Oare Marshes KWT

A morning's birding with Magnus featured the two main stars of the current Oare show: the returning adult BONAPARTE'S GULL and the adult LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Other highlights included a Turtle Dove heard purring, three Water Rails, a Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and a few Avocets, four splendid summer-plumage Knot, a vocal flock of 21 Whimbrel, three Ruff, 21 Mediterranean Gulls, 32 Little Egrets, a minimum of five Bearded Tits, a Marsh Harrier and three Yellow Wagtails.

 

Dungeness and Pett Level

Phil and I started at the ARC Pit, where we had no luck with the Gull-billed Tern at the west end but caught a couple of brief glimpses of the male Black-winged Stilt near the screen. A Cuckoo, a few hundred Swifts, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Hobby, two Common Sandpipers, 25 Common Terns (most of these mobbing one Herring Gull on a raft at one point), a Marsh Harrier, four Sand Martins, a House Martin, four Swallows and three Lesser Whitethroats were noted before we made our way to Dungeness Point. There we had a Black Redstart gathering food, three Common Terns at The Patch and a couple of Stonechats. Our final call at Dungeness was a stop at Springfield Bridge, where Dengemarsh offered a pair of Yellow Wagtails, the male in full voice, a Hobby carrying a Swift, two Corn Buntings and a pair of Marsh Harriers.

Yellow Wagtail at Dungeness RSPB

Black Redstart at Dungeness

We finished the day at Pett Level, where it was no less gusty and there was another Common Sandpiper, a Bearded Tit, five Common Terns, a couple of Curlew and another pair of Marsh Harriers. Five Sand Martins flew through.

Hastings Country Park, Pett, Pannel Valley NR and Dungeness RSPB

Highlights at Hastings Country Park with Christian included a Grasshopper Warbler, a female Redstart, four Lesser Whitethroats, two Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat, a Wheatear, three Tree Pipits, three Yellow Wagtails, two Grey Wagtails, 100 Meadow Pipits, a Bullfinch, three Yellowhammers, seven Stonechats, a Nuthatch, eight Whitethroats, 40 Blackcaps, 30 Chiffchaffs and good numbers of hirundines, including 14 Sand Martins. Sandwich Tern and Gannet were offshore and raptors included eight Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk.

We stopped at the quirky Tic Tocery cafe in Pett where House Martins were still attending active nests, and a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel battled for airspace.

Pannel Valley NR was depressing, with the scrape dry, but we did note two Bearded Tits, a Marsh Harrier, a Raven, a couple of Sparrowhawks, a Sand Martin among further hirundines moving, 95 Lapwings, a Cetti's Warbler, two Shelducks, two Whitethroats, a Grey Wagtail, three Meadow Pipits, a Wheatear, three Nuthatches and a Reed Bunting.

Dungeness RSPB offered a fine end to the day. The ARC Pit offered four Garganey, two juvenile Black Terns, an adult Little Gull, a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, two Snipe, four Dunlin, four Ruff, three Black-tailed Godwits, 160 Golden Plovers, two Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, three Pintail, a Sedge Warbler, etc. Burrowes Pit provided a Black-necked Grebe, two 1cy Caspian Gulls, two Yellow-legged Gulls (2cy and 1cy) and a further Great White Egret. Three Cetti's Warblers were heard. The entrance track had three Whinchats and two Wheatears for our way out.

Whinchats at Dungeness RSPB

Cattle Egret at Dungeness RSPB

Golden Plovers at Dungeness RSPB

Great White Egret at Dungeness RSPB

1cy Caspian Gull at Dungeness RSPB

Steep Down, Canons Farm, Banstead Woods and Oare Marshes KWT

The day started at Steep Down, with three Wheatears, an adult male Peregrine, a Willow Warbler, six Chiffchaffs, six Swallows, a Goldcrest, four Meadow Pipits and a Sparrowhawk the best on offer.

It was then up to my homelands to lead the annual Autumn Migration Tour for the Canons Farm & Banstead Woods Bird Group. Given the weather, it was yet another particularly challenging walk, though the participants seemed to enjoy it well enough. The best bird, a Hobby, was unfortunately too fast for most people to get a view of, and a Yellow Wagtail was merely heard as it flew over. Other stuff included four Yellowhammers, 35 Swallows, a Meadow Pipit and two Kestrels. A Sparrowhawk tussled with two of the five Buzzards seen.

