The birds

It would be false of me to suggest that a visit to Dungeness is not about rare and scarce birds. Although they are not a prerequisite in delivering a successful stay, they do help! Thankfully the rare and scarce birds did come, and I was lucky enough to see them all. Two Bee-eaters (including one circling just feet above Mark H and me), a Serin, a Black Kite, a Honey-buzzard, an adult male Rose-coloured Starling and two Black-winged Stilts -  a tidy return for 14 day's worth of birding in the same place, and on top of that other highlights included Sooty Shearwater, Great White Egret (2), Garganey, Velvet Scoter, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Peregrine, Avocet, Curlew Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull, Iceland Gull, Turtle Dove, Barn Owl, Black Redstart, Cetti's Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Raven and Corn Bunting. 120 species were recorded, without the need to break into a sweat.

Black-winged Stilt, most probably a male, at the Midrips
Black-winged Stilt, a likely female
The happy couple, but they had cleared off by dawn the following day
Rose-coloured Starling, showing the others how to dress
Corn Bunting - what a poser
Reed Bunting, proving that you don't have to be rare to be beautiful

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