2020 VISION FEBRUARY- 20.02.20

The month started with a trip to Norfolk with Martin and Les Collins to see the Eastern Yellow Wagtail which showed quite well on its favourite dung pile at Sedgeford, then to Holme where we had brief views of the Twite flock.RSPB Twitchwell was next where we were lucky enough to see the roosting Woodcock and various other distant waders and ducks.The final call was at Holcombe Beach where the Snow Bunting flock was seen in the dunes,but the Shore Larks were in hiding.The weather was typical of this winter ie wet and windy.

 ALASKAN EASTERN BLUE HEADED YELLOW WAGTAIL

 WHAT A MONICA..

 NOT A PATCH ON OUR OWN YELLOW WAGTAIL.

 CURLEW AT HOLME

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 WOODCOCK AT TITCHWELL

BEST VIEWS OF WOODCOCK I`VE HAD.
That trip was in fact on the 31st of January but it was nearly February,
Right here is what has been seen so far this month...…………

 GREAT TIT

 CORMORANT Male in breeding plumage.

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 MEDITERRANEAN GULL 2nd winter Dover Harbour.

 MED GULL Adult winter plumage Dover Harbour

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 FIELDFARE SAMPHIRE HOE a single bird not at all common there.

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 GUNHILDE MAERSK picking up a pilot at Dover.

 SHORT EARED OWL Pegwell Bay

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 GREY PARTRIDGE -ANCIENT HIGHWAY

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 RED KITE `WORTH MARSHES

RED KITE WORTH MARSHES

 CATTLE EGRET one of two birds that have spent the winter with the rams on Worth.Perhaps they are really Sheep Egrets.

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 TUFTED DUCK IN THE SHOWER AT DUNGENESS.

 10 BLACK TAILED GODWITS FOUND THIS SHALLOW SHINGLE TO REST ON.

 RED HEAD SMEW WITH FEMALE GADWALL AT HOOKERS PIT

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 A TUFTED DUCK LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

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 FEMALE GOLDENEYE COMING IN TO LAND ARC PIT.

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 MALE GOLDENEYE

 DISPLAYING HIS WARES TO HER

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 ONCE MORE SHOWING OFF

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 A FIRST WINTER RING OUZEL HAS SPENT ITS WINTER AT SAMPHIRE HOE

 BUT HAS BEEN ELUSIVE,MY FIRST SIGHTING OF IT SINCE DECEMBER.

 ANOTHER COLOUR RINGED STONECHAT -FEMALE WHITE/ORANGE.

2020 VISION JANUARY

After a well earned break from blogging its time to catch up with the new years sightings,I`ve been to the usual hotspots the following is a synopsis of some of the things that have been seen.

 WATER PIPIT RESTHARROW SCRAPE.

 GUILLEMOT DOVER HARBOUR.

 GOLDEN PLOVER REST HARROW SCRAPE

 SHOVELLER RHS

 WATER PIPIT

 WATER PIPIT

 WATER PIPIT

KINGFISHER DOVER HARBOUR.

 HERRING GULL with red ring V2GT

 SHAG near Lifeboat Station Dover.

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 Another SHAG in the marina.

 GANNET off SAMPHIRE HOE

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 BEWICKS SWAN - ARC PIT

 BEWICKS SWAN

 PURPLE SANDPIPER Hampton Pier

 The purple plumage is showing well in the top bird.

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 THE FULL" WOLF" MOON

SHOWING PARTIAL ECLIPSE.

 LAPLAND BUNTING - RECULVER

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 REDSHANK

 REDSHANK

 TURNSTONES /REDSHANKS

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 REDSHANK

 SANDERLING

SANDERLING.

 GREY PARTRIDGE along the Ancient Highway.

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 SUN UP AT SAMPHIRE HOE

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 NUTHATCH - Bossenden Wood.

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 -Another Samphire sunrise.
23rd January my birthday treat was a trip to the zoo- Whipsnade zoo to be precise to see the long staying BLACK THROATED THRUSH,it didn't disappoint giving good views.It was a Grade A grey day and ISO was subsequently quite high so the images are a bit soft but hey ho....

 It would feed for a bit on berries

 then sit in another bush for a while to digest them

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 then go back for more

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 it also fed on the ground occasionally

 but soon went back to the berries.

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 An altogether nice looking thrush and well worth the effort.

 While there it would`ve been rude not to visit the Owl enclosure.SNOWY OWL

 GREAT GREY OWL

 GREAT GREY OWL

 URAL OWL

GREAT GREY OWL

 SANDERLING RINGED PLOVER AND DUNLIN Roosting peacefully at high water

 until a dog jumped down onto the beach.

 and sent them flying.

 BRENT GEESE

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 LITTLE EGRETS CAN`T READ.

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 PINTAIL AT OARE

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 -A MARSH HARRIER FLAPPED IN FROM THE SWALE and sent the AVOCET FLOCK INTO ORBIT

 -AVOCETS + 2 LAPWING

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 2 BLACK TAIL GODWITS JOIN THE FLY PAST

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 HARTY CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND

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 -This aerial ballet was followed by SWAN LAKE

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AND ITS GOODNIGHT TO JANUARY 2020.