Great White Egrets

Lade - cool, cloudy, light airs - A chilly start to the day which eventually warmed up by noon. Despite clear skies last night a flock of 20 Chiffchaffs and at least two Blackcaps by the ponds kept me entertained, along with the usual tits, Cetti`s Warblers, finches, Robins and several Blackbirds.
Egrets are commonplace around the wetlands hereabouts, although four Great White Egrets flying in off the sea was unusual, particularly as three of them decided to alight on the 200` wall `mirror` beside the Cormorants! Another flock of nine was also seen flying over Dungeness about the same time (PB). Also noted several Sparrowhawks, Kestrels, Stonechats, a lone House Martin and flight views of a Bittern, plus a trickle of Skylarks, Mipits and Siskins overhead.

                                Three Great White Egrets - on a large wall!

Dungeness - A scan from Hanson hide this morning revealed 200 Golden Plovers and Lapwings, 10 Dunlins, Snipe, Blackwit and Grey Plover on the islands, plus several Chiffchaffs around the car park, two Great White Egrets and a Merlin over. Plenty of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters and Speckled Woods on the wing around the Willow Trail.

                                Grey Plover, ARC

                                Stonechat, Dungeness

  This afternoon a check of the bushes around the point delivered several Chiffchaffs in the old lighthouse garden and the moat, a Black Redstart and four Stonechats by West Beach and at least four Sparrowhawks. There was no sign of this mornings Wryneck. With an influx of migrants in east Kent it surely can`t be long until something decent comes our way...