Dungeness - mild, cloudy, rain pm, NW 2-4 - Spent the day guiding for a Naturetrek group commencing at the point with a seawatch from the fishing boats where a steady stream of Gannets, Common and Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls performed close to shore along with several Arctic Skuas, Guillemots, Razorbills, a Black Tern and a lone Brent Goose. Chaffinches could be heard passing overhead throughout the morning in their hundreds; while Jacob recorded over 3,000 today! On the land we also noted three Black Redstarts, several Robins, Stonechats and Chiffchaffs, two Kestrels and a steady passage of Meadow Pipits and Goldfinches overhead. The afternoon was spent on the bird reserve hide-hopping and dodging the rain at Burrowes and ARC where the highlights included a range of wildfowl (inc Shelduck, Wigeon and Pintail), several each of Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier, 10 Ringed and one Golden Plover, three Snipes a Greenshank, a Dunlin and four Rock Pipits in front of Firth. A mixed passerine flock near Coward hide contained mostly Long-tailed Tits plus a Goldcrest and three Chiffchaffs. We finished the afternoon in Hanson hide where we watched a Grey Heron wrestling with a marsh frog for ten minutes before eventually despatching it. Despite the weather we still managed to rack up 71 species for the day.
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