Redwings and Fieldfares, but now GW Egret!

This is a good time to find feeding flocks of both Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings, so when Peter Wells told me he'd had a good count of Yellowhammers by the horse manure "pile" along Collingwood Road I decided to have a look this morning.

I don't think I saw as many as Peter had seen, but several were in and around the tree behind. The characteristic "tzit" call often being the first clue that one was around. At this time of year the males are brighten up the dullness of the day.

Although winter thrushes seem few and far between around St Margaret's they are numerous between Deal and Sandwich. In the field Next to the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club there were about 40 Filedfares with a few Redwings and several hundred Starlings.

The Fieldfares stayed away from the side of the road but weren't to worried about being watched from the car. I could work out why this particular area was so popular, the next field looked pretty much the same to me but didn't have a bird in it.

Redwings were scattered among the Fieldfares and this one came close to the fence, it was slight obscured, but I couldn't move as it would have flushed.

I popped into the Cycle Park at Fowlmead (they still haven't correct the picture of a coot labelled Moor Hen, even though I wrote to them). I wanted to get a good view of the marsh from the watch point. The view was great, but I still couldn't find the Great White Egret that I haven't seen yet! I evidently showed from near the Chequers today, but not when I was looking. I still think that the view point at the CP should be a good bet, but I guess the ditches are still obscured enough for it to disappear for hours at a time. All the time I was there parties of Filedfares were clacking as they flew over head and there were groups of Redwings in the trees by the car park.

On the way back I noticed a group of twelve Pied Wagtails, in a small paddock near Ripple that just had a couple of sheep in it. Again it would be interesting to know what the lure of that particular small area was.