Sunshine Birding

Dengemarsh - cold, dry, sunny, nw 2 - A `proper` winters day with frosty fields, icy puddles and a runny nose. We parked up at ARC and spent the morning roaming the tracks around Boulderwall and Hooker`s where the fields were full of plovers, Wigeon, gulls and feral geese, plus several each of Little and Great White Egrets, Grey Heron, Snipe, Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and Peregrine.
The back lake at Hooker`s delivered a Slavonian Grebe, 5 Bearded Tits, Cetti`s Warblers and Goldcrest, while from the ramp 2 Bitterns showed well in flight, including the pale individual, along with 5 Snipe, 2 Bearded Tits and 2 Great White Egrets. A stake out and scan for the Pendulines drew yet another blank, despite perfect weather conditions, but there was plenty of locals coming and going to natter with, and make a fuss of Barney who hates standing around, unless there`s grub on offer...

                                 Little Egret struggling with a large fish

Dungeness - This afternoon we had a wander along the foreshore in glorious sunshine which had certainly brought forth crowds of birdwatchers, fishermen, photographers and general tourists onto the Estate; they would`ve cleaned up with a toll booth in place today...
However, there was no sign of the Glaucous Gull, and very little happening on a flat calm sea, but the Caspian Gull showed well enough from the road by the fish hut.

                               1st winter Caspian Gull, Dungeness