Hen Harrier

Dungeness - mild, foggy start, sunny later - We continued on with our Birdwatching Break at the point in thick fog first thing. There were few passerines about, apart from many Robins, although we did manage two Wheatears opposite Jarman`s, several Goldcrests and a Firecrest in a private garden, two Ring Ouzel at the top of Long Pits and six Bramblings over the Trapping Area. Also noted small numbers of Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Skylark, Mipit, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Siskin, Song Thrush and a Snipe.

                                Juvenile Long-tailed Duck, Burrowes

                                Adult Mediterranean Gull, ARC


  Moving onto the bird reserve where the highlights were, two Cattle Egrets by Cook`s Pool; Red-throated Diver and a juvenile Long-tailed Duck on Burrowes and a ringtail Hen Harrier over the water tower on ARC being the bird of the day and my first of the year, if only I was keeping a list...
Elsewhere across the reserve several Marsh Harriers, Great White Egret, two Buzzards, Kestrel, five Dunlins, Black-tailed Godwit, three Golden Plovers and all the usual gulls and ducks.
  Scotney was quiet with just a Ruff in amongst a Lapwing flock of any note, plus the usual feral geese.
 We finished the day at Lade where another two Wheatears and 50 Curlews were on the Desert and the first Goldeneye of autumn was on south lake. Walking Mockmill Sewer we noted seven Ring Ouzels, 10 Stonechats, Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler.

                               First Goldeneye of autumn on south lake, Lade.