Dungeness, Birling and Shoreham (29-31 December 2016)

Saturday 31 December. A visit to Shoreham Fort when the mist cleared produced 2 Purple Sandpipers on the wooden jetty, a Rock Pipit on the west arm and 7 Razorbills on a flat calm sea. On the way back a Greenshank was roosting with the Redshank by the houseboats.

Greenshank with Redshank on the Adur Saltings

Friday 30 December.  A very foggy walk around Birling and Crowlink with Megan, Nessa, Ruth, Emma & Cookie. So much for the BBC weather saying it would be clear from mid morning. I heard a Raven and saw a Rock Pipit.

Thursday 29 December. A quickly arranged trip to Dungeness with John King where we saw the female Stejneger's Stonechat, male Ring-necked Duck, a male and 2 female Goosanders, 7 Tree Sparrows and a Marsh Harrier but otherwise it was very quiet with hardly any gulls about and we didn't even bump into a Great White Egret. Nice to have a brief chat with Martin Casemore too.

Stejneger's Stonechat at Dungeness

it rarely sat still for any length of time

and when it did it was often back on

a very nice bird

Ring-necked Duck about to dive

it was surprisingly active