Banstead Woods offered a Bullfinch, a Treecreeper, and a few Nuthatches and Goldcrests.

In the afternoon, I took my old friends from school, Panos and Francis, who wanted to get a taste of some birding, to Oare Marshes KWT. Happily, this resulted in me finding an adult American Golden Plover among the Golden Plovers on the East Flood! A very elegant and beautifully marked bird, it was still in about 75% breeding plumage and had attitude, occasionally charging at its European companions! It conveniently stayed mostly at the front edge of the flock and wasn't too distant, providing a great opportunity to study just my third individual in Britain. This bird represents the eighth record all-time for Kent. Two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, a few Ruff, Knot and Avocet, and a couple of Snipe were some of the other waders present. Water Rail, Yellow Wagtail and Cetti's Warbler were heard.

adult American Golden Plover (centre) with Golden Plovers at Oare Marshes KWT

Cliffe Pools RSPB

I spent a couple of hours from the viewpoints this morning in hope of connecting with the Marsh Sandpiper but was caught off-guard by the chilly conditions and cut my losses rather than loiter for hours more. Black Barn Pool 3 held an incredible 21 Little Ringed Plovers, along with six Ringed Plovers and 12 Black-tailed Godwits. Among other highlights were a Green Sandpiper, two Curlew, a male Ruff, two Dunlin, a Raven, two Cetti's Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warblers, a Marsh Harrier, two Wigeon, 16 Gadwall, three Shovelers and 51 Teal. Avocets, Black-headed Gulls and Redshanks had well-grown or fledged young.

Crossness LNR and Dungeness RSPB

I returned to Crossness LNR in the hope of getting further, improved views of the Great Reed Warbler, encouraged by positive news early in the morning. However, after spending a couple of hours on site and listening to people who'd been there since mid-morning, the bird was not going to sing or show itself again for me. A pleasant visit nonetheless, and a chance to catch up further with the gent that is Ian Stewart. The Lesser Whitethroat was still in song, as were a few Reed Warblers and Cetti's Warblers. One of the Peregrines came into view, two Buzzards soared in the distance and I counted five Pochards and 24 Gadwall. Waders were represented by Redshank and Oystercatcher.

I then set off to Dungeness for another bird I really ought to have already seen in Britain. Thankfully, the adult WHISKERED TERN was performing superbly along with a bonus adult Roseate Tern. Also logged were two Egyptian Geese, a male Marsh Harrier, four Sanderlings, a Ringed Plover, around 60 Common Terns (including a 2CY), a singing male Cuckoo, Cetti's and Reed Warblers and Reed Bunting.

Whiskered Tern (right) with Roseate Tern at Dungeness RSPB

Whiskered Tern at Dungeness RSPB

Roseate Tern at Dungeness RSPB

Crossness LNR, Westerham and Belmont

Dad kindly picked me and Mag up from the airport and took us directly to Crossness LNR where we met up with Ian Stewart and managed brief views of the GREAT REED WARBLER which was singing in the reedbed. This is a species I have been long overdue to see in Britain. Other birds present included two Peregrines, Pochards, Shelducks and Cetti's Warblers, as well as singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Little Egret and Reed Bunting.

Peregrines at Crossness LNR

Phil arrived and I told my dad to head home as I'd get a lift back with him. Unfortunately, the sky darkened and there was no further sign of the Great Reed. On the way back to Sutton, we saw a Red Kite over the M25 at Westerham, and at my parents' I was pleased to see Swifts back, though concerned that there only seemed to be two present. Admittedly, it was a quick glance as I got through the door.

Capel Fleet and Belmont

As we drove back through Capel Fleet from the wader ringing at 00:10, Paul and I stopped the car to watch a Short-eared Owl by road. Stopping off at Belmont, three Redwings were in my parents' garden in the morning.

Short-eared Owl

Harty Ferry

Late night wader ringing at Harty saw me processed Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Redshank. Knot and Curlew were also caught. The soundscape while we worked included a Barn Owl, Brent Geese, Grey Plovers, Golden Plover, Avocet, Lapwings, Teal and migrating Redwings.

