Warm, dry and sunny, SW 3 - A circuit of Lade this morning produced the three wintering Goldeneyes still on south lake amongst a sprinkling of Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Teal and Pochard; whilst I didn`t have any luck with the Black-necked Grebe it was located this afternoon (ROR) by the wall mirror reedbed. Also noted singing Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti`s Warbler around the ponds, plus a Firecrest, a Great White Egret and a female Marsh Harrier elsewhere across the site. As it was high tide the walk back along the beach delivered very little apart from a few roosting Ringed Plovers and Dunlins. Moving onto Kerton quarry where it was good to see two pairs each of Lapwing and Redshank going about their nuptials on the main island along with the usual motley collection of feral geese, several Teal and Black-backed Gulls. Just as we were about to leave a flock of six Avocets flew in, circled over the island calling before eventually settling on the water.
This past week we`ve been walking the farmland tracts around Romney where wildlife is few and far between apart from the occasional forlorn Skylark or two, a lone Cetti`s Warbler and a couple each of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. Visits to Dungeness have delivered the usual seabirds, including a decent movement of Brent Geese and Common Gulls last Thursday, plus a Jack Snipe by the wigwams. The `resident` flock of Cattle Egrets at Cockles Bridge peaked at 19 today, with two Whooper Swans in the field opposite and a family of three at the back of Scotney sand pit. On Sunday I joined Chris for the final harrier count of the season from our watchpoint on Walland Marsh where 10 Marsh Harriers came to roost in appalling weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain; and we got a right good soaking too! Over the weekend the first hints of spring passage emerged across the peninsula with a few Wheatears and Sand Martins being reported along with Black Redstarts and Firecrests.
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