Marsh Mist

 New Romney - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - The day started with a heavy mist cloaking the Marsh countryside as I set off for a circular walk along Hope Lane just after daybreak. Thankfully it quickly cleared setting forth a host of wayside finches and thrushes into song, including several each of Linnet, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer and Song Thrush. The cereal fields and ditches held the usual singing Skylarks and Reed Buntings respectively, while a lone Reed Warbler sang from a clump of reeds along the New Cut. By the old farmhouse five each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap were heard along with a `new` Cetti`s Warbler. Also noted, two Buzzards, a Green Woodpecker and four Mediterranean Gulls overhead.  

                                  Pheasant in the mist

                                Cock  Linnet, Hope Lane

                                  Cuckoo Flower, Lade ponds

A late morning check of Lade produced Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Willow, Cetti`s and Reed Warblers in song around the ponds, a soaring Sparrowhawk over the willow swamp and several Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler on south lake. There was much helicopter and drone activity over Lydd Airport where Boris Johnson was due to make a speech about the `migrant crisis`; from the Lade boardwalk whilst scanning the bay for seabirds I noticed an incoming RIB packed to the gunnels with refugees with the paddles out as the engine had given up. Mercifully they all made it safely to shore.  

                                

Next stop was the top end of Long Pits to check for any passage migrants, although it was fairly quiet apart from a few singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs and singles of Willow and Reed Warbler. This afternoon I set up the moth trap in the garden for the first time since we moved; very excited to see what the new site delivers compared to the coast.

                                   Garden trap site