Redheads galore

I arrived at the car park by the Arc pit at Dungeness just as Mick two-converters Sinden was getting out of his car vehicle. We ambled up to the hide together, chatting, arriving around 13.45h. The wind was head-on into the hide but at least the light was promising (in fact it improved as time went on).


Two female and one male goldeneye were in the area all afternoon giving plenty of photo opportunities..

[Click any of the images to view at 1024px]

 

There were 8 readhead smew that came and went during the couple of hours I was there. A lone drake was over the far side, roosting in with the raft of pochard. It drifted over towards the hide but flew off towards the screen and shortly after that disappeared completely. The drake goldeneye was obliging enough that maybe the smew was too much to ask for!

 

The light continued to improve and the wind abated, making focusing easier as the ducks were not bobbing up and down so much.

The drake goldeneye was still strutting his stuff.

 

Oh, you beauty!

Tufted duck are often overlooked but, if their head is at just the right angle, one can pick up superb green hues in their plumage.

As I walked back to the car I heard a cetti's warbler singing in the scrub. A reminder that Spring is just around the corner. The diving ducks will soon be gone and a fresh set of migrants will be hitting our shores once again - BRING IT ON!!

I'm off to the Lake District next week for a last taste of Winter. Probably little nature photography but my camera will be at my side all week.