Sooty Shearwaters

Cool and cloudy, NW 2-4 - The weekend weather was dominated by a northerly airflow making for a very quiet circuit of the bird reserve yesterday where most of the recent passage waders had moved on. However, together with my grandson we managed to rack up 65 species in three hours with the highlights being hundreds of hirundines over the lakes, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Little Stint on ARC, Great White and Cattle Egrets and cracking views of Marsh Harriers, Kestrels, Buzzards and a Hobby for the little fella. Early morning forays around the local farmland at NR produced plenty more Swallows and House Martins over turf fields, a few Meadow Pipits and Yellow Wagtails overhead and Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in the hedgerows; we even had a Chiffchaff in the garden today.

                                 Bathing House Sparrows are always entertaining!

                                    Apprentice Birder, Springfield Bridge

Across the weekend, despite the contrary winds, a trickle of Sooty Shearwaters passed through the Channel off Dungeness, some of them being quite distant (JS), and probably best viewed from Cap-Gris-Nez!