New years day was a tad damp so my annual walk along the Dour was a lot shorter and confined to the Kearsney Abbey area,I still managed 32 species including grey wagtail,little egret,tufted duck,goldcrest,grey heron,kingfisher,treecreeper and great spotted woodpecker.
The weather has been somewhat variable and I have had a run round the usual new year places Dungeness,Sandwich,Reculver,Oare, plus a trip to Strood and another look at Milton Creek.
MEDITERRANEAN GULL East Cliff Folkestone.
CIRRUS CLOUD ROMNEY MARSH
AN ETHEREAL ALBINO RAVEN.
LONG EARED OWL Dungeness
BEWICKS SWANS ARC PIT DUNGENESS
GREAT WHITE EGRET DUNGENESS
MATZ MAERSK AT THE VARNE.
MISTLE THRUSH DOVER RUGBY CLUB.
DUZGIT HARMONY About to refuel the Spirit of Britain.
HERRING GULL H563
RED NECKED GREBE CAMBER
PINTAILS TAKE FLIGHT AT A FROZEN OARE MARSH.
PEREGRINE FALCON ON THE CLIFFS
CURLEWS AT RESTHARROW SCRAPE
LITTLE EGRET RESTHARROW SCRAPE
STARLING MURMURATION FOLKESTONE TOWN CENTRE
2110 BIRDS IN THIS FLOCK
PURPLE SANDPIPER HYTHE
SUNSET AT HYTHE
12 WAXWINGS AT STROOD
Sadly one died when it flew into an uncurtained stairwell window,
WAXWINGS IN FLIGHT.
After Strood I went for the Long Tailed Ducks at Sittingbourne,the tide was high but no sign of the ducks, as I reached the mouth of the creek they came flying towards me out of the Swale.I followed them up the creek watching their synchronised diving routines.
THE MILTON CREEK FOUR FLYING IN FROM THE SWALE.
WADER ROOST MILTON CREEK- Redshank,Black Tailed Godwit,Curlew,Grey Plover,Wigeon and Teal.
They swam up the creek to what seemed like a pre determined point where they surfaced did an about turn and made their way back.
AVOCETS AT OARE CREEK
A MUDDY DUNLIN
EMIRATES A380 I shall be on one of these on Saturday en route to India via Dubai.
Back in February.TTFN
