Grey weekend in North Kent

In the last weekend of November I was really hoping for a final farewell to a good autumn and a last minute Brucie bonus with a good bird or two........... Sadly it didn't happen, not only did we see a Strictly favourite leave the floor and no longer brighten up a Saturday night but the birding was pretty quiet and at time hard, and wet work!! A visit to Abbott's Court on Grain failed to produce the pale bellied Brents and I settled for a Kingfisher, 2 Goldcrest, 69, yes 69 Moorhen!! and a few Little Egrets.Sadly their larger cousin wasn't on the cards and the best I could do was grab a shot of something big and white flying away in the drizzle......................... Mute Swan. Once again another great site in North Kent to bird but that's the problem with Kent, too many good birding sites, it just needs time and patience. Some regularly watched sites may only produce a really rare bird once in a blue Moon ?? but they're worth waiting for. Think of the Royal Military Canal at west Hythe, no rares then like buses two rare Herons in a short period of time!

Sunday afternoon was spent on Sheppey, looking for the teeny cousin of Little Egret, Cattle. Now I did wonder as I was driving across Sheppey what I was doing looking for 'another' Cattle Egret, a cosmopolitan species I've seen millions of, but I tried, and I failed to locate the Swale Egbert. I did manage a Pink-footed Goose, an unexpected Goosander on the reserve and the usual array of Harriers plus a huge Peregrine. The Rough-leg was not visible but two SE Owls put on a great show at the mega raptor fest that is Capel Fleet.