First lifer 2014 Hume's leaf Warbler Dungeness. Kent.

Long way off the Bewick Swan's

It was always going to be Dungeness this weekend, we never need any excuse to visit there, so the Leaf Warbler was a right bonus for us.
Brian Jimmy & myself arrive around 8 o'clock & pick out a Great white Egret on Arc Pit as we head down to the beach, also our first Kestrel of the new year seen on the way sitting on a post.
Up on the beach we find it is very busy with many Cormorants & Great-crested Grebe & Gulls every where you looked, after scanning the sea we find Guillemot, Kittiwake ,Red- throated Diver & flocks of Common Scoter, Razorbill as well.
Not bad weather for here so not to bad being up on the beach, but the pager goes off the Leaf Warbler has been seen & showing well, so off over to the ringing area where the bird has been reported.
On arrival we find out that  the place is under a lot of water, so wellies a must.
We see Dave B in the bushes & he is already on the bird, we hear it at first, then get a quick view before it flies over to the over side of the bushes, we all move round to get a better look at it, it lands at the bottom of a small bush in clear view for everybody to see, it is to quick for us to get the camera on it but it's a life tick & that was the aim just to get a view of it, so with the Hume's leaf Warbler in the bag it's off to watch the Gulls by the fishing boats, they are to far out at sea to be able to pick out any thing of note.
A quick stop to see the Tree Sparrows at the farm by the entrance gate gives us another year tick. A quick walk down to New Diggings gets us a Black-throated Diver.-
Now Brian takes us to Caldecot Lane as he has seen that Bewick Swans are about, we see them as soon as we arrive in the Lane, another year tick & one of my favourites I don't know why but I love to see these Swans, they were a long way off though..
A Long-tail Duck is reported not to far off , so off we go to find it.
We end up at the wrong end of the pits, that turns out to be a good thing as we get to see a Great northern Diver at close range, photos taken then off to the Kent end of the pits to pick out the target bird the L-t Duck. so a good day spent at Dungeness again. Up to 102 ticks for the new year so far. Meet some more nice Birder's to have a good talk with.

Great white Egret

                             

Great-northern Diver