Ferrets and waders

Dungeness - cool, dry, sunny, N3 - Cooler than of late due to a northerly airflow, although bright sunshine. A wander around the point delivered few birds with only singles of Song Thrush, Redwing, Goldcrest and Reed Bunting noted and nothing moving overhead apart from a few Goldfinches. However, all was not lost as I spent some time reminiscing with two blokes ferreting for rabbits by the Old Lighthouse; Barney was keen to get involved too! Also, on show at the Obs a couple of old Harvest Mice nests collected by Jacques during his surveys out on Walland, what fabulously intricate structures.

                                Working Ferret

                                Harvest Mouse nest

Birdwatching Break - Picked Raymond up from Ashford station who`s down for a three day bird tour. We kicked off by the canal at Kenardington where a walk along the north side of the cut  produced a decent enough range of wayside birds including tits, finches, thrushes, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, Stonechat and Yellowhammer, plus two Buzzards and Kestrels. Green-veined White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral were still on the wing in sunny, sheltered corners. Many of the ash trees were suffering from `die back`.

                                Speckled Wood from Willow Trail

  Moving down to Dungeness and from Hanson hide a few Goldies, Lapwings, two Avocets, Dunlin, Snipe and Blackwit on the islands, the usual wildfowl, three Shelducks, Marsh Harrier and Water Rail, plus two Goldeneyes and a Black-necked Grebe on the water and Tree Sparrow on the Boulderwall feeders. From the Willow Trail Speckled Wood and Common Darter bathed in the suns fading rays. En-route to the bay we diverted to DBO to see the Geranium Bronze, an invasive butterfly found by PB in his garden on the Low Weald.
  We finished off the afternoon wader fest with 11 species (15 in total) on the mud and sands at Littlestone including seven Blackwits (unusual here); Sanderling, Ringed and Grey Plovers, Knot and Redshank were all in single figures. Also 12 Shelduck and 15 Sandwich Terns.