Lapwings

Dungeness/Lade - mild, cloudy, se 3 - We wandered down to the fishing boats this morning for a look at the sea which was smothered in hundreds of Guillemots, scores of Red-throated Divers, Cormorants and Great Crested Grebes and a few Razorbills, plus more of the aforementioned flying between the bays. At the Patch at least one of the 1st winter Iceland Gulls was still present, plus three Caspian Gulls (DW).
  A tour of the gravel pits revealed the Slavonian Grebe and Ring-necked Duck on their usual waters around the bird reserve, while two Shelducks were new at Lade along with 12 Goldeneyes. Take-em-for-granted type of birds such as Tree Sparrow, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier were all present around the reserve.

  However, there was a noticeable increase in Lapwings with thousands scattered across the fields at Dengemarsh, Boulderwall, Lade north and the islands on Burrowes. Without doubt one of our smartest waders and definitely in my top ten.