Worthing, Goring and Dungeness

I didn't manage to get out to the patch as planned during the morning, which was frustrating. I spent the morning writing in our West Worthing garden, which produced a tick in the form of a fly-over Yellow Wagtail, and later on had a possibly migrant Buzzard over the shops in Goring. Later on, a twitch to Dungeness was very satisfying and it was great that Ingrid could come along with me. We arrived at the RSPB car park in the evening and made our way to the Firth Hide, getting decent views of the juvenile Black Tern of the American form surinamensis along with several of its nominate congeners - mainly juveniles but including a couple of moulting adults - mixed in with the hordes of Common Terns. A juvenile Knot, a Little Ringed Plover and a Ringed Plover were on the mud in front of the hide, while the pit also held three Egyptian Geese, and a few Sand Martins were feeding.

juvenile Buzzard over the shops in Goring

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

Rye Harbour and Dungeness RSPB

I met up with Darragh C for a stroll around Rye Harbour. It was a fine, warm day with a nice light breeze but I was hindered with a pretty rough cold. Still, I thought the fresh air would do me good and I'm sure it did. Highlights included a Whinchat, three Wheatears and a few Yellow Wagtails, along with six Common Sandpipers, a Whimbrel, three Greenshanks and a Black-tailed Godwit among the waders. A few House Martins were over the car park.

Whinchat at Rye Harbour

male Linnet at Rye Harbour

We moved on to fit in a fairly quick visit to Dungeness RSPB. We enjoyed nice views of three juvenile Black Terns with the hordes of Common Terns on Burrowes Pit then Dengemarsh offered up a Wood Sandpiper, three Great Egrets, two Ruffs and four Snipe. A few Yellow Wagtails and Sand Martins were knocking around the reserve.

Oare Marshes, Bough Beech Reservoir, Leith Hill and Canons Farm

A long and enjoyable day in the field with Bob, over from Kansas. We started at Oare Marshes, arriving shortly after high tide. The adult Red-necked Phalarope was immediately visible on the East Flood, where we also tracked down a Spotted Redshank and a Little Stint. Other waders present included a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpipere, a couple of Greenshanks and Whimbrel, a few Ruff and Snipe, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and the usual hordes of Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. Adding to the set of waders were the usual Avocets, Oystercatchers and Curlews. Caldrids were in short supply, with only a couple of Dunlin noted in addition to the stint. At least two Turtle Doves were showing nicely in the scrub near the cottages and we enjoyed nice views of Bearded Reedlings, Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers by the road. A Clouded Yellow was my first this year.

adult Red-necked Phalarope at Oare Marshes

Turtle Dove at Oare Marshes

At Bough Beech Reservoir we had two Garganey on the North Lake, along with three Mandarins and a scattering of Teal.  Four Green Sandpipers were at the back. There were good numbers of Egyptian Geese and Little Egrets around the margins, as well as many Great Crested Grebes on the water. A short walk in the woodland revealed a couple of Bullfinches and Nuthatches.

two Garganey at Bough Beech Reservoir, with a Mallard

Next we parked up for a short while at the foot of Leith Hill in Coldharbour and enjoyed nice views of a couple of Siskins around the village - a bird that Bob had never seen before. A number of Swallows nesting in the adjacent stables were very active and vocal. By now it was really getting quite hot! We ventured up onto Duke's Warren, hearing a Redstart but otherwise there was only a Willow Warbler of any note.

A walk along Reads Rest Lane at Canons Farm soon produced Bob's desired Yellowhammers, as well as a bonus lifer for him in the form of a Wheatear - the site's first of the autumn.

Wheatear at Canons Farm

Sandwich Bay, Pegwell Bay and Oare Marshes

I teamed up with Christian C and Magnus A at first light for a day birding in Kent. We started at Sandwich Bay, where highlights included my first Lesser Whitethroat, Cuckoo, Reed Warblers (two) and Yellow Wagtails (five) of the year, as well as three Corn Buntings, a Yellowhammer, two Rose-ringed Parakeets, 11 House Martins, six Wheatears and a Rock Pipit. Lapwings and Greylags had young and offshore were two Fulmars, a Gannet, 12 Great Crested Grebes and 12 Common Scoters. Four Avocets were on the Restharrow Scrape, along with six frisky Shovelers.

After lunch, we visited Pegwell Bay, finding a Spoonbill on the sandspit and seeing two Dark-bellied Brent Geese, four Whimbrel, a Yellow Wagtail and 85 Shelducks of note, as well as hearing a Cuckoo and a handful of Sedge and Reed Warblers.

Spoonbill at Pegwell Bay

We headed home via Oare Marshes, which had disappointingly high water levels. However, we logged a Hobby, a male Ruff, 200 Black-tailed Godwits, two Knots, a Peregrine, a Water Rail, six Whimbrel, five Avocets and a Bearded Reedling.

