Dungeness Cattle Egrets and Capel Fleet Raptors.

We decided to start the day with a sea-watch at Dungeness. Arriving at first light, we headed for the fishing boats. Large numbers of Guillemots were resting on the sea and instead of long-range dots flying rapidly past at distance these were all relatively close to the shoreline. Several Razorbills were also seen at close range. Gannets and Cormorants had located a shoal of fish and were busily gorging themselves. Small groups of Red-throated Divers were seen flying through at mid-range and one individual dropped onto the sea close to a sea fisherman along the shoreline.

The local birders arrived armed with bread, but even that wasn't enough to tempt a Caspian Gull to join the feeding parties of Gulls. Two Skylarks flew up from the short grass near the pylons and three Stock Doves added to the year ticks.

Sea-watch from the fishing boats at first light

We moved on in search of Black Redstarts and managed to locate one on the concrete wall of the power Station behind the sea-watching hide.

A single Great White Egret was seen among the reeds on Arc Pit and several Tree Sparrows were seen around the entrance to the reserve. 

Heading towards Galloways, we located four Cattle Egrets feeding together in a sheep field further along the road.

One of the four Cattle Egrets

At Galloways we found several Stonechats among the Gorse but more of a surprise was the sighting of a Dartford warbler.

On the journey home, we visited Capel Fleet and found a large flock of Fieldfare feeding in the stubble fields and a single Redwing perched in a roadside tree.

At the viewpoint, a female Merlin was resting on a small mound of mud in the middle of a field. Marsh Harriers were gathering before going to roost and a single ringtail Hen Harrier was seen. A Barn Owl was hunting the distant fields allowing good scope views. Flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwings circled the fields, the reason for the panic became apparent when a Peregrine was found perched on a fence post close by.

As we headed back along Harty Ferry Road a Short-eared Owl appeared and began hunting the field bordering the roadside. 

A fantastic ending  to a great days birding!