A day of Twos

Lade - cold, dry and sunny - A stunning morning following an overnight frost with bright sunshine throughout and, for once, not a breath of wind. South lake still had wisps of mist rolling across the surface first thing within hundreds of ducks, grebes, gulls and Coots scattered across the mill-pond. The two Long-tailed Ducks showed well alongside 12 Goldeneyes, including several stunning drakes, while a pair of Great Crested Grebe performing their head-shaking nuptials hinted of the coming spring. But for now this was a winters day to saviour.

                                Early morning mist over south lake

   The Dartford Warbler has become a regular late autumn migrant, in small numbers, to the scrublands across the Dungeness NNR over the past few years. Normally the majority move on as winter arrives, but not so this year with a minimum of ten individuals scattered across the peninsula from Lade to the Kerton Road triangle, the Dungeness Estate and the bird reserve. There are probably a few more yet to be discovered on the more remote parts of the Desert, Galloways and the Army ranges.
  This morning while trying to photograph the `resident` bird at Lade, to my surprise, up popped a second one, both of whom seemed to be following a pair of Dunnocks around, probably as some sort of early warning safety policy in case of a Sparrowhawk attack. Elsewhere, Stonechats are popular indicators of a Dartford Warblers presence. 

                                Dartford Warblers and Dunnock enjoying the sunshine

Dungeness - 1400hrs - On the way back from Lydd this afternoon we called in at Hanson hide where two Bewick`s Swans had just dropped in on ARC amongst the ducks and Lapwings. The first I`ve seen on here in good light this year, and they posed well for the photographers in the hide. On the far side of the lake a Black-throated Diver was down more than up as it fished and a Bittern could just about be discerned on the edge of a reedbed across the near channel. From Screen hide we had flight views of a Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier.

                                Bewick`s Swans, ARC

  A superb days local birding with the twos prevailing of: Long-tailed Duck, Dartford Warbler and Bewick`s Swan.