Dungeness

Back in 2005 + 2006 I worked at Dungeness Bird Observatory and on a whim I decided on a couple of days birding back there, I got down there around lunchtime and just like old times I cruised round all the pits around the RSPB reserve through the afternoon.

Great White Egret was surprisingly a Dunge tick for me as they were still very rare back in the day but now they are all over the place with 4 or 5 seen, people hardly even look at them now!   A Raven down Dengemarsh Gully was also noteworthy for me with no records during my stay but now a pair breeds on the power station - not much else has changed though!

 

Two Cattle Egrets were feeding in fields on the outskirts of Lydd, this one showed well close to the road but the other one was more true to its name hanging out with the cows further away

 

Other birds included adult male and female Peregrines and plenty of Marsh Harriers constantly flushing huge flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers, 5 redhead Smew on Burrowes, a few singing Cetti's Warblers and calling Bearded Tits and quite a few wintering Chiffchaffs dotted around.

 



Stonechat on the RSPB reserve