Mediterranean Gulls

Saturday - Dungeness - 0730hrs - humid, dry, s 4 - With a warm plume of southerly air off the Continent we joined several other hopefuls in the seawatch hide where plenty of Gannets and Sandwich Terns were blown close to shore amongst hundreds of gulls. Also in the mix at least half a dozen Arctic Skuas and two Bonxies causing mayhem with the terns.
  A wander along the beach opposite Jarman`s delivered a steady flow of hirundines heading south into the stiff breeze and a couple of grounded Wheatears and a Chiffchaff around the sea containers.
The Warren, Folkestone - Spent most of the day with the family on the beach mooching amongst the weedy rock pools and searching for fossils in the crumbling, clay cliffs for our grandson. Reverting to childhood can be such great fun. There were plenty of Chiffchaffs, Robins, tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, calling away in the scrub along the sloping cliff path, while hirundines continued to trickle along the coastline throughout the day.  
  As we made our way round to the Harbour Arm, towards the Folkestone Beer Festival, the rising tide pushed upwards of 200 Mediterranean Gulls off the rocks at Copt Point, a fantastic spectacle as they rode the air currents below the Coastguards Lookout. A Grey Wagtail was noted in the harbour opposite the Burston hotel.

Sunday - RSPB - warm, cloudy, w 3 - A spin round the bird reserve this morning revealed much the same birds that have been present all week. The Cattle Egret posed at the far end of Boulderwall pool; Whinchats, Stonechats and Wheatear on the return trail; Ruff, Little Stint and two Goldeneyes on Burrowes; a couple more Ruff on ARC with the Golden Plovers and Lapwings; and the usual Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers elsewhere.