Frosty Lapwing
With an "easy" Bittern in prospect I got to the Castle Water hide at dawn and despite there being no Bittern there was a lot to see. 300 Lapwing roosting on the ice, some showing frost on the feathers!
Looking closer…
Archive for January 5th, 2010
5th January 2010, Tuesday
5th January 2010, Tuesday
Castle Water freeze up
The northern end of the main pit remains ice free and is therefore attracting good numbers of wildfowl, during the course of the morning birds have been streaming in and passing high overhead. In between the disturbance by the regular hunting Marsh Harriers counts have included 730 Teal, 900 Wigeon, 290 Shoveler, 325 Gadwall, 400 Mallard, 140 Tufted Duck, 2 Smew and 4 Pintail. Two Bitterns also gave good views in flight and walking around the ice free margins at the northern end of the main pit.
5th January 2010, Tuesday
Winter Atlas: TQ71U
A perilous cross-country drive to Sedlescombe through frost hollows with hoary-headed hedgerows and frappuccino junctions.
In the 2-hour survey between there and Whatlington I found 37 species, mostly predictable from my Early Visit in November but with some interesting changes due to the cold weather.
The only truly unexpected thing was a flock of 70 Linnets sitting in a hedge right by the side of the busy A21.
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5th January 2010, Tuesday
Dungeness Wintery Birds
Seventy Bewick’s swans (65 adults and five juveniles) roosted on the ARC pit last night, flying off at 8.20 this morning. Two drake goosanders, two female smew and a bittern were also seen at the ARC site yesterday. There were also sightings of bitterns at Denge Marsh and New Excavations. Two black-necked grebes were on Denge Marsh, a Slavonian grebe was on New Excavations and a female goosander on the New Diggings.