Mild, cloudy, SW 3 - Following a tip-off that a Bittern had been heard in the main reedbed yesterday evening we headed for the local patch at Lade where it was still present, `booming` a couple of times in an hour. Since my last visit there has been a noticeable clear out of ducks, as is to be expected at this time of year, with only a handful of Shovelers and a pair of Goldeneye of note. Chiffchaffs and Cetti`s Warblers were most vocal around the ponds while a few Linnets and a pair of Stonechats were seen on the Desert. On the Boulderwall fields duck numbers were also down with only 20 Wigeons and a pair of Teal on Cook`s pool, plus a few Lapwings, Curlews, Shelducks and Little Egrets on the wet fields. Moving onto Burrowes where at least 10 Little Gulls were feeding amongst several hundred Black-headed Gulls picking off emerging insects over the lake. In the car park scrub a Willow Warbler and Blackcap made half-hearted attempts at singing. We finished off the morning walking Dengemarsh and the hayfields where the long-staying Pintail and a Water Pipit were still present along with the usual Redshanks, Lapwings, Shovelers, Shelducks, a couple of Marsh harriers and a Great White Egret.
Over the weekend our Ted walks have taken us across various farmland tracts around New Romney. As the countryside begins to dry up the tractors have been out in force spraying off the `weeds` in the winter stubble and turning the landscape temporarily yellow in preparation for ploughing and spring sowing. Birds noted have been few in number with a sprinkling of resident Skylarks, Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers of note, plus incoming Linnets, Reed Buntings and Chiffchaffs. Ravens and Buzzards are regularly seen as well as Common and Black-headed Gulls overhead and on the turf fields.
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