Wednesday 27 December 2017

Seasalter Goosanders and The Ramsgate Iceland Gull and Snow Buntings

2nd December

I made a visit to Hampton hoping to see the purple sandpipers but I only saw a rock pipit and a pied wagtail.




I then went back to SS finding two female goosanders close inshore, just off the old 'island'


I stayed as the tide came in trying to photograph the dunlin and grey plovers.




3rd December

I hadn't yet been to see the Iceland gull so to go somewhere different would be nice. I parked by the seafront after going through the tunnel and it was just a short walk across to the docks. An initial  search proved fruitless so I walked out onto the east harbour arm where I found a rock pipit feeding on the wall then later bumped into Rob Stokes who was on the same quest.  We split up, I continued to walk to the end of the arm where I came across the three snow buntings and managed to get a shot before someone thought it would be good to walk between me and the birds. Of course they flew off back to the western arm!
On my way back, Rob was still on the arm and he finally picked up the Iceland gull in flight amongst some herring gulls after which we had good views where it came quite close for photos.




No comments: