Common Gulls

Cold, dry and cloudy, light airs - I started on the local patch at Lade first thing this morning where four White-fronted and two Barnacle Geese on south lake were of note along with all the usual wildfowl including four Goldeneyes. Moving onto Dungeness where a Dartford Warbler showed briefly in broom scrub by the Kerton Road quarry. A large flock of Golden Plovers, Lapwings and Wigeons, though distant, were present on the Boulderwall fields, plus several Marsh Harriers and Great White Egrets, while Burrowes was smothered in mostly, Shoveler, Wigeon, Gadwall and Teal as well as 12 Goldeneyes. The seven Cattle Egrets were at Boulderwall and I was surprised to find the winter swans still present on Walland Marsh between Horses Bones Farm and Midley Cottage: 41 Bewick`s and two Whoopers. Also noted on Walland, 500 Common, 200 Black-headed and 10 Mediterranean Gulls, two Buzzards, five Corn Buntings and a Little Owl.