Dungeness RSPB 06/01/2017

A trip down to Dungeness today to see if I can get the 200...birds included Great White Egret, a Water Rail which came out into the open allowing excellent photos to be taken at the Scott hide, a Little Grebe outside Christmas Dell hide, and a fabulous, but sadly female Smew which also showed on Burrowes pit, constantly disappearing. The real highlight, of course, was the male Ring-necked Duck on one of the pits near to the farmhouse. It was mingling with many, many Tufted Ducks, and Coots, and had it not been for help from another friendly birder I might not have ever seen it. As it was, it was only a brief glimpse, as It was constantly on the move, and frequently disappeared from the view of the scope. But I saw it. This is the Water Rail.

Bough Beech Reservoir, 03/01/2017

An attempt to make 200 different bird species this year led me to take a trip out to Bough Beech Reservoir again. And, sure enough, the goods were delivered. I didn't make 200 that day, of course, but several 'good' birds were added to the list. I have to admit here that some debatable bird species were added to the list, including the introduced Mandarin, of which there were at least two pairs. Ducks were plentiful along the shores of the reservoir, and I saw Mallard, Tufted Duck, and also, to my delight, a male Pochard, which I only found by careful scanning of the long line of ducks. At least six Mute Swans were on the bank some way down the reservoir, and there were a few Canada Geese to go with them. Waders were not absent, and I saw a single Green Sandpiper, which flew from the main reservoir side onto the mud (quite wet at this time of year) on the other side of the causeway, although I quickly lost it as it disappeared behind the island.