Rose-coloured Invasion

Whilst in Kent, visited the iconic Dungeness NNR hoping for a few late migrants on 29th May. It was a dry, yet dreary morning, quite unlike the glorious weather we'd had over the weekend. I wondered north from the lighthouse, overwhelmed by the lack of migrants.

The lighthouse and nuclear power station at Dungeness, in the gloom.

Always nice to see, a fine Yellow Shell (moth) brightened up my stroll.

Things livened up on the way back when I bumped into a guy who said he'd seen yesterday's Rosy Starling (I still call them Rose-coloured Starlings!) briefly in the tops of the trees. I wandered round for a bit and for once got lucky, as the dapper pink and black chap appeared in front of me. After a couple of record shots, it dropped back into the scrub and vanished. I called over some other birders who seemed to be looking for it, and after a tense wait, it popped up again and we all got nice views. This bird is part of an influx into Britain, with over a hundred birds having turned up at the time of writing (mid-June). This is a regular, irruptive occurrence, linked to lack of food in the southeast of Europe, causing birds to move northwest.

 

Gorgeous bird, poor phonescoped pics.

Later on, we bobbed into Kent Wildlife Trust's Romney Marsh visitor centre. Found ourselves a Marsh Frog, having heard lots chuckling away each night in the ditch near the campsite. A few odonates present including this fine male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Marsh Frog and male Broad-bodied Chaser.