A complete contrast to yesterday’s sunny
yet frosty morning, it was milder yet a lot more grey and overcast today.
Migrants still appear to be thin on the ground and the only members of the dawn
chorus thus far seem to be high numbers of Blackbird and Song Thrush. The
Chiffchaffs seem to be the most numerous with at least 20 singing birds today,
whereas the Sedge Warblers haven’t crept above four yet and the only Reed
Warbler was still in partial song along the Lampen Wall. There were 4 Garganey
of the Ramp this morning three off them drakes, while another pair were at
Harrison’s Drove hide. At least 20 Snipe scattered around the site and a year
tick in the form of a Greenshank was on the ‘White House’ pool, a pair of
Great-spotted Woodpeckers entertained in the two Trees by the gate at the
viewing point of this pool. Marsh hide added 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Ruff, 3
Redshank and a male Wheatear and probably the same Ruff and 2 Green Sandpipers
were on the Water Meadows later in the morning. A loose flock of a dozen Sand
Martins were feeding over the lake with a single Swallow and at least 30 Sand
Martins were noted around mid-day from the Ramp. A Grey Wagtail was feeding on
the lake edge along the Lampen Wall near Lake Tower hide and a second flew
south over the Ramp. Only 4 Blackcaps noted along with 4 Wigeon, 1 Little
Egret,2 Sparrowhawks, 5 Canada Geese and
a passage of 18-20 Meadow Pipits.
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| juvenile Herring Gull |
On the way home I stopped at Restharrow in
Sandwich and got to see the fantastic new hide there, a really nice addition
with lots more space and ease of use. Not much birdwise to report however with
1 Little Grebe, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Shelduck, 2 Canada Geese, 1 Common Gull and
a scattering of Teal. There were 30 odd large Gulls roosting on the far island
mostly Herring Gulls in different ages ad plumages but, also there were 5 fine
looking adult summer Lesser Black-backed Gulls there too.
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gulls |
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| Grey Partridge in fields between Restharro and Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club |
