Ring Necked Duck at Conningbrook Gravel Pits

I headed down to Dunge again today but stopped on the way to look for a reported drake Ring Necked Duck at Conningbrook gravel pits near Ashford, Kent. I arrived at the site and made my way around the large lake to find a group of Tufted Duck which held the target bird (204) and a hybrid that may have caused issue for some if the real duck wasn't on site. The bird kept to the centre of the lake but I did manage a couple of record shots.

Ring Necked Duck

Ring Necked Duck with Tufted Ducks

Ring Necked Duck

The lake had House Martin, Swallow and Common Tern too.

I moved on to Dunge and found the sea very quiet save a Porpoise within a few feet of the beach and Gannets fishing on the patch which was alive with gulls and terns but I couldn't find anything of note amongst them. Around the moat area I found a single Firecrest and plenty of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.
Six Wheatear were around the new lighthouse area. On the track to the reserve I stopped to view and listen to my first Whitethroat (205) of the year and from the car park had my first Swift (206) as a single bird flew over towards Hookers pit. A White Wagtail was seen near Demo pond and a Garganey on Burrowes Pit with female Goldeneye.

On the walk to ARC pit I found a Reed Warbler (207) and lot's of Sedge Warbler but found nothing of interest from the hide. I took a drive around the back of Denge Marsh to look for Whinchat but found only Wheatear here but I did chance upon a Raven (208) as it flew towards the power station from the MOD site. All in all a decent days birding in Kent giving me five year ticks n the process.

This evening I revisited the Lea Valley and had at least five singing Nightingale for tick 209.
on the way home I stopped to grab a photograph of the Deer in the forest at Upshire.

Roe Deer