RXwildlife Sightings

No red flag and no wind, so this afternoon I walked out to the Midrips. An Avocet was a surprise; other waders were 3 Grey Plover, 6 Turnstones, 9 Dunlin and a scattering of Redshanks. There were c.40 each of Shelduck and Wigeon, c.140 Teal, 6 Shoveler and pairs of Pintail and Tufted, a Marsh Harrier flew over, and on the sea were several G.C. Grebes and Cormorants and a Mute Swan!  As the sun set, a Barn Owl hunting behind Broomhill Farm flew up into the gaping hole that was once a window in the sadly neglected house out beyond the farm. That house was lived in by an elderly man and his dog until he died about 10 years ago; it doesn’t take long for isolated properties on the marsh to fall into ruin.

A Slavonian grebe, male smew and bittern were seen from Christmas Dell hide, a black-necked grebe was on Denge Marsh, a male red-crested pochard was on New Excavations and one male and two female goosanders were on the ARC pit. Twenty-plus Bewick’s swans roosted on the ARC pit over-night having spent yesterday feeding in a field by Robin Hood Lane, Lydd. Also of note: peregrine, merlin and woodcock.

Highlights this morning included Peregrine and Marsh Harrier in flight over Shore Ridges, 260 Dunlin and 16 Knot feeding along the shore, Kingfisher perched on the sluice at Wader Pool and the Dartford Warbler was once again in bramble scrub near Lime Kiln Cottage and wader Pool.