On route to Dungeness we stopped at New Hythe Gravel pits on the off-chance we might find an early Nightingale, but the only Spring songsters were Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
Before Dungeness we drove over Romney Marsh finding a nice Little Owl and eventually a few Tree Sparrow and a single Yellowhammer.
We drove down Dengemarsh Road where a very distant Common Crane was on view also hearing but not seeing a Yellow Wagtail, we continued to Dengemarsh Gulley hoping for a few migrants but it was very quiet with just 2 Wheatear a couple of Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler.
Driving back over the Sussex border to Camber was next, with short walk from the car it didn't take long to locate the Glossy Ibis at a roadside pool where there was also a pristine White Wagtail. Stopping briefly at Scotney we saw more Tree Sparrows, a single Avocet and a very smart Spring Yellow Wagtail.
We parked at the ARC pits, walking to the Hanson Hide, Sedge Warblers were singing away in the scrub and a group of c75 hirundines gathered over the water a majority of Swallows, several Sand Martin and just a couple of House Martin. We went to the Reserve car park, briefly looking in one of the hides finding the Summer plumage Black-necked Grebe at the back of the pit, then we walked the trail around the reserve despite the strong wind. A Cattle Egret was a brief sighting at the back of Hookers Pit where there were calling Bearded Tits more Sedge Warblers and a fly-past Kingfisher, The final addition to the Spring list was a slightly surprising Lesser Whitethroat that we heard singing before eventually viewing, surprising in that I rarely see Lesser Whitethroat in a Spring before Whitethroat.
It was 5pm when we returned to the car and decided to head back after a reasonable list for the day.
 |
| Glossy Ibis |
 |
| Glossy Ibis |
 |
| Yellow Wagtail |
 |
| Common Lizard |
No comments:
Post a Comment