Harriers and swans

Lade - mild and sunny, w 3 - The mild weather continues and with it a dearth of winter visitors to wetlands across the Dungeness NNR. Wildfowl numbers are at an all time low on the local patch with only Pochard reaching treble figures; even Goldeneye are hard to come by and the only sawbill present is a lone drake Smew on the pools at Dengemarsh.
  This afternoon we had a run out onto Walland Marsh where 41 Bewick`s and two Whooper Swans were in the Midley area along with a field full of 500 Fieldfares and Starlings near Hawthorn Corner. In company with RN and NG we watched 15 Marsh Harriers coming and going over a roost site, but only eight dropping in. Also noted several hundred Starlings overhead, 50 Linnets, Water Rail, Cetti`s Warbler, Great White and Little Egrets, Merlin and Snipe. On the drive home across the Marsh a Barn Owl crossed the lane near the model flying club.

                                Bewick`s Swans and Fieldfares, Midley

  Last night I thought I`d give Winterwatch a go again on BBC 2. I know I shouldn`t have but thought, sod it I pay my licence fee and the concept of concentrating on UK wildlife with all the resources the Corporation has should be worth a look. Well, nothing has changed, I lasted about 10 minutes before switching off and returning to my book ( Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy by Tim Harford - highly recommended). Talk about dumbing down, that Michaelle Strachan really winds me up, she`d be far better off back on children`s telly. Sadly, there probably was some interesting bits and pieces I missed among the banal banter, but I`m afraid its not for me. Lord Packham would be much better off detaching himself from such tomfoolery and setting up on his own show; no wonder Simon King did the off!