First Brents of autumn

Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - Spent a very enjoyable day guiding for Jane and friends from Rye in favourable weather conditions. We spent the morning on the bird reserve where the highlights included eight Cattle Egrets on Hayfield 2, 10 Great White Egrets, Ruff, Snipe, Golden and Grey Plovers, Kingfisher, three late Yellow Wagtails, Stonechat, two Buzzards and a cracking adult male Marsh Harrier. Several large pulses of hirundines went through, one from Christmas Dell hide involving over a thousand, mainly House Martins, while Kestrels, Cetti`s Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were commonplace. Plenty of Migrant Hawkers and Red Admirals were also on the wing.

                                Great White and Cattle Egrets

Littlestone - We had superb views of seven species of bay waders at low tide opposite the caisson including 50 Curlews, 20 Turnstones, 50 Sanderlings, 10 Ringed Plovers and 30 Dunlins, plus all the regular gulls and 50 Sandwich Terns.

Dungeness - Wasn't expecting much from a one hour seawatch from the hide this afternoon but we struck lucky with our first 11 Brents of autumn down-Channel, a flock of 170 Kittiwakes on the sea by the buoy, an Arctic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Red-throated Diver, 20 Gannets, 20 Sandwich Terns and two Common Terns. It was quiet on the land although we did manage to see a male Peregrine perched on a pylon to round off a decent birding day for the guests during which we rattled up a respectable 84 species.