** Dungeness RSPB Reserve & Walland Marsh. **

When Pamela and I arrived at Dungeness RSPB Reserve yesterday lunchtime (Sunday) we couldn't believe how full the car park was, including a coach,and I knew there wasn't a rarity around, what was it, a winter fair, families of all ages, the usual birders, and a coach group of birdwatchers, just what I ordered for the day. I normally never go out at the weekend unless I have no choice. I called in the centre as usual just for a quick chat to see if anything was about but as there wasn't I made my way around to the Denge Marsh Hide. It was comfortable in there, just about 5 of us, God knows where the others were, anyway the sun was shining, but windy. The birds seen from here was many G/C/Grebes, and Cormorants, a G/W/Egret eating a eel, and the highlight was a Bittern flying passed the hide window about 25-30ft out, all of us couldn't believe it. From here Pamela and I went over to the Hanson Hide, Pamela tends to wait for me in the car these days, not that she doesn't still know her birds. When I got in there I found myself birding with about 10 others, and to me that is a lot, not a a crowd person me, but after about 40 minutes I was alone in my corner, I thought it was too good to be true. I knew I would meet up with the coach party at some time, the door opened, and in they come, a never ending stream of bins and scopes, that was my cue to to leave. I heard that that there was 10 BEWICK SWANS  on Walland Marsh so we took a drive through the lanes home, and at about 3.30 as the sun was setting I found them not far from the road with the sun on then, there was 8 adults and 2 juvenile, there was also and probably still is a large flock of FIELDFARE. So overall The birds I saw was not quantity but quality. I look forward to the weather bringing in more of the winter visitors. My "Bird of the Day" was the close fly by of the ** BITTERN **