Cliffe Pools, Kent

Drove straight past the patch this morning and onto Cliffe pools just the other side of the tunnel for a change of scenery and to hopefully catch up with some waders.

Arriving at 6am I headed for the alpha pools (or ski pool) and on the first island picked up a Little Stint amongst several adult Dunlin, also plenty of Redshank, and good numbers of Greenshank with a minimum of 30 birds seen. Small flocks of Black-wits, both Black-headed gulls and Common Terns with young and many Avocets that again seemed to have a good breeding season.

Further round in the north east corner of the ski pool another flock of Dunlin that held two Curlew sands with a very smart moulting adult alongside a juvenile bird, and the Pectoral Sandpiper that has been present for almost a week now. good scope views but to far for the camera.

Bird of the morning tho was this cracking Barn Owl that flew right past me !!