It was another cold day with that biting easterly wind returning to plague us...but...it ended with a little party of Sand Martins feeding over Purfleet Scrape without a care in the world. Given the midge hatch that I saw at RSPB Dungeness yesteday, I suspect that there is food out over the water so good luck to these hardy little birds.
It was another good wader day with a flock of 268 Golden Plover dropping in for a while (and yes I did count them). Nearly all were in pristine summer plumage. Nine Curlew, two Grey Plover, 41 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, a single Avocet, 6 Redshank and a smart black male Ruff kept eyes on the pools while Snipe are still probing everywhere! Both Peregrines and one of the Marsh Harriers were seen and two Wheatear were up on the landfill.
A flock of 22 Fieldfare and six Redwing near the entrance hinted that winter was still lurking nearby and a Red-breasted Merganser was a nice find by Tweedy. I reckon that it is probably an immature male.
(Tom Bell)
(Brenda Clayton)
9-4-13