KENTISH PUFFIN AT LONG LAST!

The Puffin today was so close to shore although in difficult conditions I managed this dodgy Record Shot. [for Marc]

There are always some birds which you seem to "Dip" time and time again  for no specific reason. Until this year it had always been Little Bunting , hence my ironic icon.Finally I managed to connect eventually with the bird at Sandwich Bay. However, I reckoned a Kent Puffin was equally difficult as you really had to be in the right place at the right time .Today fortunately was the day.I started off at Reculver in the dark with Marc and Matt and Chris Hindle.Chris' prediction that there could be more birders than birds proved almost accurate! In  two hours we recorded: 21,Gannets,2 Tufted Ducks,8 Wigeon,10 Great Skua,13, Teal,11 Common Scoter,12 Kittiwake,16 Little Gull,7,Razorbill.c50 Brent Geese, 2 Knot and 1 Red- Throated Diver.Further along the coast... Little Auks, Grey Phlaropes and Puffins were whizzing past! I made a quick decision to abort Reculver and headed for Grenham Bay in Birchington.I soon was in place with Martyn and Steve and within 20 minutes a Storm Petrel struggled past about 30 metres offshore and then after Steve had left " Holy Grail" arrived in the form of a PUFFIN!Having struggled all year to add to my Kent list I've managed to add two in a week.During the two hours seawatch the following additional birds were added;c30 Kittiwake,c20 Brent Geese,1 Arctic Skua,2 Great Skua,C20 Sanderling.Five hours in the wind and cold were ultimately worth it for two minutes and two small birds.

RED BREASTED GOOSE AT SOUTH SWALE

With news of a Red- Breasted Goose at South Swale NR. breaking earlier in the week I hoped it would hang around until today as I was extremely busy at work. This morning I parked in " The Sportsman" car park and made the long trek to the bird about two miles along the sea wall. It was very overcast but I could make out a gathering of birders in the distance. The journey was accompanied by the "pinging" of Bearded Tits and several Ruff made their presence felt in the adjacent farmland.On arrival the bird was soon located and eventually it came close in to the shingle ridge allowing a few photographs. After an hour I strolled back to the car.Birding again has been slow since my last posting with only the Red -Breasted Flycatcher in Northdown Park a highlight.

GREAT WHITE EGRET AT STODMARSH.

With torrential overnight rain I had hoped that something...anything might turn up in Kent today. Marc had been on a sea-watch at Reculver Early doors and had managed a single Black- Throated Diver for his troubles. Having seen his excellent pictures of a Kingfisher at Stodmarsh earlier in the week I thought I would give it a go and see if I could replicate his efforts!Arriving in glorious sunlight at the Reed Bed Hide I waited patiently for the bird to arrive.Martyn and a few other expectant birders were already in place and during the next couple of hours we had a brief fly past but no posing. A single Marsh Harrier put in  an appearance as did a solitary Green Sandpiper. Fortunately one of the three on site Great White Egrets flew conveniently past close enough for some pictures. Mine were atrocious but Martyn's above was fantastic. A big thanks again for the pic.We returned to Grove in the hope of a few Bearded Tit pictures but very few birds showed. A single Little Egret was on Harrison's ...and not another bird in sight .A few Snipe were disturbed in the field behind Harrison's two Buzzards spiralled high mobbed by Gulls and Crows and a single interesting Wheatear sp. dropped in but could not be relocated. Good to be out and about in the sunshine...but please... please can Kent have a few decent birds soon.