Oare Marshes KWT, Elmley NR and Warnham LNR

A wonderful day spent with Dipten and Shukla started at Oare Marshes. We we enjoyed the good variety of waders on The Swale and on the East Flood, including four Green Sandpipers, adults of Little Stint and Spotted Redshank, as well as a few Ruffs (including my first juvenile of the year).  A Little Ringed Plover and a good few Dunlin, Golden and Ringed Plovers were also present, along with singles of Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Greenshank, a few Snipe and Avocets, and the usual gatherings of Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. A group of Turnstones were on the The Swale. We heard several Water Rails and a couple of Little Grebes and saw a fluffy black rail chick on the edge of the reeds.

I was delighted to see my first ever 'flock' of Turtle Doves, with four on a single telegraph post. The site's regular Little Owl showed well behind the East Hide. Quite a few Yellow Wagtails were flying around the site and two Grey Wagtails were near the cottages. Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers were heard and we also logged a couple of House Martins, four Swallows, a Sedge Warbler, three Reed Warblers, a Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting.

Little Owl at Oare Marshes

Next up was a mini-safari along the entrance track at Elmley. The biggest surprise was a fly-over Red Kite but we most enjoyed the views of Marsh Harriers and Buzzards from the car, as well as several Yellow Wagtails and a couple of Meadow Pipits. Hirundines included 50 or so Swallows, as well as a couple of House and Sand Martins.

Highlights at Warnham later in the afternoon included nice views of a couple of Marsh Tits and Nuthatches, and a Treecreeper. We also logged a Reed Warbler, a Coal Tit and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Kingfisher showed nicely on the edge of the lake, where two Great Crested Grebes were feeding, and a Swallow flew over