Oare Marshes, 6th September 2017

I teamed up with Cory from the States for a short day's birding at Oare Marshes but one filled with several avian rewards! An ambulance was on call at one of the houses along the approach to the reserve so we parked up and watched the mixed Yellow and Pied Wagtail gathering in the fields for a bit; a Wheatear and a Lesser Whitethroat were in the same area. Once on the reserve, the first unexpected encounter involved a juvenile Cuckoo feeding on caterpillars in a dead tree on the grazing marsh - the first I've seen for some time - closely followed by the strange sight of a juvenile Hobby trekking low across the surface of The Swale. Two Greenshanks dived over onto the East Flood and good numbers of Grey Plovers were on the Sheppey side, along with three Marsh Harriers and a couple of Buzzards. A couple of Bearded Reedlings teased us with their calls from the reedbeds but remained unseen, as did a few Cetti's Warblers. A Peregrine buzzed the flood, repeatedly setting up the waders, and later on a juvenile Osprey gave good scope views as it circled to the west. It later took its turn at stirring panic among the waders as it cruised low over the East Flood, where highlights included nine Curlew Sandpipers (one adult and eight juveniles), the adult Long-billed Dowitcher and four Knot. Two Wigeon also put in an appearance.

Best of all, while Cory was back at the car, a curious call overhead alerted me to a Pectoral Sandpiper which circled the west side of the reserve twice before disappearing to the southeast! Hopefully Cory wasn't too gripped as he has seen loads in the States. Walking back to the car, conversation with a group of three other birds revealed that they had also clocked the Pec. This is the third I have found in Britain, following birds at Dungeness RSPB and Tice's Meadow over the last few years.

Canons Farm and Oare Marshes, 27th August 2017

A quick stroll around Canons in the morning was a little less eventful than the last few visits, but the company of Geoff B, Ian J, Paul G and Martin L made it all the better. Anyway, it wasn't bad, with three Yellow Wagtails, a Lesser Whitethroat and 20 House Martins providing some local-level quality. Ian and I went straight on to Kent - stopping off in the countryside en-route to Oare Marshes we picked up a family of five Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat and a Hobby. A slightly rushed but absolutely serene evening at Oare was something to savour - it was warm and pleasant with many birds thanks to the high tide and of course the time of year! Highlights were the adult Long-billed Dowitcher showing rather well, a juvenile Little Stint, eight Ruff (including my first juvenile of the year, a female), six Whimbrel, five Snipe, four Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 25 Common Terns, 10 Sandwich Terns, a Bearded Reedling and at least seven Yellow Wagtails. Hurried and rather rough higher counts included 500 Grey Plovers on the other side of the Swale, 600 Golden Plovers, 2500 Black-tailed Godwits, 600 Redshanks, 60 Ringed Plovers, 70 Dunlin, 150 Lapwings and 90 Avocets. The most unusual sighting was my first Oare Marshes record of Rose-ringed Parakeet as one squawked overhead!

adult Long-billed Dowitcher at Oare Marshes

Oare Marshes, etc, 17th August 2017

An awesome day at Oare Marshes! Magnus A and Simon W joined me for a few hours at Oare Marshes. We bagged the adult Long-billed Dowitcher, the adult Bonaparte's Gull, an adult Curlew Sandpiper, two adult Spotted Redshanks, two juvenile Little Stints, four Whimbrels, two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, two Ruffs, a Greenshank, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 180 Golden Plovers, 150 Avocets, 60 or so Grey Plovers and three Turnstones among a typical suite of waders and wildfowl. A handful of Mediterranean Gulls were around, including at least four juveniles, as were six Yellow Wagtails and two Bearded Reedlings. Two Peregrines, an adult female and a juvenile male, repeatedly buzzed the East Flood and a fresh juvenile Common Gull was also nice to see. Trickling through were small numbers of Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow.

