Return to winter

Lade - cold, dry and sunny,  NE 4 - The past couple of days have felt like a return to winter with a cold, blasting north-easterly suppressing daytime temperatures to little more than single figures. On the local patch a pair of Goldeneyes remained on south lake and a steady procession of Mediterranean Gulls passed overhead, which is about normal for this time of year. Egyptian Geese are becoming more regularly noted and I guess it wont be long before they nest locally.
Dungeness - Three sessions from the seawatch hide these past two days has delivered the usual fare of Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns, a few Red-throated Divers, Brents, Common Scoters and Fulmars. This afternoon four Merganser passed close to shore while a distant flock of 20 waders were probably Grey Plovers. At least 12 Porpoises and a Grey Seal were active offshore.
  Also this afternoon the Crane was viewable from Dengemarsh Road by the dung heap and two Cattle Egrets remained in the fields by Cockles Bridge. Apart from a couple of Little Gulls on Burrowes the bird reserve was fairly quiet today.