Pink-footed Geese

Mild, overcast, S2 - A grim, dank morning for a circuit of Dengeamarsh with Ted where he encountered an electrified sheep fence for the first, and hopefully for him judging by his reaction, the last time! A flock of 50 Corn Buntings in a rank field at the back of Hookers was the best of the passerines that also included a few Reed Buntings, Skylarks, Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Song Thrushes and a pair of Stonechats. The flooded hayfields held hundreds of Lapwings, Shovelers, Wigeons and Teals, plus a pair of Shelducks while several Marsh Harriers, Great White Egrets and Grey Herons were noted during the walk. Back at Lydd a pause for a natter with Martin C delivered six distant Pink-footed Geese in the misty, arable fields opposite, plus 10 Golden Plovers, 20 Stock Doves and a couple of hundred Greylags. A check of the Scotney front lakes and sward revealed few feral geese, but hundreds of Golden Plovers, Lapwings and common wintering ducks. On the bird reserve the two divers remained on Burrowes.

                                 Great White Egret, Dengemarsh

                                 Pink-footed Geese in the mist, Lydd

Long-tailed Tits

 New Romney - mild, dry and sunny, SE2 - This weekend was the RSPB`s annual garden bird survey, so I spent an hour counting the birds from the kitchen window in our small, town garden. Most of the activity was on or around the feeders where 32 birds of 10 species were recorded. I was thrilled to bits when `our` regular flock of Long-tailed Tits came through whilst counting, all six of them, and as the fat ball hanger is only 10 feet from the window I managed a few half-decent pics, and what super little birds they are. There was a typical absence of finches, and whilst Goldfinches are irregular visitors I`ve only noted Chaffinch twice and have yet to log a Greenfinch in just over two years. 

                                 Long-tailed Tits, New Romney

Elsewhere this weekend our farmland Ted walks out to St-Mary-in-the-Marsh have yielded few birds apart from several singing Skylarks today in the warm sunshine and a Chiffchaff along Hope Lane. A flock of 500 Woodpigeons on the Salts yesterday was noteworthy, plus a handful of Yellowhammers and Song Thrushes. Three each of Common Buzzard and Kestrel at both sites were making the most of the fine weather to hunt for prey.

                                  Kestrel and Common Buzzard, New Romney

Great Crested Grebes

Lade - mild, dry and sunny, W 3 - A fine day for our second visit of the week to the local patch where little had changed to the duck population with Pochard the most numerous at 130. One subtle change however was the first returning pair of Great Crested Grebes to their breeding lake, having probably spent the winter offshore feeding alongside hundreds of other grebes on sprats and the like. We walked Mockmill this morning where there was very little on offer apart from a few Blackbirds and Dunnocks. Passerines continue to be few in number just about everywhere, with a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest around the ponds the only perching birds of  note. 

                                 Great Crested Grebe pair on south lake

                                 Lade `mirrors`

Moving on to Dungeness where a wander along the foreshore scavenging for firewood delivered 50 Turnstones and 20 Sanderlings. I spent some time going through thousands of gulls on the beach and offshore by the `dustbin` hoping for a white-winger, but without success. The Boulderwall fields, in warm sunshine, were packed out with hundreds of Wigeons, Lapwings, and feral geese, 12 Curlews but little else. Elsewhere this week our Ted walks around New Romney have been much of a muchness, apart from a calling Cetti`s Warbler and Green Sandpiper along the New Cutt on Wednesday. Other local news includes the continued presence of the two species of divers on Burrowes and two White-fronts on the Scotney sward today.

                                 Gull blizzard, Dungeness

    Ted eyeing up the gulls

Harriers and swans

 Walland Marsh - cold, sunny, SW4 - With the monthly harrier count scheduled for tomorrow cancelled due to the weather forecast we decided to do our usual count site this afternoon. Together with Chris P we logged 21 Marsh Harriers to roost plus one, possible two, grey Hen Harriers and a ringtail that went through the site heading towards Scotney. Also noted: a Sparrowhawk, a Common Buzzard, a Common Snipe, a few Lapwings, three Great White Egrets, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron and vocalising Water Rail and Cetti`s Warbler. Elsewhere, a mixed flock of swans contained 55 Bewick`s, five Whoopers and 10 Mute Swans; the Bewick`s probably went to roost on the reservoir, while the Whoopers peeled off towards Lydd.  

