Great White Egrets

Saturday - Lade - cool and sunny, nw 3 - Around the local patch a small influx of 20 Wigeon on south lake hinted at the changing weather conditions. Three Great White Egrets stalked the margins along with 12 of their smaller relatives and six Grey Herons. The bushes were practically passerine free although a few Goldfinches and Mipits drifted overhead, while along the beach a late Swallow flew low across the shingle heading for Dungeness and points south.
  Working in the garden for most of the day fence painting a trickle of finches came in off the bay including two Bramblings and several each of Siskin and Redpoll. A late afternoon sortie down the beach on a rising tide produced all 10 species of winter waders including two Grey Plovers, plus 15 Sandwich Terns and six Brents. Further out in the bay fishing Gannets were active and a few more Brents flew by.

                                Sandwich Terns, gulls and waders

                                Turnstone

                               Barney on the beach

                                Part of the Great White Egret flock

Sunday - mild, cloudy start, cooler later, n 2 - No doubt about the local highlight this morning, a record count of ten Great White Egrets on south lake fishing along the far reedbed amongst 20  Little Egrets and Grey Herons. Once again it was a repeat of yesterday on the passerine front with just a few common finches overhead and several Goldcrests by the ponds.