Groundhog Day

Warm, dry and sunny, W3 - It`s been over a week since my last post, during which time nothing much has changed to the birding scene across Dungeness and the Marsh. The local farmland around NR remains largely devoid of birds, although I did have a Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler last weekend along the New Cut sewer to the north of town. On the bird reserve Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis remain in situ on the flooded fields and along the Lydd Road, along with the usual wintering wildfowl on the lakes (including a handful of Goldeneyes, but no Smew or scarce grebes, so far...) and only the occasional report of a Dartford Warbler to relieve the tedium. I spent this morning at Scotney where, once again, it was a case of Groundhog Day: thousands of Golden Plovers and Lapwings, feral geese, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pochard, plus a few Redshanks and Curlews, a Green Sandpiper, a Raven and at least six Common Buzzards (a Spoonbill and two Little Stints were reported over the weekend).

                                   Bewick`s Swans, Walland Marsh

On the way home I crossed Walland where a total of 61 Bewick`s and five Whooper Swans were in three herds split between Horses Bones Farm and Midley drying barns, some of which were close to the lane, yelping evocatively to one another. Anyone intending to pay these beauties a visit this winter should do so sooner rather than later as quite often they`re on their way back north by mid-February. I finished off with a look around the solar farm where a small flock of Chaffinches and Goldfinches was the highlight feeding on weed-seeds, plus a handful of Blackbirds, Fieldfares and a Song Thrush.