This week's twitches

Thursday 25th January 2024

Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex

I made a late afternoon visit to Weir Wood Reservoir......

•  ...... which resulted in good views of 3 goosanders - a male and 2 females.

Courtesy of Alastair Gray and X

Friday 26th January 2024

Dungeness, Kent

The prospect of seeing a great northern diver and a black-throated diver proved too much for me so I made the long trip to the Kent coastline.

• The great northern diver was showing well from Dennis' hide but there was no sign of the black-throated diver.  

Black-throated Diver - courtesy of Plodding Birder and X

• However, a return visit a couple of hours later was more successful.
• On the way into the reserve I saw a flock of barnacle geese at the rear of Boulderwall Farm.
• On the sea there were lots of auks but the only ones I could ID positively were a couple of close guillemots.
• A quick visit to the ARC gave me a good sighting of a great white egret - my first of 2024.

Saturday 27th January 2024

Warnham Nature Reserve, Horsham, Sussex

• I saw a cracking pair of bullfinches from the Woodpecker Hide - a male and a female were feeding less than 10 metres from me.
• I was 5 minutes away from seeing a couple of brambling from the screen hide but alas they didn't return.

Sunday 28th January 2024

Brooklands Lake, Snodland, Kent

Another afternoon twitch, this time into north Kent by the M20.

• The drake scaup was showing well as it moved around with the tufted ducks.

Both pictures courtesy of Glenn Honey and Twitter (X)

2024 species count=105

Quite a variety of birds already - and it's only January!