An early start found Vicky and me on the shingle wasteland of Dungeness yet again! In glorious sunshine, we trekked round noting a first-summer Mediterranean Gull (missing a foot), two cracking adult Little Gulls, Sandwich and Common Terns. There were plenty of newly-arrived summer migrants including Swallows, Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler. My morning was marred by the unexpected news of a Crag Martin at Swithlands Reservoir. And where is Swithlands Reservoir? In Leicestershire. And we were on the south cost. Doh!
I decided not to spoil our day by dashing off to Swithlands and chose the sensible option amd drove to Ovingdean near Brighton, where we quickly connected with the Cattle Egret, a British tick. A nice bird, which delighted Vicky as it was hanging out with some horses. We watched it for a while as it stalked through the grass catching and swallowing a number of large worms, tempted out of the grass by the heavy rain.
After a cup of tea at old Sixth Form friend Rosie's house, we decided to have a crack at the Crag Martin after all. We bucked up for a 175 mile drive north... Unfortunately, there was no sign of the bird early evening on our arrival in torrential rain, having been showing all afternoon. A large number of Sand Martins and Swallows were present and my first two House Martins of the year. Sadly, my choice proved poor and we dipped the mega rare Crag Martin and limped back to Bedfordshire feeling rather gutted.
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