Reflections on 2022

Wet and windy, mild - This afternoon I had a run out with my Apprentice Birder, in less than favourable weather conditions. Much of the birding was carried out from the car due to the heavy rain; some of the lanes were flooded and almost impassable, however we still managed to rattle up a respectable 56 species in three hours (he does love a list!). The highlights were: a mixed flock of 47 Bewick`s, two Whoopers and five Mute Swans near Hawthorn Corner, several Cattle Egrets from the Lydd Road, a ringtail Hen Harrier over Burrowes and a cracking view of a Goldcrest by the bird feeders; the sea also delivered Kittiwake, Gannet and Red-throated Diver. The rain did ease off enabling a thorough look through the Teal flock on Burrowes for the Green-winged but without success. So, an excellent afternoon of bonding with the lad then, amid the realisation that my aging eyesight cannot compete with that of a 12 year old! 

                                   Birding from the comfort of the VC!

Looking back over 2022 there were many highlights during the birding and guiding year across Dungeness and the Romney Marsh. My personal year list reached a modest 210 species as I missed a few rarities such as the Caspian Tern, R-b flicker and Pallas`s Warbler. For me the year will be remembered for the drought conditions that resulted in record numbers (certainly in my time at least) of waders across the peninsula of 34 species, including several Pectoral Sandpipers and Temminck`s Stints, Purple Sandpiper, Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes; but the flocks of Curlew and Wood Sandpipers, Little Stints and Greenshanks was quite staggering. Seawatching also produced the goods in both spring (Poms and Garganeys) and autumn (Sooties, Puffins and Little Auk) .Sadly though both migrant and resident passerines continue to decline rapidly across the board; Redstart and Tree Pipit have attained near sub-rarity status, while the likes of Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting and Greenfinch are on last knockings. Anyhow, onwards and upwards and here`s to a New Year full of birding surprises, hopefully!

    

Hen Harrier

Mild, wet and windy - This past week (in between all the family stuff) I`ve managed to escape into the surrounding countryside for a wander around the lanes and farmland where standing water is everywhere; sewers and ditches are full to the brim following the recent rainfall with many fields either flooded or super-saturated. Further `tidying up ` of rough field corners and the grubbing out of old willows and hawthorn scrub, so vital for small passerines, continues apace, particularly down Church Lane which was the last place I saw Tree Sparrows locally a year ago. The star bird was yesterday, during a break in the weather, with a ringtail Hen Harrier quartering the arable land across Romney Salts towards the airfield, but otherwise it was a case of Buzzards perched atop lookouts or hovering Kestrels. Small birds were few and far between with the odd Stonechat here and there, several Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches and Pied Wagtails on a dung heap, and stubble fields attracting a few Skylarks, Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers. Sewer margins have lured in a handful of Little Egrets, Grey Herons, Grey Wagtails and flushed Snipes, while a dead sheep along Hope Lane proved attractive to corvids and Magpies after a Buzzard had its fill.  

                                 Corvids on sheep, Hope Lane, NR

                          Grubbed up willows and hawthorns, Church Lane, NR

Further afield the wintering Bewick`s Swan flock of up to 50 birds, although mobile, is usually viewable from the back lane crossing Walland Marsh toward Brookland, while the Whooper Swan pair regularly visit the ARC lake. Tuesday evening we checked out Hookers reedbed on the reserve for roosting birds from Dengemarsh Road, where c500 Starlings came to roost along with three Marsh Harriers. Just before Christmas an Iceland and Glaucous Gull were noted along the beach at Dungeness and are hopefully still in the area, awaiting relocation for the New Years Day bird counts...

