STORMS AND SPARROWS

I have had a couple of requests from squeamish readers to remove the wood pigeon from the blog hopefully the demotion to no.2 will satisfy them.Tuesdays gale meant the sea wall was closed at Samphire Hoe because the weight of water coming ashore was spectacular to say the least

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After Tuesdays gale and Thursdays deluge(37mm) a trip to Dungeness was on the cards on Friday,a rare calm day at this mid channel point.Although there were plenty of wildfowl on show and a nice bittern flew in front of the Hanson hide not a lot troubled the cameras as they kept a safe distance from the hides.

SYNCHRONISED DABBLING GADWALL

DRAKE GADWALL

All of the common ducks were on view and several goldeneye have arrived since my last visit,the female long tailed duck is still on the ARC pit and the long staying drake goosander was also seen.
Whenever I see a tree sparrow I always think of the old joke when Paddy  sees a sign saying  tree fellers wanted,pity there`s only two of us says Mick,alright please yourself.Anyway there is a healthy increase in the numbers of tree sparrows at Boulderwall Farm at the entrance to the reserve,now nearing thirty individuals evidently.

TREE SPARROW AT BOULDERWALL FARM.
After this I went on a wild swan chase across Walland Marsh finding only mute swans,but near the wind farm another small flock of tree sparrows was found in a mixed group of finches and reed buntings.

TREE SPARROW AT HOOK WALL

GREAT TIT came to have a look at the car.
At Scotney on the border between Kent and Sussex the wild goose chase ended with a flock of about 100 Barnacle geese whether they are truly wild is debatable but nevertheless they are handsome birds.

BARNACLE GEESE