common wildfowl, plus Kingfisher, Great White Egret, Sparrowhawk and 5 Marsh Harriers. Finally we moved to the gateway at the eastern end to count the egrets coming to roost, of which there were 14 Little and 5 Great White, although we may have missed one or two that sneaked in from the north in the near gale force wind. Hundreds of corvids headed to roost at the Oppen pits.