Hibernal Solstice

Mild, wet, and windy, SW 3 - With the winter solstice upon us it always seems to me that we`re turning a corner towards steadily longer days with the eventual prospect of spring on the horizon. However, for now the natural world is still firmly in winter mode, and rightly so as the back end of the season often delivers the worst of weather along with food shortages. Out and about across the Marsh this past week has seen us lose the cold polar air for a milder, yet wet and windy, airflow from the Azores. As a result much of the local farmland is super-saturated, attracting thousands of Lapwings and Golden Plovers along with a lesser numbers of Ruff, Snipe and Curlew; particularly at Dengemarsh and the fields beside the airport road where the wintering Dotterel was last reported. Walland Marsh continues to host an increasing herd of 40 odd Bewick`s Swans (including at least 15 juveniles) and up to 20 White-fronted Geese, mainly on arable land to the south of Brookland. Around the bird reserve the two Whooper Swans are regular visitors to the ARC lake, the drake Green-winged Teal is still on Burrowes along with a selection of Caspian Gulls, while Dartford Warblers have been reported from the circular trail. The fields at Boulderwall and along the Lydd Road to Cockles Bridge continue to attract two Glossy Ibises and up to 10 Cattle Egrets.    

 

Dotterel

Cold and wet, SE 3 - A grim day of weather with a heavy overnight frost followed by wintry showers. On the way back from Folkestone this morning I stopped off at Hythe to check out the sea defence blocks for Purple Sandpipers but drew a blank; likewise at St Mary`s Bay along the foreshore checking for Snow Bunting and Lydd Airport fields for Dotterel. Not a great start! However, across the coastal farmland and bird reserve 11 White-fronts were amongst Greylags at Dengemarsh, four Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge, two Whooper Swans at ARC, the drake Green-winged Teal showed well enough on a near island at the Makepeace end of Burrowes and a 1st winter Caspian Gull from Dennis`s hide. The weather deteriorated somewhat by late afternoon with heavy sleet and snow showers, just as Martin C had located the Dotterel on fields opposite Cockles Bridge on the airport side, which I managed to see before lights out. Plenty of Golden Plovers, Lapwings, Stock Doves, corvids, Skylarks and several Buzzards were also noted throughout the day.

                                  Egyptian Geese, Lydd

                                  Green-winged Teal, Burrowes

                                  Wintry New Romney 

Shorebirds

Cold, dry and misty, N2 - With a nip in the air it was not a morning to be sitting about in a hide, so I opted for a long hike along the foreshore from Littlestone to Greatstone and likewise at Dungeness. There was no sign of any Snow Buntings at places that they`ve been seen before; infact the only passerines noted were a handful of Skylarks, Pied Wagtails, Starlings and Stonechats. As it was high tide there were plenty of waders either roosting on the shingle (Oystercatcher and Grey Plover) or feeding along the tideline (Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Dunlin and Sanderling) along with scores of Black-headed and Common Gulls. A diversion to Lade pits turned up very little of note apart from 55 Curlews roosting in a field at the northern end on Romney Salts.

                                 Sanderlings and Dunlins, Littlestone beach

Red-legs!

 Cold, dry and sunny, light airs - At long last some `proper` wintry weather with bright sunshine and the promise of an "Arctic Blast" to come - superb, I love the cold! I started off at Lade pits first thing where wildfowl numbers were particularly low and grebes down to single figures. Raptors were prominent though with a couple of Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Kestrels present behind the `mirrors`. The Whooper Swan pair were on ARC along with a host of Wigeons, Shovelers, Cormorants, five Pintails, two Marsh Harriers and a Goldeneye, plus five Cattle Egrets and two Glossy Ibis on the paddocks along Lydd Road. Surprise of the day came at Cockles Bridge where a covey of eight Red-legged Partridges were my first of the year; when I first moved down here 17 years ago they were common place, infact we even had them in the garden at Plovers! Local landowners who used to put Red-legs down for shooting now say its not worth their while as predation from, mainly Foxes and Buzzards is unsustainable. Moving onto Dengemarsh where at least eight White-fronts within a large flock of Greylags were viewable form the entrance to Manor Farm. On the airport fields a flock of 280 Curlews was noteworthy, while at least ten each of Bewick`s Swan and Pink-footed Goose showed distantly in fields from Hook`s Wall on Walland Marsh.

                                 Great White Egret, ARC

                                 Giant Puffballs, NR

Walk outs around New Romney of late have been noticeable for the paucity of small birds; infact there has been more avian interest in the garden with Goldcrest and Stock Dove the highlights and regular visits from a female Sparrowhawk which took a Collared Dove the other day. In the town park a Mistle Thrush can often be heard in full song, while a couple of football-size, over ripe puffballs were of note in a nearby paddock field. 

