No two days are ever the same!

 It would seem that the fishing gear is redundant, at present, due to a combination of Bev's anxiety issues and this crazy heat wave that is being experienced here on Thanet. I would guess that we are luckier than most because at least we have the luxury of a cooling sea breeze, as the land warms each day. So it hasn't been a difficult decision to pick up the optics and, along with the camera kit, get out to do a bit of local birding. On Saturday I did a circuit of Monks Wall LNR (a complete waste of time and effort) before relocating to Pegwell Bay NNR to watch the rising tide. Today I just went straight down to Pegwell for a repeat session. 

Moulting adult Black-headed Gull

Saturday was rather productive, with a brisk SW wind blowing, and the majority of birds favouring the Pegwell side of The Stour. It would seem that Sandwich Tern numbers are now well past their peak, yet Mediterranean Gulls are still  on the rise, with over two hundred birds present; the vast majority being moulting adults. I actually picked out two colour ringed individuals but the distance, and heat haze, ensured that no details were recorded - one yellow and one white ring. The best of the rest included eleven Black-tailed Godwit, ten Ringed Plover, nineteen Dunlin along with singles of Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint (both juvs) 

A 3c/y Mediterranean Gull in heavy moult

Sunday was just as enjoyable, but with the wind now in the east, the majority of resting birds were positioned with their arses facing the optics. A decent mix of species was on offer again. I was in the company of Rich, at birder from Dover, and between us we recorded five Turnstones, six Ringed Plover, eight Dunlin, six Knot (including a couple of summer plum adults) seven Greenshank - south as the tide rose, one Bar-tailed Godwit and five adult Common Terns plus  the usual mix of Redshank, Whimbrel, Curlew. All in all, rather enjoyable and a productive way to use my time whilst awaiting the chance to cast a baited hook again.

Fig-leaf Skeletonizer - I'm recording these newbies on
most nights with the best count being five!
Not too difficult to understand when there's a Fig Tree
within two metres of where I position the trap!

Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella)

The garden moth trap hasn't been particularly productive, given the crazy overnight temperatures, but this has to be due to the winds not easing? Last night, as I was watching our local Hedgehogs visiting the feeding station, a bird flew over Newlands Farm, calling constantly for a couple of minutes. I have absolutely no idea what it was? My best description of the sound is that, to my ears, it was similar to the contact call of a Barn Owl, yet nowhere as loud or rasping. It was repeated, without a break, for the entire period I could hear it! My guess is that it will have been a wader of some description but simply don't have the foggiest idea what species.

I'm going with Dingy Shell (Euchoeca nebulata) but would be very happy
to be corrected if this id is erroneous.

Evening up-date

Just gone 21.25 hrs and I've heard that same bird calling again. This time, however, much closer and clearer before catching a glimpse of the culprit as it drifted along the back hedgerow. It IS a Barn Owl, and only the third record for my patch in twenty four years!