TWO GO TRAVELLING IN KENT

In the words of "Hannibal" Smith "I love it when a plan comes together".  Yesterday, was one of those days in 'Birding' when everything goes right.  I picked Marc up at just after 10.00 am. and we made our way to one of Kent's birding hot spots 'Tescos' car park in Whitstable.  On site already was 'Robin' in the shape of Mike Gould but unfortunately his partner must have still been in the 'Bat cave'  searching through several thousand images of Waxwings.  After 20 minutes wait, the flock of 24 WAXWINGS alighted in the trees in the car park and Marc hiding in the trolley park area managed a few pictures.

We made our way to Dungeness to hopefully see the GLAUCOUS GULL which had managed to elude Mark Chidwick on previous visits.  However after arriving in the lay-by next to the fishing boats we immediately sighted the bird loafing around on a shingle ridge in the company of a few Herring Gulls and dwarfing the two Black-Headed Gulls standing sentry each side of it.  After 15 minutes the biting wind got the better of us and we moved on.

A smooth ride onto Dymchurch for Marc to see the Northern Long-Tailed Tits was our next port of call.  Within 30 seconds the mixed flock of Long-Tailed Tits were visible in the trees in the churchyard and the next 45 minutes tested Marc's skills to the limit as they moved at pace from branch to branch and tree to tree.  However, we managed to see 5 birds interspersed with approximately 6 'ordinary' Long-Tailed Tits.

Our final port of call was the Denge Wood in Canterbury to hopefully see the wintering HAWFINCH.  This would be a new Kent bird for me as I had been too lazy to venture to Bedgebury.  With the weather closing in and drizzle beginning to fall, the first bird was soon picked out sitting happily on top of a distant conifer and soon six other birds flew in to roost and we left very happy just before 3.00 p.m.  Marc managed to get his passport stamped and I dropped him off home for his tea, 'Primeval' and an early night after so much excitement for one day.