Hen Harrier

Cold, dry and sunny, NE 3 - A check of the front fields at Scotney this morning revealed at least 13 Little Gulls feeding on the far side of the main lake at the Sussex end along with several Black-headed Gulls and hundreds of common dabbling and diving ducks, including 12 Shelducks, with more ducks and geese on the lesser waters. The sward was packed out with feral geese, Wigeons, Golden Plovers, Lapwings and Starlings with thousands more swirling over the farmland towards the wind farm, plus Redshank, Curlew and Green Sandpiper. A scan of the Army ranges delivered a ringtail Hen Harrier, presumably the bird that has been present across the peninsula for a week or more. Around the bird reserve the Green-winged Teal was still on Burrowes, while the usual assortment of egrets and Glossy Ibis could be seen in the paddocks and Boulderwall fields from the Lydd Road. There was a noticeable increase in Lapwing and Golden Plover numbers today, particularly around Dengemarsh and the islands on ARC, having probably moved here from the continent as colder weather is forecast next week. Everywhere I went today birds of prey were present; as a conservative estimate I must`ve seen 15 Buzzards, 10 Marsh Harriers, eight Kestrels, a Hen Harrier and a Peregrine. Buzzard numbers are now so high that they`ve moved onto the coastal wetlands where they compete with the harriers for food. It will be interesting to see how these two apex predators realign as I`ve seen many encounters between the two raptors recently, mostly with the stronger Buzzard coming out on top. 

Green-winged Teal

 Cold, overcast, N 1 - A miserable sort of morning with a fine mizzle throughout. Having been away for a few days I started on the local patch at Lade where the usual range of ducks included 240 Pochards. Around the willow swamp and reedbeds a few Cetti`s Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits vocalised, plus two Marsh Harriers quartering the airport fields. At Dungeness the sea was quiet, but the Patch delivered three Little Gulls over the boil amongst a dozen Black-headed and Common Gulls. Next stop the bird reserve and a scan for last weekends drake Green-winged Teal, which was eventually located lurking amongst some 200 Teal at the southern end of Burrowes, from where more Chiffchaffs and Cetti`s Warblers called in front of Makepeace lookout; two Goldeneyes were also noted from Dennis`s hide. On the Boulderwall fields and along the Lydd Road the now expected heron fest comprised four Cattle, two Great White and a Little Egret, two Grey Herons and a pair of Glossy Ibis. Over the road on ARC it was a case of `as you were` with the usual wildfowl, plus a Kingfisher from the Axle Lookout.

                                 Kingfisher, ARC

Last weekend whilst in West Sussex visiting family I sloped off for a day to explore the Arun Valley, mostly at Amberly Wild Brooks and also from the nearby Rackham viewpoint. Needless to say following the heavy rain throughout November the valley flood-plain was well and truly swollen with large parts completely flooded. Consequently, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal and feral geese were numerous, along with hundreds of Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits plus a few Redshank, Snipe and Dunlin. From Rackham I had distant views of a White-tailed Eagle harrying a Greylag; apparently there have been two birds present of late in the valley, mostly seen from Pulborough Brooks. Also noted plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and a Sika Deer. 

Goldeneye

 Warm, dry and sunny, W2 - The weather continues to be unseasonably mild allowing plenty of insects still to be active, particularly in the sun traps around the Willow Trail on ARC, where a Water Rail also scurried across the boardwalk this morning. From Hanson hide a female Goldeneye showed well on the lake, while seven Black-tailed Godwits roosted on the near island amongst the usual ducks. A Kingfisher zipped by and a distant harrier into the sun was probably the ringtail harrier seen later from the hide. Six Cattle Egrets and two Glossy Ibis were on the Boulderwall fields along with hundreds of feral geese, Lapwings, Wigeons and three Great White Egrets.

                                    Goldeneye, ARC

The front field at Scotney was packed out with feral geese, Wigeons, Lapwings, Starlings and two Curlews. On the main lake two Little Gulls were at the Sussex end along with the expected wildfowl.

