A mixed bag

The last seven days have certainly brought a mixed bag of fortune. As last Sunday on the patch I had a Pintail on the back pool, which is a patch tick! and more importantly, only the second time Pintail has been recorded at the valley. Wednesday evening the Short-eared Owl was still on site over the farmers field found by Dick on the Sunday and only the second time I've seen one on the patch.

So, Saturday I treated myself a rare day off from working-yes I've been working a few Saturdays lately and went down to Dungeness Kent. With Ring Ouzel and Yellow- brow Warblers dominating around the coast there was a good chance of finding some? (wrong) Never mind, a very enjoyable time anyway around the moat and desert area looking at 1 Chiffchaff and a few Stonechat and a few flocks of Goldfinch over, hmmmm. A look out at sea near the patch and Kittiwakes were moving along as Gannets and noticed a Juv Arctic Skua harassing the Gulls but with the patch in the morning the Sun is always behind the birds so you get a silhouette as the below. On the way home I popped in to the reserve and found the Cattle Egret still in with the cattle near the entrance gate on the right about 300m away.

 Arctic Skua

this is what a Cattle Egret looks like at 300m away, its the white thing in the middle, honest...