Common Terns and Crane

Lade - cold, dry, sunny, NE 4 - Another cold morning with a brisk wind whipping in off the sea, and as a result a mixed flock of 20 Swallows and Sand Martins soon pressed inland. A pair of  Goldeneye remained on south lake and a Marsh Harrier cruised over scattering the few remaining ducks.

                                Cowslips and Wood Anemones

Birdwatching Break - After picking up Raymond from Ashford station we called in at Faggs Wood where a circuit delivered the expected resident species such as Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Buzzard, common tits and finches, plus singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcap. Dropping down onto the Marsh at Warehorne bridge ten distant Buzzards soared over Hamstreet woods.
  Moving onto the coast at Littlestone, Redshanks, Turnstones, Curlews and Oystercatchers were the only waders on show along with a few distant Sandwich Terns. A seawatch from the fishing boats at Dungeness delivered two superb close Red-throated Divers in summer plumage on the sea, a trickle of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Sandwich Terns, two Mergansers and our first two Common Terns of spring. Several Porpoises were offshore and a couple of Wheatears noted opposite Jarman`s.
It was then onto ARC, from Hanson hide, where a `booming` Bittern, a Ruff and a range of common wildfowl completed the afternoons birding.

                               Common Crane, Boulderwall fields

  An evening phone call from MC told of a Common Crane on the bird reserve at the back of Cook`s pool on the Boulderwall fields. We had distant views through the scope before the light faded, while Great White and Little Egrets noted flying to roost.