Little Gull

Dungeness RSPB - wet start, dry and sunny later SW 5 - A guided walk on the bird reserve for three guests this morning commenced in heavy rain; mercifully though it soon cleared enabling a thorough grilling of Burrowes where the highlight was an adult Little Gull blown in off the sea. Nine Pintails was the best of the ducks alongside c500 Teals and c200 Shovelers. As the sun broke through at least four different Marsh Harriers were soon on the wing over the Oppen Pits, with a smart juvenile flying overhead at the Scott Lookout where Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler also noted. In the shelter of the bund in front of Firth further warblers and tits were present and a Kingfisher flashed by. Two Kestrels were quick off the mark after the rain with a male seen to take large worm by the pond and a female a bird from a mixed tit flock near the feeders containing mostly Long-tailed Tits. We paused at Boulderwall checking the wet fields for Lapwings, Grey Herons, Gadwalls, Little and Great White Egrets. From Hanson hide the roosting Wigeons on the near islands showed well in the bright sunshine along with two Black-tailed Godwits, from where the guests enjoyed further good views of Marsh Harrier and Great White Egret, while a Red Admiral and a Common Darter were still active in the sun-traps from the Willow Trail.

Puffins!

Dungeness - cold, cloudy, good viz, SSE 4-5 - 0915 - 1120hrs - Joined the locals at the fishing boats for a seawatch this morning in ideal weather conditions, and what a cracker it turned out to be. From the get-go the bread-and-butter was provided by hundreds of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks (mostly Razorbills), either streaming west (some cutting in close to shore) or feeding in frenzied flocks upon shoals of fish further out - a wonderous spectacle indeed. Two brown Eiders (scarce here) were bobbing about a few yards off the shingle beach, while a juvenile Sabine`s Gull flew to and fro on several occasions throughout the watch

                                  Eider

                                 Sabine`s Gull

                                  Kittiwakes on the move

Two flocks of Teal rushed through as well as several Common Scoters, a pair of Eiders, a Velvet Scoter, a Red-breasted Merganser, a Brent Goose, three Fulmars, a Dunlin and at least 50 Little Gulls in scattered parties at various distances. A score of head-nodding Red-throated Divers passed close inshore along with singles of Black-throated and Great Northern Diver, and a Bonxie and two Pomarine Skuas further out. But the jam in the sandwich belonged to the auks with a single Little Auk and no less than FOUR westbound Puffins (I`ve only ever seen three since moving here almost 17 years ago!) rounding off a seawatch of unrivalled variety. A fuller account of the whole watch will, I`m sure, be posted on Trektellen this evening. 

Bewick`s Swans

 Warm, dry and sunny, NW2 - Once the early morning rain cleared it turned into a fine late autumn day with warm sunshine encouraging a Common Darter and a Red Admiral onto the wing in the shelter of Lade ponds. On south lake a count of 235 Shovelers was of note. Around the bird reserve it was a case of `as you were`, with six Cattle Egrets and a pair of Glossy Ibis on the Boulderwall fields. The first Bewick`s Swans of the season were located this morning when Martin C noted eight birds flying towards Lydd. They were soon located in the oil-seed rape field (the same one as last winter) off Dennes Lane where they hunkered down in amongst a herd of 80 Mute Swans. When I arrived on site just after midday only a juvenile occasionally popped its head up, the others being slumped low down in the crop or asleep.

                                  Whooper Swans, Walland Marsh

This afternoon I joined Chris P on the monthly harrier roost count at our usual spot on Walland Marsh where 14 Marsh Harriers came to roost in wet and windy conditions. Whilst there we noted two Whoopers Swans strutting around and calling in a corn field and nine Bewick`s Swans (four adults, five juvs) flighting in to roost on the nearby reservoir. Also present, a Barn Owl, five Buzzards, 12 Snipes, c300 Fieldfares, calling Water Rail and Cetti`s Warbler and Golden Plovers over in the gloom on the walk back to the car.

                                  Sunset over Walland Marsh

Clouded Yellow

 Warm, dry and sunny, NW 2 - After several days of poor weather it felt great to get out and about this morning, commencing at Scotney where up 1,000 feral Greylag and Canada Geese were on the flooded roadside sward, along with a handful of Curlews, Redshanks and a Ruff, plus all the usual Lapwings, Teals, Shovelers and Wigeons. A drive out across Walland farmland searching for any early wild swans or geese drew a blank, although a stubble field along Swamp Lane attracted 80 Mute Swans along with 20 Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits.

