Day in Kent

I was booked to offer a presentation on The birds of The Algarve and Baixo Alentejo regions of Portugal for Gravesend RSPB group, so off before 5.15a.m. for a morning around Dungeness. Over the bridge whilst it's still free is always a bonus and on the beach at Dunge for first light. Nothing, apart from a yellow legged gull near Prospect Cottage, a little gull towards the patch and a few gannets. Off to the ARC pit which was full of choppy water with one great white egret showing distantly.

Dungeness sunrise looking south east

Barnacle geese at Scotney Pits

Tufties in choppy water at The ARC pit

So little about, so I headed to the RSPB reserve, which had the VC closed, so no coffee. However, in the car park, as I wandered towards Dennis's hide, 3 tree sparrows. From the hide, 6 great white egrets on the far bank, close to the Long Pits.

3 of the 6 great white egrets

Joined by a fly in little egret

Posy tree sparrow, as below

Following my coffee disappointment, I headed off to Chilam near Canterbury. Within a minute of parking in the parish hall car park I noted a great grey shrike upon wires before it flew to various trees and posts around the small humped back bridge in Branch Lane. A good bird. In hawthorns were blackbirds, fieldfares and a solitary redwing whilst in the sedge in the field opposite the car park, a mistle thrush. A kestrel flew over and a grey wagtail moved on from near the bridge as I tried for a decent photo of the shrike. The light was poor, so I messed around with camera settings as I used my new lens for the first time. All tricky, but relatively pleased with these results.

Great grey shrike on a grey day!

Just got lucky with this shot in really poor light

hungry blackbird

All in all, a right pleasant morning and, so off to Gravesend for the presentation and a wonderfully receptive audience before a drive home that saw me back in the village by 5.30. A lovely day and now preparing for a day filming for Herts and Middlesex WT on the River Ash tomorrow morning, catching and identifying invertebrates. Should be a great time. Where are my waders?