Still looking at Ducks - Ring-necked this time.

Many thanks to CT and BB for the text messages and calls while I was at work this morning, alerting me to the presence of a cracking drake Ring-necked Duck at Hookers Pit on the Dungeness RSPB reserve. I had to leave work early today for a Doctors appointment but that was soon out of the way, and within the hour, the parents and I were at the viewing mound overlooking the reedy pools. No one was on the bird so I headed off to the Dengemarsh hide to see if the bird had moved there - bad move. While doing this, PT relocated the smart drake Ring-necked Duck amongst the dozing Pochard and Tufted Ducks from the ramp, and everyone eventually managed to get good views in the telescopes. Getting the camera out of the bag for a record shot, the bird decided to take flight and head for Dengemarsh. The photograph is the Duck and not a Coot - honest!

Ring-necked Duck getting airborne - better shots on other blogs !!!

Other birds noted on the reserve: Raven, Kestrel, 2+ Marsh Harriers, 2 Shelduck plus calling Cetti's Warbler and my first singing Sedge Warbler of 2012. At the ARC Pit car park we added 1 House Martin and my first two Swallows of the year. At the southern end: 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Ringed and 2 Little Ringed Plovers - another year tick. Another Marsh Harrier overhead and 6 Little Egrets feeding in a group on the New Diggings. En route home single Common Buzzard (Snave) and Sparrowhawk (Old Romney) were noted on the Marsh. An enjoyable couple of hours and good to catch up with PT, CT, BH and SB plus others.