21st and 22nd January

A couple of days birding at Dungeness; the 21st was a stunning, flat calm, sunny day, the sea was quiet first thing before a walk round the Obs recording area produced 2 Firecrests (one in the Moat and one at the top Long Pit), 12 Long-tailed Tits and 2 singing Cetti’s Warblers.   A walk round the RSPB in the afternoon was also quiet but lovely in the calm, sunny conditions with the only birds of note comprising another 4 Firecrests in with several Long-tailed Tit flocks which also contained a couple of Goldcrests and 3 Chiffchaffs, several pairs of Stonechats, a Green Woodpecker, a few calling Bearded Tits, 3 Marsh Harriers including a smart adult male, 2 Great White Egrets, big flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover across the fields and the usual ducks etc.   

Another very calm day on the 22nd but with complete cloud cover; a look at the fishing boats in the morning produced 211 Great-crested Grebes on the sea, 300+ Auks blogging around, c30 Red-throated Divers, a few Kittiwakes and a 2cy Mediterranean Gull which went east.   A drive out to Walland Marsh then produced 2 Whooper Swans off Caldicott Lane where there was also a huge flock of c400 Fieldfares and a nice group of 28 Bewick’s Swans (including two juveniles) at Midley Farm before birds at The Patch in the afternoon just included an adult Mediterranean Gull and a single Fulmar offshore.

Firecrests

Long-tailed Tits

Goldeneye