Monday 1 May 2017

Herons and Egrets

Lydd - cool, sunshine and showers, S5 - En-route to Lydd a road side pull-in revealed a Little Owl, several grounded Yellow Wagtails and a Stonechat.

                                Little Owl, Lydd

Spent most of the morning atop All Saints church tower on the RSPB Heron watch. Having already surveyed the site from the ground it was good to confirm 18 Grey Heron nests and five of Little Egret. A steady stream of visitors enjoyed unsurpassed views of the birds, looking down into nests situated in one of the Holm Oaks in the corner of the Grange, just beneath the tower. Also noted overhead a few Swifts, Yellow Wagtails and Whimbrels.

                               Heronshaws

                                Little Egret at nest

                                Lydd heronry

                                View from the tower looking south towards Dungeness

                                And west towards Scotney

Birdwatching Break - Dungeness - 1530hrs - We started a five day bird tour for Jill, John and Tony from Dorset this afternoon, and with a brisk wind from the south and reports of skuas still trickling through we headed down to the point. An hour from the hide delivered a steady flow of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Sandwich and Common Terns, a flock of 30 Common Scoters and three Bonxies.
Scotney - From the lay-by a decent crop of Arctic waders on the sward included 38 Whimbrels, 32 Barwits, four Dunlins and a stunning Grey Plover in full breeding plumage. Also seen a few Swallows, Swifts, Shelduck, Oystercatcher and 20 Linnets. Elsewhere, locally a Little Owl, Mistle Thrush and Green Woodpecker noted.

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