ON GOLDEN POND

The last day of January was a good one weatherwise and I spent the afternoon at Reculver and Oare.
There were lots of brent geese at both sites and at the former a flock of 75 golden plover were performing an aerial display over the arable fields.The trio of shore larks were found near Coldharbour but were very flighty.

BRENT GEESE AT RECULVER

At Oare the light was superb good numbers of teal,shoveller,wigeon and pintail mingled with lapwing, golden and grey plovers,snipe black tailed godwit and at least 5 ruff ,which I think are very early arrivals,on the east flood.

TEAL

LAPWING

On the seaward side of the of the wall the tide was way out providing ample space for redshank,dunlin,curlew and avocet to feed on the muddy foreshore.
More brent geese and shelduck were on the Swale.

As the sun lowered in the west a barn owl appeared and began quartering the fringes of the east flood giving good close views on several occasions.

BARN OWL AT OARE

The sun was setting now and several pairs of mute swans were starting to perform courtship rituals on the water and a shoveller was silhouetted on the golden west flood.

MUTE SWANS COURTSHIP DISPLAY

SHOVELLER ON GOLDEN POND