Black-throated Diver

Lade - sunny, mild, windy sw 6 - The past couple of days could not have been more different with cloud and rain yesterday followed by gale force westerlies and bright sunshine today. On the local pits the Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe have been attracting a steady flow of year-listing birders to site, while the Dartford Warbler continues to show, off and on, despite the weather conditions.

                               Dartford Warbler rear view

Dungeness - An immature Iceland Gull at the fishing boats this morning (PB) had departed by the time we`d got our act together this afternoon. However, there was plenty of activity on the sea from hundreds of Guillemots, Great Crested Grebes, Kittiwakes and Cormorants, while the regular 1st winter Caspian Gull was on the beach.

                               Two Goosanders, ARC

  On the bird reserve a Black-throated Diver reported earlier on ARC was still on the far side of the lake from Hanson hide. Two redhead Goosanders flew in and settled on an island amongst the dabblers and Lapwings; Marsh Harrier and Kingfisher also noted here. Elsewhere, the Long-eared Owl was partially visible at roost behind the Dipping Pool. Finished off in Makepeace hide with a clutch of other optimists just in case the Iceland Gull came to roost, which it didn`t, but the 1st winter Glaucous Gull did, so all was not lost. As the sun set three Marsh Harriers dropped into the Oppen pits as several hundred raucous Jackdaws provided a fair old spectacle as they too went to roost.