JANUARY- ANOTHER YEAR BEGINS.

New Years Day fell on a Tuesday so I didn`t do my normal new year wander along the River Dour,but spent it at the Hoe counting sheep and cows.
Next morning was nice and bright so starting at Bushy Ruff and ending in the Wellington Dock I followed the Dour through Dover.A Tufted Duck,a pair of Wigeon and plenty of Little Grebes in Bushy Ruff,Nuthatch,Coal Tit and Goldcrest in the Abbey were the highlights no sign of Kingfisher though.

 Colour ringed STONECHAT-Green/White

GREY HERON on the fountain in Kearsney Abbey.

 LITTLE EGRET

LITTLE EGRET
In the past I have seen a dozen Grey Wagtails on this walk,this year just the one spotted in Pencester Gardens while waiting for the bus home.

 GREY WAGTAIL

 GREY WAGTAIL

GREY WAGTAIL

 CURLEW departing Rest Harrow scrape.

 SEARCHER the Border Force Cutter arriving at Ramsgate.

 LINNET

 LITTLE OWL at Pigswell Lydd

 BARNACLE GOOSE FLY BY.

 BARNACLE GOOSE SCOTNEY

 A WINTERING WHIMBREL AT OARE.

 WHIMBREL in flight.


As I left Hampton Pier I saw what I thought must be a Snow Bunting fly into the kiddies playground,as it was occupied I didn't investigate further, but luckily as I reached my car it flew out onto the path and as is often the case with single birds it was quite confiding.

 MALE SNOW BUNTING

 PURPLE SANDPIPER at Hampton Pier Herne Bay

 PURPLE SANDPIPER

 Three CATTLE EGRETS remain in the horse paddock near Boulderwall Farm

 CATTLE EGRET

 CATTLE EGRET

 AN EARLY MORNING SUN DOG AT SAMPHIRE HOE

 HMS MERSEY

Air support provided by a possible GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

 HMS MERSEY

 PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR TWITE

 DID YOU DO THAT?

 TWITE AT RYE HARBOUR

 TWITE Uncommon winter visitors these days.

 TWITE

 TWIN TWITE TWITTERING

TWITE

 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER in failing light off Sandgate-remember that profile.

 GND at max ISO

 GND

GND.
A walk in the woods at Bossenden and Blean gave me Nuthatch and Redpoll respectively to add to my year list,if of course I kept one. The most notable thing especially at Bossenden was the number of Grey Squirrels,they must surely be having a detrimental affect on our woodland breeding birds.

 NUTHATCH

NUTHATCH
And now some extremely dodgy record shots of Redpolls feeding in the top of a silver birch in Blean woods.Ive not got to grips with Mealy and Lesser so Collins  Common is good enough for me.

 COMMON REDPOLL