The 2 Snow Buntings were still showing well on the beach at Littlestone this afternoon, by the Varne Sailing Club. Fantastic little birds.
Other birds seen today:
Dungeness, 11:00 to 12:00, Fishing Boats
2 Velvet Scoters (flew east with 2 Common Scoters), 1 Glaucous Gull (3rd winter), 4 Kittiwakes. Masses of Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes, Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills and Red-throated Divers too.
Dungeness RSPB Reserve, 12:00 to 14:00
7 Barnacle Geese (fields by Boulderwall Farm), 2 Goldeneyes (pair on New Diggings), 17 Smew (New Diggings - 2 drakes, 15 redheads), 2 Great White Egrets (New Diggings), 1 Little Egret (ARC), 2 Grey Herons, 3 Marsh Harriers, 1 Water Rail (heard), 2 Snipe (Water Tower Pits), 3 Woodcocks (Water Tower Pits), c30 Fieldfare (fields by Boulderwall Farm), 1 Redwing (Water Tower pines), 1 Goldcrest (Water Tower pines), c10 Tree Sparrows (Boulderwall Farm).
Littlestone-on-sea, 14:00 to 14:30
1 Grey Plover, 2 Knot, c50 Sanderlings, 5 Dunlins, 1 Redshank, 1 Skylark (flew over), 2 Snow Buntings.
Walland Marsh, 14:30 to 16:00
1 Grey Heron, 3 Marsh Harriers (1 male), 1 Hen Harrier (ringtail near Horsebones Farm), 1 Common Buzzard (Wheelsgate Farm), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Dunnock, c20 Tree Sparrows (Baynham Farm), 1 Yellowhammer.
3 large flocks of Swans on the marsh too. The old potato field near Hawthorn Corner held the bulk of the Bewick's Swans (c160) but they were too distant to count properly. The kale/oilseed rape field nearby had 5+ too along with many Mutes and an obvious Black Swan. The Whoopers were probably in this area too but went undetected. Opposite Midley drying barns there was a further 40 Bewick's amongst the regular Mute flock - very close views but no neck or leg bands yet. There could now be upwards of 200 Bewick's on Walland - excellent numbers as a result of the cold weather and a healthy number of juveniles too.
Hamstreet, 16:00
4 Little Egrets (RM Canal), 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, 1 Nuthatch (Orlestone Forest), 4 Greenfinches.
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