Sheppey and Dungeness
This wasn't a pleasant day to be out searching for wildlife. It was blowing a gale, which made an early morning start across to Sheppey a little frustrating.
Standing by the raptor watchpoint at Capel Fleet was manageable for perhaps a couple minutes before the relentless wind rendered me insane prompting a hurried retreat back to the comfort of the car. The best way to view was from the car, driving slowly up and down Harty Road. Raptors seemed to be in short supply, only a few Marsh Harrier were brave enough to battle the elements.
A single Brambling was seen associating with a flock of Chaffinch, and a group of White-fronted Goose were feeding across the fleet.
Not to be defeated, I then headed down to Dungeness which proved to be a little more fruitful. The site produced a redhead Smew seen on Arc Pit along with a single Great Egret, a drake Smew on Burrowes Pit, five Goosander (including one drake) with the most bizarre sighting of a female Ruddy Duck (the first I had seen in a few years), and flocks of Tree Sparrow by Boulderwell Farm.
The wind was ferocious down on the beach of the NNR that made the search for Gulls a bit too adventurous.
Standing by the raptor watchpoint at Capel Fleet was manageable for perhaps a couple minutes before the relentless wind rendered me insane prompting a hurried retreat back to the comfort of the car. The best way to view was from the car, driving slowly up and down Harty Road. Raptors seemed to be in short supply, only a few Marsh Harrier were brave enough to battle the elements.
A single Brambling was seen associating with a flock of Chaffinch, and a group of White-fronted Goose were feeding across the fleet.
Not to be defeated, I then headed down to Dungeness which proved to be a little more fruitful. The site produced a redhead Smew seen on Arc Pit along with a single Great Egret, a drake Smew on Burrowes Pit, five Goosander (including one drake) with the most bizarre sighting of a female Ruddy Duck (the first I had seen in a few years), and flocks of Tree Sparrow by Boulderwell Farm.
The wind was ferocious down on the beach of the NNR that made the search for Gulls a bit too adventurous.
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