Lade - cloudy, cool, ne 3 - As if to reflect the national mood following the announcement of the coronavirus Tier System (the Marsh being lumped into Tier 3 with the rest of Kent) this mornings weather was a poignantly miserable affair with murk and drizzle from the off, although the light did improve somewhat by midday. On the local patch little changed this week apart from an increase in Shoveler and Teal numbers on south lake, along with Mediterranean Gulls in the gull roost on north lake. Despite a regular check of sparrow flocks and the garden feeders there was no further sign of last weekends Serin along this part of the coast, but chances are its probably lurking somewhere hereabouts.
Guillemot, DungenessAn hour at the fishing boats this afternoon delivered typical seabird fare in the form of plenty of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks, 10 Sandwich Terns, two Red-throated Divers, 12 Common Scoters and five Brents. Also noted by the local seawatchers this week were, Black-throated and Great Northern Divers, Velvet Scoter, Eider, Bonxie and at least one Puffin (rare in this part of the Channel). Elsewhere, Water Pipit, Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis were noted on the bird reserve; two Whooper Swans on the fields between Cockles Bridge and Lydd; a Long-tailed Duck on the back lake behind the farm at Scotney and two or three Hen Harriers across Walland Marsh.