Sunday 4 December 2016

Black-Throated Diver at Scotney GPs

Brian has a day off & we get a call to meet in 15 minutes to head off to Kent,no particular reason just to see what we can find but Hen Harrier would be nice & looking for Barn Owl at Capel Fleet is always a nice way to spend a few hours.
Looking out from the mound we spot at least 15 Marsh Harrier flying or sitting in the field but no Hen Harrier seen.
The place is alive with hundreds of Starlings feeding on the ground & all along the wires & the bushes looked like Starling trees, flocks of Corn Bunting fly about as well.
We head off to Scotney GPs in the hope that the Black-Throated Diver was still about, it only took about 5 minutes to answer that when Jimmy picks it out & it dives & comes up not to far away from us. A year tick for both Jimmy & I so pleased about that.
Of course we pop into Dunge & get another look at the Ring-Necked Duck we had seen last week.
Looking for the Tree Sparrows by the entrance it seemed that none were about, then we spot them round the left side of the house where another feeder had been put up & it was shielded from the wind so a lot of the Sparrow were sitting in the bushes round that side.
A drive down to the visitor centre to buy an easy clean bird feeder & we have to have a quick look at the Long-eared Owl just outside the centre.
Now it's off up to the beach to get blown about for no real return as it is very quite bird wise.
Before we head home it's back to Capel Fleet to watch the Harriers come into roost.
Once again we see loads of Marsh Harrier & get lucky when a Hen Harrier flies into roost but still no Barn Owl, we drive up & down the track & get to see our only Barn Owl of the day, we sit & watch it fly about until the light starts to fade.
Black-Throated Diver