Juvenile birds

Scotney - hot, dry and sunny, N2 - Haven`t been here for a while so tried an early morning visit to avoid the heat. The front fields were bone dry but did attract 20 Curlews and a couple of hundred feral geese. Outback it was a similar picture with few birds on offer and no sign of any Yellow Wagtails or Corn Buntings. Moving onto the bird reserve at the ARC where most of yesterdays passage waders had departed leaving just singles of Little Ringed Plover and Dunlin, plus the usual Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings, Avocets, Glossy Ibises, Little, Cattle and Great White Egrets and wildfowl. On the lake from the south end I managed to locate the elusive summering duck Goldeneye. Burrowes pit was very quiet due to ongoing work on Dennis`s hide and boat work on the lake. At least four broods of Tufted Ducks were noted across the site and two juvenile Marsh Harriers at Dengemarsh.

                                 Egyptian Geese, Scotney

                                 Juvenile Buzzard, Scotney

This week I`ve spent a fair bit of time walking the farmland tracts around New Romney where it appears that some of the more common species have had a good breeding season, particularly House Sparrows, Green Woodpeckers, Jackdaws and Starlings which seem to be everywhere, but also Reed Warblers and Whitethroats amongst the summer visitors. Across the town House Martins are actively nesting at three separate sites, but only in small numbers.

                                  House Sparrows and Hedge Brown, Hope Lane