Pett, Rye & Scotney 24/12/18

A great Christmas Eve birding day out in the far east with Dad. We started at Pett Levels where a group of 16 White-fronted Geese were fairly close, and a few Marsh Harriers and Bearded Tits were over/in the reedbed and some Red-throated Divers offshore. On the way to Kent a minimum of ten Tree Sparrows were found.

Moving onto Scotney GP we walked around the back where a large flock of 100 White-fronted Geese flew west and into Sussex, and we got fairly close to the two Whooper Swans, however they soon became wary of us and so we quickly retreated. A couple more Tree Sparrows were noted, a brief Great White Egret, and a pair of Peregrines were causing havoc with the large flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing.

Dungeness beach was quiet with no Gulls present, and only a single distant Cattle Egret was found around the horse paddocks. Walland Marsh was slightly better with a lovely flock of at least 29 Bewick's Swans.

Our last stop at Rye produced two Black-necked Grebes on Long Pit, and the Pett White-fronted Geese flew high and east. A great day out and certainly made a change from the local area.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

White-fronted Geese at Pett Levels......

and later on flying east over Rye Harbour

Tree Sparrow near Rye

Many Golden Plover at Scotney GP

100 White-fronted Geese over Scotney GP

and into Sussex.

Two Whooper Swans at Scotney GP

One of two Black-necked Grebes

at Rye Harbour.