Another day?

I have to start this offering by saying what a very pleasant time was spent in the company of my fellow Pike fishers at the first Canterbury/Thanet Region PAC meeting of this new season. As to be expected, the gang were very up-beat about the prospects for the coming winter and long may it continue? The King Ethelbert PH, at Reculver, is where it all happens and the venue lends itself, superbly, to our gatherings. So it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, therefore, that this morning I took a drive down to the RMC for the first cast of the Pike season.  However, what should also be of no surprise is the fact that I blanked. Heavily coloured water and umpteen Eel indications were as good as it got, from an angling perspective. Thankfully, in my world, there's more to fishing than just catching fish. The dawn was a non-event, the sky just got less dark. It was dull and dank, with a hint of "mizzle" in the air. I did manage to see a few Redwings moving overhead, which ties in nicely with other sites around the East Coast but, it was a Great White Egret (possibly two?) which provided the highlight for the session.

The 2nd time I saw it (?) this morning.
Far better light conditions than the first sighting.

Just after 08.20 hrs, in awfully dank conditions, my first encounter of the morning.

By 10.30 hrs I'd had enough of the Eel action and was headed back towards the van. Back home well before mid-day, I got the kit unloaded from the van before downloading the GWE images onto my laptop. It was whilst I was looking at these images that something caught my attention out in the garden. Bloody hell - the Great Spotted Woodpecker is back! Picking up my binoculars it immediately became clear that this was a different bird - an adult male! Camera quickly in action, I am very pleased with the images I obtained. 

Just like busses - none, then two in quick procession!

So now I'm back at the laptop, surveying the results of the Great Spotted Woodpecker encounter when a bird hovered above the Buddlehia before dropping down on to our neighbour's fence. Grabbing my binoculars it was obviously a Black Redstart. Sadly, gone within seconds and the camera didn't stand a chance.