Grey, still, damp and silent.
A conspicuous increase in the number of Blackbirds, with several often evident in a single bush or flying ahead of me through the orange reeds of the canalside ditches and even more when scolding an invisible owl. Lots of Song Thrushes with them too, and Robins everywhere, with a good deal of territorial head-kicking going on.
Few flocks going over though, for a change: just a few Siskins and Skylarks.
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Following up on Pat’s earlier post, in the past few winters workers of this species have been foraging in our garden throughout the winter months, with Heleborus orientalis being the only source of pollen in our garden in December/January. Whether they are late nests that continue through the winter, or nests that started in the late summer/autumn I don’t know.
5/11 A black-necked grebe, scaup and goldeneye were on the ARC pit along with a bar-tailed godwit. A small flock of long-tailed tits (a rare sighting at Dungeness) and a firecrest were near the hide. A Dartford warbler was once again in scrub at the end of the return trail and a Lapland bunting flew over in the direction of Denge Marsh.
6/11 The black-necked grebe was still on the ARC pit along with ruff, dunlin, snipe and water rail. A bean goose flew over in the company of 21 white-fronted geese and a black redstart was hanging arond the car park all day. Small flocks of brambling, siskin and redpoll flew through this morning and a few could be found in the bushes at Christmas Dell. A Dartford warbler was seen near Hooker’s pits.