Crane & Bewick + male Hen Harrier at Walland Marsh

Off to the old favourite Dungeness today. We meet at 6 o'clock & the drive is 90 miles.
We stop off at Walland  marsh a new place for us to visit, a common Crane is reported there.
Brian gets us to the right place & we park by the pub the Woolpack, we walk a round a large field across a style up onto a mound, after about 1/2 hour Brian spots the Crane standing out in the open giving great views in the scope. We have heard Bearded Tits, also Cetti's Warbler already.
A nice place this with good views all over the fields, we see a few Marsh Harriers, also female Hen Harriers.
We get talking to a fellow birder, he tells us where to go for some Bewick Swans, so we bid goodbye & set off up towards Lydd, about a mile away a couple of scopes are looking over the field already on the Bewick, 60 or more on show.
After spending a long time scanning for any Whooper Swans without luck we are about to go when Brian stops to have a word with a birder who was scoping the Swans,he tells us a male Hen Harrier is often seen here,just as he says it a bird comes into view( HALLELUJAH ) my first Male Hen Harrier, Jimmy & Brian are also very happy as they haven't seen one for ages. It flies up & down in full view for a long time, what a great sight to see, at the same time a Merlin drops down from a fence post it gives a quick sighting only.

Back in the car & off to look for the Great White Egret, it is  picked out as soon as we get  there, a couple more are  seen near by.
Tree Sparrow are on the feeders by the house as usual.
Off to the beach now looking for the Glaucous gull, a lot of people are here for it, but it never shows today for us.
A scan of the sea reveals 6 common Scoters passing through, many many Great crested Grebe sitting on the water + 1 Leucistic one.
Gannets are following a boat along, a few Guillemot also spotted, Kittiwake are on the beach, Red throated divers are plenty. It's cold & windy so We head for the cafe for a cuppa & toast to warm us up.
Next off down to the reserve visitor centre, we see Smew are here & can be seen from Dennis hide, a quick scan & we see 3 female & 1 male Smew
We make a decision to drive the 20 miles to Dover, in the harbour a couple of Shags are sitting on a wall, in the water a nice Red-breasted Merganser swims  about.
A walk along the pier shows a Razorbill, but not much else, but on the way back on the rocks some Purple Sandpipers are seen.
108 birds seen already so up & running for 2013,   Happy new year to all fellow birders.  

Great white Egret

Tree Sparrow

Dover Castle

Kittiwake