The Lyons Share

So it's just outside of Sussex but who cares? Went to Dungeness today, no sign of the Red-flanked Bluetail but we did get some great views of a Great White Egret. It always amazes me how long and thin their necks are, so much thinner (relatively) than Grey Herons and Little Egrets. This is my third UK GWE. Plenty of Marsh Harriers too but we didn't see much else on the RSPB reserve other than a very late Swallow over the car park as we were leaving.

Down the Patch there was a Sandwich Tern and a Med. Gull but the sea was dominated by Gannets and Kittiwakes and little else. A few Chaffinches were coming in off the sea and there was quite a movement of auks out distant. A single diver sp. flew west but that was about it. As we were leaving Lydd we saw a Barn Owl (Jo's first owl) and we soon saw another owl sp. fly over the road just east of Middle Farm. Twenty seven years without seeing an owl and she sees two in an hour.

Jo also informed me today that her old landlord was into birdwatching, did I know him? His name was John Gooders! I only grew up reading his books, sad to find out he passed away last May though.