DOVER DIVERS

After a brief sighting of a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER on Sunday afternoon I returned to the harbour at sun up to see if it had stayed overnight,my luck was in and the bird was very close to the shore and stayed around all morning seemingly doing a circuit of the outer harbour then returning to the pier.It was seen catching small crabs and a couple of small dabs,it was also seen snorkelling in the clear water.They are Arctic birds with about 300 pairs breeding in Iceland and are quite rare here in the south east of England with just a few turning up each winter.

AN EARLY START

When I got to the pier the Diver was close in lying very low in the water.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

CATCHING CRABS

I took over 350 photos in the session and with Steves Ray Reaynart and Ashton,Tony Morris and Colin Fisher all clicking awayit must be the most photographed diver of the winter so far.

MORE CRAB FOR BREAKFAST.

SNORKELLING

SNORKELLING

A DAB FOR LUNCH Later in the morning a RED THROATED DIVER showed up briefly following its larger cousin along the shoreline.

RED THROATED DIVER these are smaller and more common  around the coast of Kent.
Near the lifeboat station a single GUILLEMOT was loafing around the various craft in the marina it never came close but here is what he looked like.

GUILLEMOT
In the Wellington dock which is tidal at present while the lock gates are being repaired three cormorants were feeding on small fish.

EMERALD EYES OF THE CORMORANT

All morning we were under what in my opinion is the finest castle in Britain if not the world and I could not resist taking its portrait once more.

CASTLE DUBRIS

ROMAN PHAROS AND THE GARRISON CHURCH