Clouded Yellow

 Warm, dry and sunny, W3 - Cracking morning to be out in the field, commencing at Scotney where three Spoonbills were still loitering on the front pit by the workings, with Bearded Tit and Kingfisher in one of the reedbeds. Elsewhere across the front pits and sward they was a noticeable decrease in waders from my last visit on Monday with only a handful of Golden Plovers, Curlews, Redshanks, Dunlins and Lapwings, three Green Sandpipers and an absence of Ruff. Around 500 Greylags flew in on the main lake joining hundreds of Barnacle, Canada and Egyptian Geese, Wigeon and Teal. Passerines were few with two flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets over and a trickle of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. It was quiet in the farmyard and out back due to farming operations, although Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Marsh Harrier all noted.

                                  Spoonbills, Scotney

                                 Clouded Yellow, Springfield Bridge

                                 Cattle Egrets, Dengemarsh

From Springfield Bridge a smart Clouded Yellow was present for half an hour in the lee of the bramble patch, basking in the sun and feeding on late flowering plants. Six Cattle Egrets followed the cows by the sewer and scores of House Martins and Swallows hawked over the main reedbed. The lake islands were dominated by gulls and Lapwings.

                                  Brents Geese on the move, Dungeness

Yesterdays one hour seawatch from the fishing boats in blustery weather conditions produced a Balearic Shearwater down Channel along with a trickle of Brents, Gannets, Common Scoters, Sandwich Terns and Arctic Skuas.