Dungeness today with Derrick Jackson,Jeff Wynn and Trevor Maynard and wasn`t it good to be out and about on such a nice warm,clear day,a nice change from the recent cold and wet weather. 

Our first stop was the (ARC) Pits.As we walked along the track towards the Hanson Hide we saw Sedge Warblers,Reed Warbler,Cetti`s Warblers,Whitethroats and Reed Buntings.Several of us were lucky enough to have a sighting of a Ring-tail Hen Harrier as it passed quickly through.Over the water swirled at least sixty Common Swifts along with smaller numbers of Swallows and House Martins.On the water itself which was rather quite the only bird of note that we saw was the long staying Long-tailed Duck.In the SE corner of the pit we saw one Redshank,one Common Sandpiper and one L R Plover. 

By the time we reached the sea it was getting on some what (10:45),Poms had been passing during the morning,one just ten minutes before we had arrived but although we watched for at least one hour the only birds of note that we saw was one Whimbrel and two Great Skua.On walking back from the sea we learnt that a Ortolan Bunting had been seen earlier during the morning by the Old Light House.Although we gave the area a good bashing there was no sign of the bird,although we did turn up a pair of Stonechats and Wheatears which was of some consolation. 

We finished of the day on the viewing mound on the R S P B Reserve watching a pair of Marsh Harriers and up to three Hobbies.As we were leaving the reserve Jeff noticed a Hobby sitting on a fence post and it fortunately stayed long enough for me to fire of a number of shots,its nice being retired.