I last visited Dunge way back in May last year so it was nice to return today where we enjoyed a very brief and very cold sea watch that provided us a couple of year ticks with Razorbill and Gannets. Also noted were lots of Guillemot, seven Red-throated Diver and a couple of Kittiwakes but otherwise it was very quiet with no sign of Black Redstart, Peregrine or Raven around the power station.
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| Great White Egret on ARC pit |
We moved on to the reserve where we failed to find a single Tree Sparrow with only House Sparrows on the feeders by the farm which was disappointing as we've connected with Tree Sparrow here on every previous visit. We had a Great-White Egret on ARC and another on the small pool by the farm. A drake Smew was a welcome surprise on the the next pool down the track and then a walk out to the viewpoint at Hookers gave us our first Cetti's Warbler and Bearded Tits. Marsh Harriers and a large mixed flock of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Curlew the only other thing of note.
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| Hythe (Purple Sandpipers on this rock groyne) |
The journey home was broken first by a stop at Hythe were we quickly found two Purple Sandpiper on the farthest of the beach rock groynes and then a stop at Chatham Marina were we found a couple of Shag on pool 2.
The year list moves on to 155 and equals my best ever January total.
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| Shag at Chatham Marina |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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