Light northerlies and dreary skies produced a surprising up-channel passage of birds. During a little over three hours of watching this morning the highlights were 407 Brent Goose, nine Shelduck, three Pintail, six Teal, a Tufted Duck, a Red-breasted Merganser, a Bar-tailed Godwit, a Great Skua, 190 Red-throated Diver and six Fulmar. A check of the Trapping Area was fairly quiet with just four Goldcrests, a Redwing and a Song Thrush of note while two Snipe were feeding around the flooded shingle south of the there.
A few mammals could be seen offshore with the calmer seas with three Porpoise, two Grey Seal and a Common Seal.
Elsewhere around the greater Dungeness area, the first-winter drake Scaup and family of Whooper Swans still reside at Scotney, the flock of 35 Bewick's Swans are still viewed from Cutters Bridge and the Cattle Egret flock at Cockles Bridge increased to 19 today.
 |
| A flock of Brent Geese passing the buoy with a Cormorant in tow |