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

Bonaparte's Gull and Stodmarsh

Liam and I arranged to meet up for a day's birding today so I picked him up from Dorking at 11.00am and we set off for Stodmarsh, seeing as the apparently reliable Penduline Tit had come on the pager. As we were approaching the exit for Eastbourne the Bonaparte's Gull bleeped up so instead of this being our second destination we made a split second decision to secure this bird first. With it being a warm day for February and very sun-shiny I expected there to be tons of punters at this coastal spot gasping for an early taste of the warmer days to come but it wasn't too bad and parking was pretty straightforward. As was finding the BONAPARTE'S GULL. It showed down to thirty or forty feet in brilliant sunshine. I remarked that for a bird so close, so slow and in such strong light it was a right bugger to photograph. This was mainly because it seemed to have either severe OCD, a boredom complex or a nasty itch - it wouldn't stop bloody preening itself (especially its right wing) so getting the sharp, evenly lit profile shot that I wanted took a bit of time. This was a lifer for Liam. Only a plumage tick for me but by far my best views!

The Bonaparte's Gull could be picked out with the naked eye from its small size and endless preening!

We watched the bird for about half an hour then pointed east for Penduline Tit. Which one, though? Dungeness was nearer but the Stodmarsh bird had more of a history of showing reliably, so we plumped for this bird. As we approached the towering city walls of Canterbury, we suddenly ended up under a huge blanket of thick cloud which also loomed over Stodmarsh and this lowered the light and temperature levels considerably. When we arrived the Penduline Tit hadn't been seen in nearly an hour and despite a fair bit of searching we couldn't locate it. As dusk approached we trudged along Lampen Wall to watch the harriers come to roost. No Marsh Harriers surprisingly but we did get spectacular views of a wonderful male Hen Harrier and three ringtails. Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers excerised their voices across the marsh and on the main lake there were a number of Great Crested Grebes and Pochards.

Kent

Last Monday I took Alex Bowes for a day birding in Kent, we didn't find anything great but a selection of interesting birds were seen. We started at Dungeness where about half a dozen Manx Shearwaters and a Black Tern were the highlights plus Cuckoo, Hobby etc. Grove Ferry and Stodmarsh produced two Turtle Doves, about four Cuckoos including a hepatic bird, a Barn Owl, at least one Bittern, three drake Garganeys, a couple of Bearded Tits, a Common Sandpiper, three Wigeons, plus a handful of Ringed Plovers, Greenshanks and Redshanks.

All photos from Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh...

hepatic female Cuckoo

normal female Cuckoo

female Bearded Tit

Garganey

Turtle Dove

Rolling on up

Today a trip up north was a great success with the ROLLER showing very well (although looking very wet) - nice views flying, feeding and resting so cheers all round. Also called in on was the Marsh Warbler at Blacktoft Sands RSPB which gave itself up far more easily than the bird at Rainham that I tried to see yesterday - sadly this bird flew out of view just as I had my finger on the shutter! Two lifers in a day... cool!

Roller

The patch has, as expected, been slow. Loads of ruddy Red Kites, great birds but when's my Honey-buzzard coming? Got another view of the Legal & General Tawny Owl juv on Thursday, a lot more mature and very adult-like now.

Tawny Owl

Also last Saturday (26th), Ian and I popped down to Northward Hill RSPB for the Greenish Warbler, we heard it but didn't see it. This bumped my heard-but-not-seen British list to two, giving Bee-eater some company. We did, however, score with the two White-winged Black Terns at Stodmarsh later in the day, where a Bittern boomed, a Cuckoo called and Hobbies hawked around us while a Little Stint and a couple of Wood Sandpipers were nice in the wader department.

White-winged Black Tern(s) - can't remember whether these two pics are of the same or diff birds, doesn't matter...

Also very very late but I never got round to mentioning a little trip to Oxfordshire involving my mate Liam back on April 28th, where the Dotterel at Balscote and the flock of six White Storks at Standridge were successfully twitched.

White Storks, Standbridge, April

Dotterel, Balscote, April (little did I know...)

This got the pulse racing momentarily at Staines Res back at the end of April - beware!!!

Things are beginning to warm up a bit . . .

Night-herons

A quick catch up. On Sunday, Alex Bowes and I spent an afternoon in the Kent. At Stodmarsh, the pair of juvenile Night-herons was the highlight along with a Wood Sandpiper that I found from the Marsh Hide - both were lifers for Alex. We moved on to another site elsewhere in Kent where we searched for a couple of Schedule 1 breeders but luck was not on our side.

That morning I caught the first bus to the patch, in order to give it a bit of coverage before the Kent outing. A couple of Sand Martins were a very pleasant surprise - due to the lack of water this is only an uncommon passage migrant at the patch. Not long after this a flock of nine calling Crossbills passed over, heading south - very satisfying after all the hours I've been putting in over the summer, primarily in search of this species.

Yesterday I was on the phone to Roy Weller discussing how autumn migration should be slowly starting around now. Literally one minute after I put the phone away, three Meadow Pipits flew in and landed on the 'Barn Owl Barn' by the derelict one! I was watching these when I heard what sounded like a Yellow Wagtail for the second time that morning (I considered it a mis-hearing when I caught a single call an hour or so previously) - the culprit then flew over me and towards Broadfield, calling several times as it went and it was indeed a Yellow Wagtail, the first at the patch (and, I believe, London and Surrey) this autumn. This bird was again present this morning, as were the three Meadow Pipits - only they were joined by another Sand Martin! Things really are staring to move; I'm hoping to catch a new patch wader over the coming month, perhaps a few evening visits will produce the goods?

enquiry: have you noticed Swallows with white patches on the upperparts similar to this? As far as I can remember, I have only seen birds like this at Canons Farm this year.