Black and White Birds

I am conscious that if two birders with cameras visit the same place and that if they both blog then there will be a lot of similarities.No apologies - just read both. However, my blog is a diary, not all photographs will be good but at least will record where, when and how I have seen birds. Also, Martin has encouraged me to work harder to rescue shots that I would have previously discarded. Thanks be to Photoshop and his skill.

Today we visited Dungeness and the birds were all at a distance, but Smew are difficult to find and even harder to record. We were delighted to find seven in view at the same time, five red tops and two fine drakes. We could have waited all day and they would not have come any nearer, in fact after about half an hour of frantic displaying they all went to sleep on one of the small islands.

Birds were thin on the ground and in the air, I suspect the chilly northerly wind being the reason.

 

A visit to Dungeness beach was like being in a vast wasteland and trying to find a single Glaucous Gull was akin to "mission impossible"

 

We returned via Rye harbour, visits to the hides at Ternery and Quarry pools confirmed that we were a tad early in the season. Plenty of vociferous Black-headed Gulls already occupying sites on the islands, but no early terns. On the way back to the car park we counted nine Avocets, a pleasing sight as they are obviously all paired up, bar one of course!!

Well this one has some grey in it. Finally a ringed Herring Gull at Pett Level, A4DC, which I suspect is a RSPCA Mallydams rescue bird. It would be intereresting to know when it was released. I have received advice on several occasions to report the sightings on the BTO website, fine, but I have yet to receive any replies.