Seabird spectacle continues

Dungeness - cold, overcast, showery, sw 4 - 0815hrs - Joined the usual suspects at the boats for a couple of hours watching a very busy sea. It was all about gulls really, with thousands of mainly Black-headed and Common Gulls, Kittiwakes, Herrings and Black-backs either lounging on the shingle, rounding the point or feeding just offshore, plus three each of Fulmar and Med Gull and singles of Little Gull and Bonxie. Adding to the variety was a supporting cast of several hundred Cormorants and Guillemots, 15 Red-throated Divers, 20 Gannets, 5 Common Scoters and best of all a reasonably close Great Northern Diver flying west (which just happened to be new for the year, not that I`m year listing...), plus a Grey Seal.
If you haven't had a chance to get down to Dunge for the recent seabird spectacle then it is worthwhile making the effort, particularly as south-easterlies are forecast over the next couple of days, which should push the seabirds even closer to shore.

                                "Oh no, not more seawatching..."


Lade - Despite the foul weather I decided Barney needed a run out this afternoon so we struggled across the shingle to check out the pits into a band of heavy showers and a scudding wind, but for little return as most of the ducks were sensibly sheltering in the willow swamp. However, the redhead Smew was still on north pit and a soggy looking Marsh Harrier flew over the main reedbed.