Isabelline Wheatear.............2nd Record for Kent!

Isabelline Wheatear with Lydd Church in the background.

News of a Isabelline Wheatear being found by one of the locals walking his dog (great find Paul.T.) on the 3rd November at Dengemarsh Gully Dungeness raised my pulse rate .

This incredible find would only be the 2nd ever record for Kent & of course a 1st record for the Dungeness area.

I was lucky enough to see the 1st record for Kent back in 1996 at West Hougham near Dover (where does the time go !!).

I couldn't get to Dungeness until 9th November and thankfully the Isabelline Wheatear had done the decent thing and stuck around, we arrived at 7.30am very little wind but quite cold weather greeted us, no other birders on site and after a scan of the area with scopes we couldn't pick out the Isabelline Wheatear.

As time went on other birders appeared including Chiddy, EA , RB and local birder JY.

They all went off to search further afield , i stayed put in case it appeared in it's usual areas, eventually AE relocated it at approx;  9.40am halfway between the road and Switch house .

From that point on it showed very well on gorse bushes , posts and mostly by the large pillars.

Here are a few photos taken by AE :

Isabelline Wheatear.

We watched the Isabelline Wheatear for a good hour enjoying some great views of this superb bird.

We then headed off to look for the Ring-necked Duck (found by NB & JB the previous week, great find).

After eventually finding the layby (thanks for info NB) we located the Ring-necked Duck & Greater Scaup far easier !!!

1st winter ♂ Ring-necked Duck