Hoopoe No show

First stop this morning was at Hythe, hoping yesterdays Hoopoe had stayed overnight.

Unfortunately during our 2 hour stay the bird failed to show. A year tick came in the form of a Common Whitethroat and a single Red-legged partridge was watched as it walked and fed along the grass bank and fence that the Hoopoe was favouring yesterday. The only other bird of note seen here was a Grey Plover.

Dungeness was the next port of call, but this also failed to turn up many migrants. In a bitingly cold North  wind we walked the moat, trapping area and were rewarded with Chiffchaffs and a pair of Raven. A search from the obs to the lighthouse wasn't much better, with the best being several Wheatears.

A drive along the entrance track added Tree Sparrows and another year tick came in the form of five Whimbrel. 

Whimbrel

 News came through of five Bee-eaters in Dover! Although we were already on route to the site the birds decided not to hang around so we re-located to Elmley and took a drive along the entrance track.

Redshank, Little Egret, Skylark Buzzard and Marsh harrier were seen along with a couple of Yellow Wagtails. 

Skylark

A brief stop at the car park allowed some Goldfinch shots.

A day that could have delivered Hoopoe and Bee-eater but that never really got started.

There's always tomorrow!