Hobbies

Dungeness - warm, cloudy, drizzle, sw 2 - Spent the morning with the guests on the estate doing a mixture of history, plant hunting and birding. Wheatear, two Black Redstarts and all the usual common species were noted on the land, while the sea delivered a few Gannets and terns offshore, plus hundreds of gulls at the Patch.

                                Hobbies, Dengemarsh
                                       
RSPB - The afternoon was spent on the bird reserve where the highlight was up to 15 Hobbies over Dengemarsh hunting flying insects; if there is a smarter and more watchable migrant I`d like to know what it is. Also around the circular route, two Black-necked Grebes, Wigeon and Teal on Burrowes, Garganey and fledged Lapwings on the hayfields, plus Raven on the pylons, singing Lesser Whitethroat by Christmas Dell and a single Cuckoo along the access road (what on earth has happened to this once common migrant, as there are so few around this year).