Some early 2024 Birding Highlights .........

                                                        1st January 2024 

                      Dungeness Seawatch  &  Rspb Reserve

2 Great Northern Divers.

I started 2024 with a visit to the Dungeness area , i started of by the fishing boats and was lucky enough to see 2 Ad & 1 1st w Caspian Gull, plus large numbers of both Razorbill & Guillemot with good numbers of Red throated Divers, Gannets & Kittiwakes all being seen.

From the fishing boats i headed to Dungeness Rspb reserve and saw a superb Great white Egret along the entrance track.

From the Dennis Hide i eventually managed to find the Black throated Diver which appears to be spending the winter there , i also saw 2 Great Northern Divers from the benches outside of the hide.

Black Throated Diver.

I finished my day at Oare Marshes where i was lucky enough to see Barn Owl, Spoonbill & a Bittern.

So all in all a great start to 2024 !!

3rd January 2024 

Oare Marshes

Whooper Swan.

I received a txt message from MW (Thanks Murray) informing me there was an adult Whooper Swan on the East Flood , i didn't have much spare time this morning so headed straight there and had some great views !!

Mute & Whooper Swan.

I have only seen one Whooper Swan here before and that was a very, very distant bird on the Swale so i was very happy to this bird so close.

4th January 2024

Ebbsfleet nr Stonelees

Long Tailed Duck.

I popped down to Ebbsfleet to have a look at the Long tailed Duck that seems to be very loyal to the stream behind the sewage works and i wasn't disappointed, remarkably very close at times, often diving & preening and not bothered by it's steady stream of admirers.

Having a preen.

Long tailed Duck.

7th January

Oare Marshes

Another flying visit to Oare Marshes thanks to another txt message from MW (thanks Murray) informing me of a close in Black Throated Diver off the slipway, this would be a new bird for my OMBL so i headed there without haste.

By the time i got there it had drifted / swam to the other side of the Swale where i thankfully picked it out , phew !!!!

I phoned Murray to thank him and he informed me there was a 1st winter Little Gull lingering by the buoys.

I quickly joined MW by the sea watch hide and soon connected with the Little Gull, we also saw a further 2 Ad Little Gulls in superb plumage.

9th January 2024

Heybridge & Abberton Reservoir in  Essex

Northern Waterthrush

My first trip out of Kent this year was to see the Northern Waterthrush at Heybridge in Essex, after a few problems on the M25 we eventually arrived on site at about 7.45am.

There were already 50+ birders there and the Northern Waterthrush was pretty much seen straight away thankfully, it was feeding well near the sluice and could often be heard calling.

Photos were pretty tricky in the gloom but i managed a few although all are  very grainy,  you can at least see what it is............

Northern Waterthrush

This was a new bird for RR and a very welcome year tick for me. We spent an hour here enjoying this bird before we headed of to Abberton in the hope of some winter ducks !

Once at Abberton we had some superb views of male Goosander plus 2 female Scaup were seen  but a bit more distantly, there were several Goldeneye and we also were very lucky to see 2 'Redhead' Smew from one of the hides.

Goosander.

11th January 2024

Western Undercliff  Pegwell Bay 

Twite.

It's been a number of years since i have seen Twite in Kent and 2 birds were found by Scott .H. last year at the Western Undercliff (Great find Scott).

Thankfully these delightful birds seem to be wintering and i finally managed to catch up with them.

Twite.