White-tailed Lapwing
The White-tailed Lapwing was polite enough to linger at Dungeness for another day, and James wanted to see it having missed it a Rainham last week. With the Purple Herons and Great White Egret all sighted this afternoon I couldn't turn his offer of a lift. Leaving work I was sad to find a dead Greenfinch at the base of one of the windows on the main lab building of the Research Station. Waiting for my lift I counted 13 species including Yellowhammers, Linnet, House Martin and Pied Wagtails.
Arriving at the ARC pit we quickly connected with the White-tailed Plover, rather distant but constantly active and often giving excellent views in the early evening sun (where were the thunderstorms?) including a couple of short flights. Up to three Green Sandpipers were also present, one sitting out very close to the ARC screen. This was turning into a lovely evening!
Moving onto Denge Marsh Road for the Purple Heron we were greeted with that thunderstorm that we were expecting earlier - the car rocked and some poor sod who had been down at the bridge got caught in it (see below).
After the rain came the sun accompanied by a fantastic rainbow topped by a Purple Heron seen in flight for 30 seconds or so before it dipped down back into the reeds.
Yellow and Pied Wagtails, Linnets, Reed Buntings, Sand Martins and 1000+ Starlings were also on show, many coming down to visit the newly created puddles on the road. A male Sparrowhawk got everyhting into the air as it made a couple of low passes. A dramatic, and successful evening.
The same view along Denge Marsh Road as the 'storm' pic above, but about 15 minutes later!
