Tuesday 16 November 2021

Goldcrest!

 Dungeness - mild, cloudy, light airs - The fine birding weather continued today at the point where we kicked off with good views of Gannets, Guillemots and Razorbills on a flat calm sea along with several Porpoises. On the land four Black Redstarts, a few Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Linnets and Goldfinches were located around the power station complex, plus a Peregrine perched on a pylon and a calling Siberian Chiffchaff in the Trapping Area along with tits and Common Chiffchaffs.

                                     Goldfinch, DBO

Moving on to Lade Bay where on a falling tide we mopped up from the Tavern viewpoint with hundreds of Curlews, Oystercatchers and gulls, 20 Grey Plovers, 10 Bar-wits, 10 Dunlins, 10 Knots, five Sanderlings and 30 Sandwich Terns. From Littlestone more waders included 110 Turnstones, six Black-wits, four Redshanks, 20 Sandwich Terns, three Little Egrets and more Pied Wagtails. There was no sign of any Ringed Plovers.

                                 Little Egrets, Littlestone

Next stop Dunes Road, Greatstone where the wood was alive with at least 20 Blackbirds, a Song and Mistle Thrush, Common Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits and at last a Goldcrest, my first of the autumn. Outback around the dung heap were 10 Pied Wagtails, 12 Tree Sparrows, three Buzzards and two each of Stonechat and Corn Bunting.

                                  Tree Sparrows, Greatstone


                                   Glossy Ibis, Cook`s Pool

Back on the bird reserve we had cracking close views of the Glossy Ibis pair by Cook`s Pool and finished off on ARC with a drake Goldeneye on the lake and 14 Cattle, nine Great White and six Little Egrets coming to roost. Job done! 

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