Green Woodpeckers

Hythe - cold, cloudy, showery, sw 4 - We started a Birdwatching Break for Clare and Peter from London this afternoon, commencing at the sea defence blocks where there was no sign of the Purple Sandpipers, just two Turnstones and plenty of gulls foraging the strandline for molluscs.

                               Lympne Castle

  Moving onto West Hythe where a circuit down to the dam and back delivered at least four Green Woodpeckers, two Common Buzzards, Kestrel, Jays, Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Goldcrests and a calling Kingfisher along the canal. Crossing Romney Marsh via Newchurch was a pretty grim experience and largely devoid of birds apart from a few Starling, crow and gull flocks, plus 10 Linnets.
Lade Bay - Much better fare here on the incoming tide and in good light with thousands of gulls on the sands, including Kittiwake and Mediterranean Gull. The wader count was low apart from 500 plus Oystercatchers, 20 Curlews, 10 Knots, 20 Dunlins, 15 Sanderlings and six Redshanks.