The Quiet Period

I 've not been out too much over the last few weeks, its either to windy, raining, too busy or got out of the habit!  However, a few notes on the days I have been out.

21st. Jan.   A trip to Ramsgate to see the great northern diver then a rainy trip to Dungeness on the 22nd, too wet to get out of the car - waste of time that was!

Rock Pipit and G.N. Diver at Ramsgate Harbour

23rd.  Another trip to Ramsgate harbour, the diver performing well in the sunlight and on the way back home I stopped at Hampton clocking the two purple sandpipers.

Great Northern Diver at Ramsgate 

Purple Sandpiper at Hampton

24th.  A dull quiet morning at SS the only excitement being another great northern diver swimming just off the Ski Club.

25th. A walk up to C.Coote  the only thing of note being a red admiral basking in the sun.

3rd Feb.  A bit of a break from going out due to the weather etc. but I ventured out to SS but to didn't find much, just coming back with a head cold (still with me today 13th).

6th.  A short walk over the plots revealed a dozen snipe, the most I have seen this winter. Also similar numbers of mipits plus a marsh harrier. Later I went to Hampton finding the two purple sandpipers plus a Med. gull.

7th.  A bright morning but still windy so I went over to Bossenden Wood finding the usual selection of tits, treecreepers and nuthatches.

10th.  A drive out with the other half pausing to see the Med. gull at Hampton and late pm I saw a shag just off the harbour arm at Herne Bay. Only had the point and shoot with me which only went 50mm or 1x, so a heavy crop to get some sort of record shot.

Shag. A massive crop as taken with a 50mm lens on my Sony

11th.  A visit to SS on a beautiful frosty morning, sun and no wind, how strange. I didn't see anything unusual but 6 red-breasted mergansers were nice to find.  Out on the plots a dozen reed buntings, 6 long tailed tits, 2 stonechats, 1 snipe, 2 cetti's etc..  On the mudflats, c.150 knot, 60 brents plus representatives of the other wader species but no godwits for me. A decent morning finishing up with 48 species.

12th. Looked after the twins this morning but went to Grove pm finding a SEO and a barn owl around the paddock.