Spring warblers

Lade - cold, overcast, NE 4 - A grim morning with low cloud and occasional drizzle, not exactly ideal weather for my first spring breeding bird survey of the local patch. However, the highlights were seven Cetti`s Warblers holding territory, two pairs of Stonechats, 10 pairs of Little Grebes and a pair each of Green Woodpecker and Oystercatcher. Several Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were in song around the willow swamp, while seven Goldeneyes remained on south lake.
Dungeness - A circular walk around the Long Pits and Trapping Area searching for migrants yielded 20 Chiffchaffs, 10 Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps and singles of Wheatear and Swallow.
 On the bird reserve at Boulderwall three Cattle Egrets were at the back of Cook`s Pool until flushed by a cracking male Marsh Harrier, while the immature Crane could be seen in the distant fields towards Lydd; yesterdays Red-necked Grebe was reported late afternoon on Burrowes from Dennis`s hide.
  We finished the afternoon with a seawatch at the fishing boats in the company of TG and SO. A trickle of Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Red-throated Divers, Gannets and four Common Terns east was about it.