Merlin

Dungeness - cold, dry and sunny, n 4 - Another nippy old day across the peninsula, particularly during the afternoon when the cloud cover came over. We kicked off at the Patch where the Glaucous Gull was a no show. Offshore a trickle of Red-throated Divers, Gannets, Common Scoters and auks moved between the bays. On the coast road just before the fish shop a Black Redstart popped up onto a garden wall.
  At Lade pits the two Long-tailed Ducks eventually showed on south lake, plus seven Goldeneyes across both waters and several hundred Shoveler and Teal. On the bay from the Varne boat ramp five species of waders noted.
  Moving onto the bird reserve we had superb views of a male Merlin perched on a post at Dengemarsh, plus a pair of Smew and a Great White Egret. From Christmas Dell hide the Slavonian Grebe showed well. On Burrowes the Glaucous Gull allude us yet again but we did note Pintail, Raven and Avocet, new for the trip list. Much has been said locally about the extraordinary numbers of Cormorants at Dungeness during the afternoon, and today was no different with at least 4,000 present.

    2,000 Cormorants