Water Rails

Lade - cold, dry and sunny, light airs - Another clear, still night of sub-zero temperatures resulted in both lakes being covered in ice, apart from the margins on the western side. Duck numbers were low with only Teal and Pochard into three figures, plus two Goldeneyes and two Dabchicks. However, with the reedbeds frozen over several Moorhens and Water Rails were actual seen rather than just heard, including a rail on north lake that was basking in the bright sunshine on the far side. Also trying to gather the sun`s warmth were two Foxes on the mirror apron and a Common Buzzard sat on the rim of the 30 foot dish. Hardly any passerines were noted apart from a few tits and Robins while a wander out onto the Desert produced not a single bird. Back at the car in Taylor Road I watched a Magpie nest-building in a pine tree, a sign of things to come... 

                                   Frozen south lake

This week`s Ted walks around New Romney have delivered few birds in the bitter cold apart from an increase in Common Snipe sightings (which are probably weather related) most being inadvertently flushed from sewer margins where they seem to be able to find unfrozen ground and probe for food.   

Bearded Tits

Cold, dry and sunny, light airs - En-route to the bird reserve there were three Cattle Egrets in the Cockles Bridge paddock and a Barn Owl quartering the frost-covered fields opposite the entrance, while there was no sign of yesterday`s Pink-footed Geese on the Boulderwall fields. The overnight temperature plummeted to -4C and many of the lakes on the reserve were frozen over except for Burrowes. In bright sunshine with an occasional zephyr the weather conditions were superb for a guided walk around the circular trail for eight RSPB volunteers. The trio of two Great Northern Divers and a Black-throated Diver were still on Burrowes from Dennis`s lookout with two birds approaching right underneath us affording good views as they caught tiny fish. All the usual wildfowl were noted on the lake including six Goldeneyes and five Shelducks, plus a distant perched Kingfisher. The hayfields attracted 10 Lapwings and half a dozen Common Snipes, while several hundred Wigeons and Coots were packed into a small patch of ice-free water on Dengemarsh lake. The highlight of the walk for us all were scope views of two gorgeous Bearded Tits as they picked up grit from the tray in Hooker`s reedbed; cracking birds which my pics do not do justice too. Elsewhere during the walk we recorded several Great White and Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, ten more Common Snipes, four Marsh Harriers, four Curlews and a Raven. Passerines were typically in short supply but did include several each of Blue and Great Tits, Robins and Blackbirds, two Stonechats, a Song Thrush and a Cetti`s Warbler, totalling a respectable 52 species of birds during the three hour walk.  

                                 Great Northern Diver, Burrowes

                                 Black-throated Diver, Burrowes

    View from Christmas Dell hide showing newly formed island

                                 Bearded Tits, Hooker`s reedbed

                                 Relic Holly trees from the Holmstone

Bean Geese

Cold, dry, cloudy, light airs - A day out with Ted commenced at the local patch where we checked out Mockmill and the fields behind the lakes. It was slim pickings apart from a few Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Great Tits in the scrub, vocalising Cetti`s Warbler and Water Rail, plus Common Buzzard and a flushed Common Snipe. South lake held the usual wildfowl.

                                 Lade desert looking south towards Dungeness

                                 Ted on the charge

Moving onto Walland Marsh where the flooded fields around Hawthorn Corner attracted a number of Egyptian Geese, Teal and Mallard along with three Tree Sparrows and several Fieldfares by the model flying club bend. Hundreds more Fieldfares were noted across the Marsh farmland but only a handful of Redwings. At Clubb`s Lane we paused to view the two Bean Geese of the tundra variety alongside four Bewick`s Swans. Next stop the Woolpack and a walk out towards the wind farm where 10 Common Snipes and one Jack Snipe were the highlights on the sheep folds, plus two Great White Egrets three Marsh Harriers, a Kestrel and a Corn Bunting. A prepared field to the south of Hamstreet continued to harbour a decent flock of around 50 Tree Sparrows and 20 Yellowhammers, while several more Common Buzzards and Kestrels, a Jay and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were noted along the lane to Snargate. Back at the coast Boulderwall fields was full of birds and in amongst a mixed flock of 800 Canada and Greylag Geese were 22 Barnacle Geese, while several hundred Lapwings also harboured 15 Dunlins and four Ruffs. Two more Great White Egrets were on Cook`s Pool and the four divers remained on Burrowe`s. On the way home a check of the airport road delivered six Cattle Egrets and 500 Lapwings. In summary, a decent enough day around the Marsh where it was also good to bump into several birders I`ve not seen for a while and have a natter.

                                  Bean Geese, Clubb`s Lane

                                 Bewick`s Swans, Clubb`s Lane