Almost a wader fest

On the RSPB reserve during the evening and a great couple of hours watching a selection of waders in front of the Firth lookout. It is so easy to flush the birds feeding and resting in front of the lookout, real shame the hide couldn't be replaced but i've got used to the lookout now, taken a while.

Greenshank

Snipe

Little Stint

Snipe and Greenshank

Green Sandpiper

Wood Sand and Pied Fly

Finally a close Wood Sand at ARC this morning although trying to get photos was made difficult due to the height of the reeds in front of Hanson hide.

At midday, Owen made a quick 10 minute check at the top of the Long Pits and found three Pied Flycatchers and later Martin found a fourth. By the time I could get there I could only find one but it was a showy individual.

I called in to ARC on the way home after the RSPB had cut the reeds in front of Hanson and whilst the islands were still relatively bird free resulting from the disturbance there was a flock of three Green Sandpipers and two Wood Sandpipers which you could easily see now the view from the hide was less obscured.

Dungeness - July

 So far behind in processing my photos. Selection of July highlights. 

Curlew Sandpiper

Female Red-crested Pochard

Lesser Emperor

Bittern

Green Sandpiper

Black Tern

Eclipse Drake Garganey

Eclipse Duck Garganey

Likely radio-active material from on-going power station de-commissioning. Maybe on its way to Sellafield?

Bar-headed Goose - this was a five goose species morning from Hanson - far too many in my opinion

Male Ruff

Sandwich Tern family

Hobby

Little-ringed Plover

In Lightroom there is a feature called 'assisted culling'. I haven't used it on this photo but i'd like to on these Canada Geese stomping all through the Common Tern colony!

Six of the 11 Wigeon that appeared on Burrowes on 14th July

Common Tern

I reckon this female Marsh Harrier must be a mature lady given the large pale areas on her forewings

A flock of 21 White Storks drifted over the RSPB reserve on the 31st.