The first bird of the year was a Crow just as it started to get light, nothing else seen until we look out to sea on Dungeness beach, Red-throated Diver,Common Scoter, loads of Cormorant,all the common Gulls seen by the fishing boats plus a few Turnstones running about on the beach.
As we start to head off a fellow birder pulls up along side us & asks if we had seen the Glaucous Gull just off shore & takes us up the beach to show us it,we pick it out with ease & also see 2 Great Skua & a Great Northern Diver, really good of the fellow to take the trouble to drive up & tell us about the Glauc.
Round to the fish hut where we soon pick out both the Caspian Gulls an adult & a first winter.
A drive down to the visitor centre gets us Tree Sparrow by the house, then a stop off to tick the Ring-Necked Duck & in the hides it's a Little Grebe then a Smew & a Water Rail. A look for the Stonechat is a waste of time & a wet one as well but at Lade we get the Slav Grebe to soften the blow. The Long-eared Owl is still in the bushes by dipping pond so I take a silly photo in the rain I think I was the only one that even attempted that.
At Horsebones Farm the flock of Bewick Swans are seen. Only a sad 62 ticks on the first day but it was a good effort in horrible conditions.
Up bright & early on the 2nd & it's off to Norfolk to boost the total ticks.
In dim light a nice Barn Owl is the first bird spotted, then we pop into Thornham & pick up Twite & Grey Plover plus Redshank, Brent Goose plus a few others.
Off to Titchwell & head up to the beach where we soon pick out a few Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck,Red-breasted Merganser,Eider,close in Gannets,many flocks of C Scoter,Great Crested Grebe everywhere.
Then a bonus when a Peregrine tries to take a Pigeon out on the sea but fails to keep it's catch.
On the walk back we see loads of Little Grebe & a single Water Pipit spotted for another tick.
On the feeders a couple of Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch,Chaffinch,Long-tailed Tits,Siskin ends a good visit in much better weather than yesterday but very cold.
We go looking for all the Geese but had no luck with the Red-breasted but White-fronted & Pink foot seen.My first Marsh Harrier seen here. Down to Salthouse for the Snow Buntings only problem is that the boys see them as they fly over head but I was feeling cold & I went back to the car for a cuppa from the flask & missed them.
Before we leave a nice Glaucous Gull drops into a near by pool for some great views of it, so two in 2 days is not bad & makes the visit worthwhile.
A quick look for Waxwings proves a bad decision as we just waste what little daylight is left,but we do manage to pick up a couple of Ring tail Hen Harriers at Stiffkey as they come into roost.
On the way home a Woodcock pops up & over the car for a late bonus tick.
This morning in my garden Jimmy & I get a couple of ticks with a few Redwing feed on next doors holly tree & Ring-necked Parakeet feed on my feeders nice to see but go through the seed a bit to quick for my liking. A much better day yesterday & I push my year ticks up to 106. Not a couple of days for the camera but still we had a great time.
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| Redwing |
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| One of the Parakeets |
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| Next doors Garden |
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| Blackbird in Garden |
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| The Parakeets in my garden |
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| In the gloom the Long-eared Owl at Dungeness |
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