Normal Service Resumed

After a gorgeous Tuesday the weather has reverted to type and it’s wet and miserable.

On Wednesday I walked Worth marsh in overcast conditions but it was very quiet; the only notable bird being the great white egret which we saw from Roaring Gutter. I suspect going to the Fowlmead and looking from the viewing platform would be the easier option.

Today (10^th) I started at the Obs drinking coffee, watching the feeders, and listening to the mature members discussing when  50-odd strong flocks of Lapland buntings used to turned up. It wasn’t a very productive session bird wise though a first winter yellow hammer turned up on the feeders.

Next stop was the Chequers to have a look on the reservoir and check for tree sparrows – nothing on the reservoir but I could see  some tree sparrows around. They were spending most of the time feeding low down in one of the gardens (one of those facing north) but eventually all/most of them went up into one of the small trees showing a minimum of 15 present.

Then it was off to Dover. I parked in De Bradelie Warf car park where I could see the scaup without leaving the car – as normal it was with the coots (no pride at all) and a couple of moorhens.

Scaup

Next stop was the dock/yacht basin adjacent to the life boat station – more coots but also a shag. I first located it swimming but almost immediately it flew up onto the pontoon and there it stayed.

Shag

A walk out on Prince of Wales Pier was almost entirely a waste of time. No grebes, no divers , no rock pipits, not even any turnstones !!!!!! The walk was however enlivened by the presence of 3 1^st winter and a single adult kittiwake.

1st winter kittiwake

Kittiwake

I was going to go looking for the ravens but whilst on the pier it had started raining so I made my way back to the car checking on the shag (it was still present) and finding a rock pipit.

After that it was home.