There was just enough time for having a stab for Honey-buzzards at a known site and we were delighted to score a brief view of a singleton which flew over the car as we watched from the road!

adult Long-billed Dowitcher creeping about

the Bonaparte's keeping up appearances on the East Flood - later seen on The Swale

adult Curlew Sandpiper

Golden Plovers - note the juvenile shining bright in the foreground!

juvenile Little Ringed Plover

we hit it lucky with a Honey-buzzard

North Kent, 4th August 2017

I picked Bob, visiting from the States, up from London in the early hours and we headed to our first site, the Ashdown Forest. None of the heathland specialists I was hoping to show Bob were on offer within easy reach of the car park but he was delighted to be able to spend time watching some characterful common birds such as Bullfinch, Treecreeper, Nuthatch and Goldcrest. The highlight for me was a family group of Lesser Redpolls. Next up was Oare Marshes, the natural choice for introducing a non-Brit to easy birding within reach of the city. We enjoyed fantastic views of the usual common waders, including several Golden Plovers and Ruff, while two Spotted Redshanks were tucked among the hordes of Black-tailed Godwits. A couple of Yellow Wagtails flicked around the margins and Bearded Reedlings called unseen from the island in front of the hide. Keeping an eye on the Black-headed Gulls eventually paid off with the resident adult Bonaparte's Gull loafing on the main spit, not to mention the scattering of Mediterranean Gulls.

We just about had time to whizz around a couple of sites on the Isle of Sheppey before getting Bob back to town. We drove up and down the entrance track at Elmley, using the car as a hide to photograph Yellow Wagtails, Marsh Harriers and Buzzards. Bob was still hoping to tick off Oystercatcher and Red-legged Partridge and a drive to Harty Ferry sorted that out.

we eventually picked out the adult Bonaparte's Gull on the East Flood at Oare

several Yellow Wagtails showed well along the entrance track at Elmley

Grove Ferry NNR and Reculver, 28th June 2017

An outing with Christian C and Magnus A in north Kent today saw us start by scouring the rolling countryside and woods away from the marshes for raptors but we had no success. A gentle saunter around Grove Ferry NNR started off quite slowly but we relocated the first-summer male Red-footed Falcon, last reported early on Monday morning, while other highlights included a spanking summer-plumage Spotted Redshank, at least four Turtle Doves and five Green Sandpipers, a Bittern and a number of Bearded Reedlings. After a pub lunch by the river, we headed for a quick trip to Reculver, which turned into a short seawatch with notables of a 20-strong Common Scoter raft, two Curlews and 12 Gannets logged.

2cy ♂ Red-footed Falcon at Grove/Stodmarsh

Spotted Redshank amid the moulting Mallards at Grove Ferry

one of five or so Green Sandpipers at Grove Ferry

♂ Cuckoo at Grove Ferry

Mistle Thrush at Grove Ferry

Curlews heading past Reculver

13-19th June 2017

A busy last week or so, most birding ending up a little off-piste. It feels as though I've adopted two new patches, as I've been to both Frensham and Pagham twice more since my last post. The first time, on 16th, was another great success with further excellent views of the Elegant Tern and the Red-footed Falcon but a repeat on 19th resulted in a double-dip. Frensham also produced a flock of 13 Crossbills (on 16th) and 'other wildlife' lifers in the form of a Sand Lizard (on 19th) and Silver-studded Blues. Both visits to the Common produced nice views and sounds from Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and Tree Pipits, while the same male Redstart showed again nicely on 19th. Pagham was great for the tern and gull colony (including good numbers of Meds), as well as a 2cy Little Gull and a Cuckoo on 19th, and the Whimbrel again on 16th.

A fabulous evening at Leith Hill on 13th was rewarded with four Nightjars, a couple of Woodlarks, singing Tree Pipits and several Woodcock passes, as well as a hooting Tawny Owl and a couple of Siskins. That day, a Kestrel was nice to see at home in Belmont. I've made a couple of visits to Sutton as a small contribution to keeping an eye on the Peregrines as they fledge, enjoying lovely views of the two juveniles as they become more mobile - there is clearly a pair of Grey Wagtails in the same area, with occasional fly-overs there. A trip to Oare Marshes for some easy birding made for a nice change on 14th and, though nothing unusual was seen, we enjoyed seeing Bearded Reedlings, a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and the usual gathering of Black-tailed Godwits.

The 2cy male Red-footed Falcon spinning some moves over Frensham Common on Friday

Seconds also for the Elegant Tern on Friday

a lucky encounter with a female Sand Lizard at Frensham on Monday

against migration: the Whimbrel at Pagham on Friday

one of my first Silver-studded Blues at Frensham on Friday

a challenge for the title in Sutton on Friday

Perry and Gwen's progeny in Sutton on Friday

A peaceful scene on the East Flood at Oare Marshes on Wednesday

Sedge Warbler at Pagham on Friday

2cy Little Gull at Pagham (PW)