December

Not a lot going on for me this month but here are some of the 'highlights'.

2nd Dec.

A trip to Dungeness on a day when Cook's pool was frozen and the ring-necked duck was nowhere to be seen. However, at the RSPB, 3 female smew, a couple of goldeneye and all the usual duck then a drive over to see the long staying black-throated diver.

3rd
Hampton pier finding a rock pipit on the beach in front of the car park.

4th
Seasalter; Met Geoff and took a walk around the plots, pretty quiet, a green woodpecker, marsh harrier and on the mudflats a large flock of c.1000 knot.
Moved onto Hampton later meeting Flickr 'contact' Sandra Standbridge from Herts., Saw the 2 purple sandpipers plus a Med gull on the beach.

pm. I drove over to Oare for a quick look, nothing so came back to SS seeing 2 barn owls, 1 SEO and 3 marsh harriers.

6th
Just went out for a walk with my little camera and walked out onto the Whitstable 'Street' taking a few photos looking back.

10th
A walk at Seasalter produced very little except two bottles of  'Whitstable Bay' oddly left on the seawall by the YC. With the tide out and the Whitstable view before me, the two bottles made an ideal subject.

11th

A pm visit to the 'rise' seeing 4 SEOs in the air and earlier in the morning, 1 red admiral and c.2500 knot.

12th
Called in at Marshside to find the cattle egret right up on the hill so no chance of a photo then back to Hampton seeing the Med gull and one purple sandpiper.

13th
Another trip to Hampton (maybe the new SS) getting more photos, good to see a little egret quite close there.

14th
A very quiet visit to Stodmarsh, just a couple of marsh harriers, hardly any birds. Saw the cattle egret again on the way home, still out of range though.
pm. Saw the 4 SEOs again at Seasalter.

16th
A change of scenery, I went to Minnis Bay and walked back towards Reculver. I got close to c.60 sanderling on the beach, a couple of them having a fight!

On the way home I called into Hampton again getting another shot of the Med gull and saw the two purple sandpipers.

20th
A sunset picture towards Graveney, enhanced a bit!

22nd
A frosty morning and mist rising up from the marsh, looked good for some photos.

Later, I went to the Whitstable harbour for some reflection photos as it was a beautiful calm day.

23rd
I needed a walk as a few extra pounds have been noted on the scales lately and exercise has been my main goal when I go out recently!  I parked by the SS YC and walked to Castle Coote, about 3 1/2 miles according to my 'app'. The large flock of c.1000 brents was still present plus 2 pairs of stonechats and a group of 18 skylarks feeding on the beach taking flight ocassionally was good to see.