Grove Ferry (Kent): We met Bob and Jeremy at Grove Ferry this morning and made our way round the reserve. The weather was quite dull and overcast, but we saw: Bullfinch (1 male, 2 females), Marsh Harrier (1), Bittern (1), Bearded Tit (heard), Sparrowhawk (1), Green Woodpecker (1), Water Pipit (1) and Little Egret (1).

Snipe

Gadwall

Dungeness (Kent): Left the Medway towns this morning in fog, arriving to pleasant and bright conditions on the Dungeness peninsular. As we wandered around the reserve, we saw: 4 male and 5 female Goosanders from Firth Hide (and 6 females at the ARC later), 4 female Smew, Little Egret (1), Peregrine (1), four Marsh Harriers, two Cetti's Warblers (heard), three Goldeneyes (1 male, 2 female), Barnacle Geese (23), female Ruddy Duck and a Black-necked Grebe.

Reed Bunting

Tufted Duck
Shoveler

Marsh Harrier

Great Tit

Carrion Crow

Goldeneye

Black-necked Grebe

Cliffe (Kent): A morning trip to Cliffe for a couple of hours. Shorelark (3), Sparrowhawk (1) and Great Northern Diver (1).

Oare (Kent): On call for work this weekend so little time for birding. We did however find time to squeeze a short visit in to Oare this morning. We managed to see some Ruff (14), Avocet (25) and Stonechat (2), but then the phone rang and it was sadly back to work almost as soon as we arrived!

Snipe

Riverside Country Park, Gillingham (Kent): We managed a feeble amount of birding this weekend as we took advantage of the weather to concentrate on other work and home commitments. A quick look in at the country park this afternoon resulted in our enjoying good views of the reported Snow Bunting, now present for over a week and Brent Geese on the estuary itself.

Tottenhill Pits (Norfolk) and Santon Downham (Suffolk): Looked at the Tottenhill Pits where we heard Marsh Tit and counted Goldeneye (1 male, 1 female), Mallard (55), Wigeon (10), Pochard (8), Pintail (20), and Teal (400+), then popped into St Helen's Picnic Site at Santon Downham on the way back to Kent to view the winter Finch flock containing at least 30+ Bramblings among many Chaffinch where we also saw Coal Tit and heard Nuthatch.

Brambling

Brambling
Redwing

Titchwell, Flitcham Abbey, Roydon Common and Tottenhill Row (Norfolk): Having seen in the new year at our Norfolk home, we were surprised to wake to a moderate snow covering this morning. Carefully we made our way to Titchwell where we saw: Water Rail, Red Kite, Bittern, Red-breasted Merganser (4), Beareded Tit (2), Pink-footed Goose (c1000), Brent Goose (c200) and Redwing (20). As we started our return to the cottage, we popped into Flitcham Abbey where we saw Common Buzzard (2), Pink-footed Goose (5), Grey Partridge (12), Egyptian Goose (2) and many common birds new for the year. As darkness drew nearer we decided to take a look at Roydon Common and were rewarded with a male and female Hen Harrier coming to roost. Cold and satisfied with our day in the field we returned to the house and was fortunate to catch sight of a Woodcock flying over the common ground at the front of the house in Tottenhill Row.

Water Rail

Bearded Tit

Reed Bunting

Common Buzzard