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