Great White Egret

Lade - cold, and sunny - The wind eased off this morning following the northerly blast of yesterday making for a far more pleasant day. The first Great White Egret of the year was on site loafing around the main reed bed, disturbing a couple of Grey Herons and a flighty Bittern. Several Marsh Harriers and Buzzards noted across the weekend, plus a few more Linnets, Mipits and Reed Buntings and a cracking Dartford Warbler in the gorse by south lake.

                               One of two porpoise corpses on the beach

  Over the peninsula the now regular dawn and dusk procession of thousands of Cormorants came and went over the bay. Yesterday a flock of 30 Brent Geese passed east and today two porpoise carcasses were washed up on the tideline.
  On the bird reserve yesterday the first belated Smew (a drake) of winter appeared on the pools around Christmas Dell (PB), while a Crane put in a surprise appearance late afternoon on the fields at Dengemarsh (MC). Today the White-fronted Goose flock from Pett Levels showed at Scotney along with a Tundra Bean Goose (JK).

                                Magpie enjoying the warm sunshine