Friday 11 March 2011

Brilliant Sunny afternoon at Dungeness

Started the afternoon at the fishing boats where the Glaucous Gull was still on the beach and a large female Peregrine flew over, on the sea still large numbers of Great-crested Grebes but little else. At the SE end of the Arc pit a Curlew was posing on the shore out on the pit 2 Avocets were bobbing about the  whole length of the pit. From Hansen hide the Penduline Tit had been reported. It eventually appeared in the busses beside the hide and then flew into the Phragmites and was frustratingly elusive until it came out onto the Bullrushes infront of the hide where it showed quite well for 20 or so minutes before disappearing into the Willow Trail. Also from the hide a young drake Smew moulting, 16 Goldeneye, 3 Marsh Harriers, a Green Woodpecker and the 2 Avocets took from the water and flew towards the reserve calling. I was told of a Wheatear on the approach road to the reserve which was easy to find in its spring finery. Back at the Hansen Hide a Red Head Smew was very confiding.    
Moulting to adult drake

A confiding duck
First of the year

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