Dungeness - warm, dry and sunny, light airs - Superb weather for a days guiding for Mark from Lexington USA. We kicked off at Burrowes where one of the wintering Great Northern Divers showed well from Makepeace ramp. All the usual wildfowl were noted on the lake including five Goldeneyes, plus my first singing Chiffchaff of the year and a Cetti`s Warbler in front of Firth. Following the recent torrential rain much of the reserve was flooded and devoid of birds including the hayfields. However, the exception was the Boulderwall fields where hundreds of feral geese and common wildfowl were present along with 200 Wigeons, 20 Curlews, two Great White Egrets, a Common Snipe and several each of Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier thermaling on high. From Hanson hide we logged the second Great Northern Diver and a Black-throated Diver mid-way out on the lake.
Next stop Scotney where hundreds more Wigeons, Shovelers, Pochards and Coots dominated the main road-side lake, plus 15 Pintails. A Raven showed well by the farm as did a Little Owl on a barn roof. A seawatch from the fishing boats delivered our third diver species as 20 Red-throated Divers flew to and fro between the bays and where a few Guillemots and a Fulmer were also noted. We finished off at Lade Bay with six species of waders and a superb baulk of driftwood covered in Goose Barnacles. A decent day in the fields, thanks mainly to the fine weather, and a respectable 75 species of birds logged for our guest.
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