For two Sundays running I have led a Kent Ornithological Outdoor Meeting and a big thank you to all who have attended.

On the 29th September we visited the Dungeness area once again and yesterday we visited Reculver, Margate Cemetery and Pegwell Bay.

Highlights from Dungeness included fine views of Balearic Shearwater, Little Gull and Arctic Skua with a Black-necked Grebe on the ARC however there were very few passerine (songbirds) migrants seen that day and this was also the case yesterday.

A few Gannets were drifting by Reculver Towers but very few other seabirds were noted excepting the odd Brent Goose.

We walked along the coastline to Coldharbour Lagoon enjoying Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone, Redshank, Ringed Plover and some Great Crested Grebes on the sea.

From here we headed inland to the main London to Ramsgate railway line and walked parallel to it before heading towards the sea again down Green Wall. A Redwing was the first this autumn for most folk.

On arriving back at the Oyster beds there were several Barn Swallows and a couple of Sand Martins hawking over the pools. A lovely Northern Wheatear perched on the rocks for us.

Although the walk around Margate Cemetery was very peaceful and pleasant with a myriad of hues on the leaves of the trees some of which were gently falling to Earth. The day had clouded over leaving very few visible insects available for food for warblers and crests.

Our final location was Pegwell Bay Country Park where we had great views of a red-eyed Black-necked Grebe on the Garage Pool and caught the high tide roost perfectly seeing Sandwich Terns, Mediterranean Gulls, Bar and Black-tailed Godwits, Red Knot etc..

All too soon it was home time and we said our goodbyes.

Ray