Dengemarsh - warm, dry and sunny, W 3 - Following on from last weeks deluge the past two days have been most pleasant with sunshine throughout; however, needless to say to get anywhere in the dry welly boots are the order of the day due to the extensive flooding across the Marsh. First thing this morning our Ted walk took in the circular route around the wetlands and adjacent farmland at Dengemarsh where all three species of egrets were noted along with several Marsh Harriers, Ravens and a light overhead passage of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Redpolls and Chaffinches. There was plenty of activity in the reedbeds from Bearded Tits, Reed Buntings, Cetti`s Warblers and Water Rails. The arable lands delivered more larks and buntings and three tardy Swallows by Manor Farm. A roadside scan of the flooded sward at Scotney revealed up to 1,000 feral geese, mostly Greylags, 30 Barnacles and a single Brent, plus several hundred Lapwings and Golden Plovers, two Redshanks and a Ruff. A sheep field opposite Cockle`s Bridge attracted 26 Cattle Egrets, which is the largest number I`ve seen down here, and the `regular` three Glossy Ibises had been joined by a fourth bird in the Boulderwall fields where three more Swallows were seen.
Yesterday we walked the farmland out towards St Mary-in-the-Marsh where many of the fields were flooded, none more so than the turf field along Hope Lane, attracting up to a thousand gulls, mainly Black-headed and Common, as well as at least 100 Mediterranean Gulls. Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were also noted, plus two Swallows, a Chiffchaff and a Cetti`s Warbler.
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