Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

November's incredibly warm, dry, settled weather continues and I decided to spend the day at Dungeness in the absence of any particularly good reason to go anywhere else. I drove slowly across Romney Marsh and started near Hythe where a Rough-legged Buzzard has been present for several weeks. I was hoping to get some photos but I was rather unsuccessful as the bird decided to spend much time sitting out of view and then flew out onto the ranges to hunt where a live-fire exercise was in progress and I quite expected to find the police turning up to question me any minute so I quickly left the area.

I eventually had some fair looks at the Rough-leg, a Merlin and several Common Buzzard's.

I drove to Dungeness along the coast road picking up some lunch which I took out to Denge Marsh. I bumped into Marcus Lawson and we chatted and were watching the Marsh harrier's when the Glossy Ibis flew across Hookers towards the viewing mound. We also had Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Raven and a few Corn Bunting. I left him heading to the gully whilst I drove down to Galloways and then over to the ARC. I walked out to the Hanson Hide and saw 2 redhead Smew, a Long-tailed Duck and was searching through the duck when Marcus phoned to say Andy Appleton had found a Blackpoll Warbler near his house in Tunbridge Wells ! It was 3.15 and with sunset just after 4.00 I decided against dashing off and instead carried on birding. Three Berwick's Swans flew in to roost on ARC - 2 adults and a juv.

I finished the day wandering across Walland Marsh, connecting with a few winter thrushes before walking out to the reedbed by the Woolpack Inn. Nine Marsh Harrier's went to roost and at nearly 4.30 a male Hen Harrier appeared, circled round a few times and dropped in at the back. A neat finish.