Spring is officially here! Today we have had reported sightings of our first swallow, house martin and wheatear of the year! Just in time for Easter – fantastic!
Bitterns have also been heard clearing their throats and practicing small booms, they have been heard early in the morning over the past couple of days.
Image: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
If you want to try to see and hear these strangely beautiful birds then come and join us on a Bittern Breakfast event! It starts at 7am and finishes around 10am. A cooked breakfast will be provided half way, which we can enjoy outside under the breathtaking sky whilst taking in the views across the reserve. This is also a perfect spot on the reserve to see a bittern, so fingers crossed! Check the events page on our website for more details or give us a call on 01797 320588.
Another fantastic sighting today includes a spoonbill!
Image: Mark Langman (rspb-images.com)
The spoonbill is a passage bird and only usually stops in the UK for a breather during its migration, however the UK is known to have 4 breeding pairs here and approximately 20 birds are seen passing through, so it is a rare sight indeed! Today, the spoonbill was seen in two different locations, near Boulderwall farmhouse at the reserve entrance and further down by the entrance to the bridle way track. If you are coming down to try and have a look at it, please remember to park in the carpark and not on the track!
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Other sightings today include: a male and female smew on the New Excavations, 2 black necked grebes on New Diggings, Great white egret seen by Hookers pit and a bittern seen by Denge Marsh.
A peregrine flew over Denge Marsh this afternoon, a water rail was seen at ARC and 2 snipe flew over the visitor centre.
The sand martin was spotted flying over Burrowes pit and the swallow, a wheatear and a black redstart were all seen at Denge Marsh.
A lovely little stoat was also seen on the viewing ramp today too!
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Other highlights this week:
Brent, barnacle and Egyptian geese.
Garganey, goldeneye and a slavonian grebe.
Sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, hen harrier and buzzard.
Oystercatcher, dunlin, jack snipe, ruff, avocet, redshank.
Caspian gull and Mediterranean gull.
Great spotted woodpecker, stonechat, rock pipit, brambling, firecrest, bearded tit, tree sparrow, raven and hare.
Bring the children along this weekend to join in on our Dungeness Easter Egg Hunt! Drop in anytime between 10am and 4pm. It’s £1 to take part.
Have a great Easter, see you soon!