                                    Goose field, Scotney

A walk down to the sea and back along Dengemarsh Gully was virtually birdless, although the field by Springfield Bridge hosted a few Pied Wagtails, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. From the bridge there was plenty of raptor activity over the wetlands from Marsh Harriers and Kestrels, plus two Great White Egrets and six Cattle Egrets on the Boulderwall fields. From Hanson hide the usual ducks and gulls, including a distant Goldeneye, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk and a late Clouded Yellow butterfly. From the willow trail a flock of Long-tailed Tits attracted two Chiffchaffs.

Whooper Swans

Mild, misty, S1 - A gloomy morning for a tour of the peninsula, commencing at Lade for the WeBS count and where a drop in of ten Robins, five Song Thrushes and two Blackbirds around the ponds was the highlight. At Dungeness I had distant views of yesterdays Sabine`s Gull from the seawatch hide as it flew towards Penn Bars, while at least four Black Redstarts were noted on the land. On the bird reserve the regulation two Whooper Swans had just arrived for the winter and were best viewed from the Screen hide where a Peregrine was feeding nearby. From Hanson hide a flock of 100 Black-headed Gulls contained several Mediterranean Gulls and a single Goldeneye was present out on the lake.

                                 Black Redstart, Dungeness

                                  Whooper Swans, ARC

An Oak Rustic was the only moth in the garden trap last night (a species I didn`t get down on the coast) making a total of 201 species of macro moths in my first year of trapping in NR. As the weather is due to deteriorate this week I`ve decided to pack the trap away for the winter. 

                                  Oak Rustic, NR

Boathouse Gem

                                 Sunrise over the Channel
 

Warm, dry and sunny, S2 - Due to the unseasonably balmy weather this is the latest I have ever run my moth trap; a plume of warm air from the south produced the goods last night with Dark Sword-grass, Blair`s Shoulder-knot and Scarce Bordered Straw the highlights. However, there was some excitement at the Obs yesterday when I called in as MC produced an unknown macro moth from his trap in Lydd that turned out to be a rare migrant Boathouse Gem (why is it moths have such evocative names...) a species that has only occurred a handful of times before in Britain; you could say the equivalent in birding terms of netting a Siberian Rubythroat, perhaps...!

                                  Boathouse Gem

On the bird front the sea continues to tick over with scarcities such as the odd Sooty Shearwater, Puffin, Pomarine and Great Skuas, a confiding Grey Phalarope, another Sabine`s Gull yesterday, a lingering Arctic Tern and a probable Long-tailed Skua on Thursday morning that was just too far out to nail for sure. On the land Dartford Warblers were once again prominent across the peninsula, while Swallows continue to trickle through at Lade. This afternoon the Church Lane spinney was bathed in warm sunshine (17C) where several Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were within a tit flock, plus Treecreeper, Jay, Redwing and Buzzard.

                                  Spider gossamers, Church Lane NR

Grey Phalarope

Mild, cloudy, SW 4 - Started the day on the local patch at Lade where a late (Barn!) Swallow was hawking insects over the willow swamp. Along the main track beside south lake a Dartford Warbler called and briefly broke cover. Whilst there news came through of yesterdays Grey Phalarope still showing well just offshore from the fishing boats, and indeed it was, at times down to 10 yards given fabulous views and photographic opportunities for the long-lenses present. As the `resident` Osprey on the RMC at Appledore was also reported earlier I decided on a run out, but without success after two hours searching along the water course. However, in the company of MC we walked along the canal bank towards Kennardington logging two Kingfishers, a Grey Wagtail and a confiding Fox hunting small mammals. Crossing the Marsh was a bleak affair with increasing acreages of sterile turf fields and grubbed up willows and remnant hedgerows piled high awaiting the torch from the `custodians of the countryside.` Birds were few and far between with one flock of 20 Fieldfares the highlight. Back on the coast I checked around the bird reserve where there was just the usual wildfowl, raptors, egrets and herons, plus five Black-tailed Godwits on ARC.

