Dipped again but a nice day spent at Dungeness.

We decide to give Dungeness another go to get over dipping the Penduline Tits last week, they have been reported as being seen most of the week, so we have great hope of getting lucky.
A few miles before Lydd we think we have a year tick when a large group of Swans are spotted at a distance & at first we think we have our first Whopper Swans of the year, but they turn out to be just Mute Swans so not needed for a tick.
First port of call is the beach by the fishing boats to have a good look for any needed Gulls,as it turns out we pick out the Glaucous Gull & get a good long look at it.
We already have this bird for a year tick but it's always nice to pick one out of the crowd & as the day goes on it seems that not to many other people get to see it today.
The beach is busy this morning as we are told it is the world Dab fishing Championship today in support of the RNLI. that will raise thousands of pounds so nice to see such great support for it, we also get to have a good old talk with some of the fishermen.
Now it's time to make up for last weeks dip & try for the Tits again, we spend the next couple of hours looking over Hookers Pit but despite the Warden telling us that it they had been seen just awhile back it is another dip for us.
On the way out of the Reserve we do pick up a Glossy Ibis in the horse paddock but once again we already have this for a year tick but still nice to see again, this is the fourth one already this year.
So once again just like last week not good for Year ticks but a very good fun day spent in good company.

 TheGlaucous

We had a nice talk a couple of nice fellows

Dipped at Dungneness Penduline Tit

Off to Kent to try for the Penduline Tits seen from Hanson hide yesterday.
We leave at 6 am & arrive at the hide at 7.25 am, only two people inside & they have not found it yet.We get a fly over from a Glossy Ibis & a couple of marsh Harriers, in the bushes are a few Chiffchaff. The target is slow in showing.
So we spend two hours looking but with no luck & it is very cold on the legs so we go for a walk to look down by the boats for some Gulls, once again no luck but we do meet up with Mick & Richard on a Gull hunt themselves, after a chat to them we pop farther along the beach & see a massive flock of Oyster catchers but no new Gulls for us to tick.
After a quick look at the Tree Sparrows we start off for home, then the pager tells us a Spoonbill has landed at Cliffe Pools so a small diversion takes us to Flamingo pool to get the only tick for the day, it's over the back of the pool so to far for my little camera.
Now a quick stop in Dartford for a scan of the many Gulls there but still nothing to tick, a nice day for a change so we enjoy being out pity there is not to much about but that's life.

Chiffchaff

Well it was there & not much else

Bittern at Fishers Green

A very quick visit to Jimmy's patch at the Valley just to get us out for a couple of hours, Brian just wanted to take some photos of something. We see a couple of Egyptian Geese I am the only one who wanted to take a photo of them.
A walk down to the farm in the hope of getting Brian some shots of Yellowhammer when it starts to rain, so we give up on that idea & head to the Bittern hide.
As soon as we arrive we are told the Bittern had just been seen & we get lucky as the Bittern shows within minutes, always feels right to get the Bittern here.
Also seen a couple of Goosander plus Water Rail & plenty of usual stuff.
It was a bit of a shock to see the farm tracker taking kids down to the farm & to see the cafe open this early in the year.
I was not quick enough to get a good photo of the Bittern so this is all that I got of it, plus the Water Rail

       

Water Rail

Headless photo of the Bittern

     

Egyptian Goose 

Just by the window.

my Garden through the window

Not feeling to well today, so sitting by the window looking for anything that visits my garden.
Blue Tits & Great Tits plus many House Sparrows 3 Robins, 1 Goldcrest, Starlings, a few Chaffinch,a couple of Dunnock, Female Blackbird, 3 Collared Dove, 2 Ginger Cats,my Dog when she spotted them.
Brian has just text to say he has ticked the Yellow-rumped-Warbler while on a work trip on the way up to Coniston he stopped off at Durham & he has no trouble in finding the target, Happy days for him,just a little bit jealous but the four hour drive is not up my street & he had to do it, so a great bonus to keep him going.

A quick bath for the Goldcrest

Dungeness for Glaucous Gull, Dartford for Iceland Gull.

Up early & off to the old favourite Dungeness with the  hope of bagging the Glaucous Gull for a year tick. A quick walk around the moat area gives us nothing, so up on to the beach for  a scan of the sea, we see Red-throated Diver,a few Gannets, plus some Kittiwake & some Grebes & a couple of flocks of Scoters, it's really windy & cold so we head off to the fishing boats & get on to the Glaucous right away, so we add another tick & set off to visit the reserve, on the way Great-white Egrets are seen along with Black-throated Diver. So after a stop at the reserve entrance gates for a look at the tree sparrows that are always there we head down the track to the car park,
In Dennis hide the Black-necked Grebe adds year tick 2 for the day, while here also seen Redhead  Smew,plus Goosander.on the way home we pop into Elmley for a quick look around.
Still to much water about for us to see anything to close but when we get down to the car park a look over the wall by the toilet block Jimmy picks out our first Little Owl of the year.
As I said this is a quick visit so back in the car we head back up the track where Brian gets Sparrow Hawk that he needed for a tick & Jimmy ticks a Peregrine so not a wasted visit at all.
We intended to go home but the pager tells us of an Iceland Gull somewhere in Dartford, so as we are very near we give it a try.
With very little information Brian still finds where the bird has been seen after a few trips up & down a few roads he finds the Viridor building he had heard of this place being on bird guides at some time so we take a gamble & as we pull into the yard James Hunter a local birder already has the target in his scope so a nice easy tick for us, after getting good views of the bird on the roof we say  goodbye to James & this time it really is home time.                          

Rook ( not much about at Elmley )

A bit of fun

Just about the Glaucous