Fishing terns

Lade - mild, cloudy, w 2 - We checked the ponds first thing for passerines but it was a disappointment after yesterdays glut with only a handful of Willow Warblers and a Blackcap noted. Elsewhere, on south lake a Common Sandpiper, on north lake six Mediterranean Gulls, a Hobby over the Desert, plus Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and Kestrel behind the `mirrors`.
  Moving onto the bird reserve where a circuit produce very little apart from another Hobby and a Stonechat from the Return Trail; Bearded Tits, Greenshank, Marsh Harriers and three Great White Egrets on Dengemarsh; Pintail, Wigeon and Common Sandpipers on Burrowes. From the access road the Wryneck again showed intermittently and a Cattle Egret was following the stock on Boulderwall fields.

                                Stonechat, Return Trail

  A two hour seawatch this afternoon with the regulars was memorable for a flock of Sandwich and Common Terns fishing close to shore on sprats and mackerels, along with three Black and two Little Terns, plus a juvenile Kittiwake, several Gannets and loads of gulls. Two Arctic Skuas were also noted further out along with 10 plus Harbour Porpoises and a Grey Seal.

                               Juvenile Kittiwake and Sandwich Terns

                                Smart catch of Mackerel

  From the Romney Tavern viewpoint we were a bit early on the falling tide but did have cracking views of three juvenile Sanderlings.

                                Juvenile Sanderlings on the beach

  We finished the day with an evening visit to Hanson hide where a scattering of the usual waterfowl and gulls were present, plus good views of Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier, and two distant Black Terns.