Ray O’Reilly, trip organiser and leader writes:

“We had glorious weather for our February KOS Field outing to the Dungeness area on Sunday February 20th, that included sunshine, some fantastic light and very little wind. Gloves were not required.............................although wellies would come in handy........... 

Our morning began at the horse paddocks off the Lydd to Dungeness road with six Cattle and two Little Egrets accompanied by two Glossy Ibis.   It was a good start to a day that ended with us seeing a total of 76 species of bird.

 Around the ARC car park- on the left of the Lydd/Dungeness Road, opposite the main entrance to the RSPB reserve - three Greenfinches were showing as was a perky diminutive Goldcrest.  Water levels on the pit are particularly high, and a walk to the Screen Hide gave us an unexpected Woodcock which is always pleasant to see in broad daylight.  A handsome Green Woodpecker was soon added.

 We drove slowly from here to the main RSPB Reserve and from Dennis' Hide we watched fourteen Goldeneye with five drakes displaying to nearby female birds. At least three Chiffchaff were enjoyed, and at the Hayfields, after much searching, we found a single Water Pipit, a Raven and a lone Dunlin.

 From the Dengemarsh Hide we saw White-Fronted and Barnacle Geese together with the usual Greylags and Canadas. Five Black-tailed Godwits were spotted through telescopes, and our count of Great White Egrets rose to four. The haunting sound of a booming Bittern was heard too.

 Our walk back to the visitors centre was a bit soggy and I paid the price for not following my rules of wearing wellies in the winter!

 It was around midday when we went on a successful wild swan chase on Walland Marsh, succeeding in achieving good views of 41 Bewick's, two Whoopers and two Black Swans, before we headed back to Dungeness Bird Observatory for lunch.

 The afternoon saw us at the fishing boats watching Red-throated Divers, Gannets, Guillemots and a Harbour Porpoise. A walk along the shingle gave us 14 Turnstones.

 We finished the day at Camber Gravel Pit where we had a very close encounter with a first winter plumaged drake Scaup whose head was iridescent in the sun's rays.

 Thanks to all our participating members, DBO for their hospitality and Yuti Chernajovsky for the Bewick's Swan image.

Ray O'Reilly - KOS Field Trip Organiser