                                  Grey Phalarope, Dungeness

                                 Red Fox, Appledore

Elsewhere this week around New Romney the best I could muster was a flock of 50 Fieldfares and 10 Skylarks in a stubble field along Hope Lane and a Swallow over on Tuesday; two dead swans in the New Cut sewer were, I assume, the results of avian flu, while another large field here has also been turned over to the dreaded turf. Yesterday afternoon, en-route to Folkestone, I diverted to Port Lympne Zoo where a juvenile Sabine`s Gull has taken up residence in the car park and gave ridiculously close views. 

                                  Sabine`s Gull, Port Lympne

Viz-migging

Cool, dry and sunny, NW3 - A much cooler feel to the weather today as the wind swung around to a northerly vector. At Lade only a small island at the south end of Lade pits remained following the deluge of rain this past week, with more to come over the weekend. Viz-migging sessions from the aerial ramp on three mornings have been largely disappointing with barely a trickle of finches, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, several Redpolls and Reed Buntings today and c200 Woodpigeons and c500 Starlings on Wednesday; when up to ten Blackbirds were feeding on sloe berries in the willow swamp. The first  Goldeneye of autumn appeared on north lake mid-week, while a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests are still present in the bushes, plus a Dartford Warbler earlier in the week along with the usual array of egrets, ducks and grebes on the water and 30 Mediterranean Gulls this morning on south lake. On the bay a few more waders have moved in with a flock of 12 Ringed Plovers, 11 Grey Plovers and 15 Bar-tailed Godwits today.

                                   Glossy Ibis, ARC       

Visits to the bird reserve this week have delivered the usual Marsh Harriers, Cattle and Great White Egrets across Dengemarsh; two Glossy Ibis, Black-tailed Godwit, Kingfisher and Peregrine from Hanson hide; and a Dartford Warbler from the Return Trail. Island clearance work continues on Burrowes. At Dungeness this morning, a late Wheatear was near the fishing boats, while the drake Long-tailed Duck was again reported from Scotney.

Ring Ouzel

 Warm, dry and sunny, SE 2 - Another glorious morning with warm sunshine throughout. I started at Scotney where the usual hoards of Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Wigeon, Cormorants, gulls and feral geese were present on the main front lakes and margins, along with several Curlew, Redshank, Ruff and a Green Sandpiper (the drake Long-tailed Duck was also seen by MC). At Galloways a skulking Dartford Warbler could be heard in the scrub by the layby along with a few Meadow Pipits, Stonechats, Skylarks and Linnets elsewhere; also, five Kestrels and a Merlin chasing a Skylark. There was little on offer at ARC from Hanson hide, although I didn`t stay for long as news came through of a trapped Ring Ouzel at the Obs, which I just managed to see (thanks to the staff for putting out the news). As the wind was from the fabled south-east I tried a seawatch from the boats but there was little movement with just 20 Razorbills, six Mediterranean Gulls and a Kittiwake noted in 45 minutes.

                                 Ring Ouzel, DBO

                                  Scarce Bordered Straw

It was a successful night in the garden moth trap with a Scarce Bordered Straw new for the site and yet another Vestal.

Garden Firecrest

New Romney - Following two mild nights over the weekend there was plenty of interest in the garden moth trap including a migrant Clancy`s Rustic, another four Vestals and three vitrealis the highlights from over 20 species. Plenty of Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs continue to be noted around the garden while a Firecrest was my first since moving here over a year ago. Saturday afternoon the temperature peaked at a ridiculous 21 C. I walked down Church Lane to the spinney in shorts and t-shirt where up to four Jays were present, plus more chiffs and crests, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a flock of Long-tailed Tits. Due to drilling operations the arable land on Romney Salts was full of activity from large flocks of pigeons, corvids and gulls, plus ten Pied Wagtails, two Kestrels and a Buzzard. Once the rain had cleared on Sunday we walked the Hope Lane loop north of the town where five Redwings and a Yellowhammer were the only notable birds.

                                 November Moth

Palpita vitrealis   

                                     Vestal

                                   Beaded Chestnut

                                 Dead Badger, Romney Salts