Dungeness - 8th December 2011

I went down to Dungeness today to try and find the Hume's Leaf Warbler, but after a good 1.5 hrs thrashing around the trapping area, I was wet, cold and still hadn't found it. There were a few birds about with 4 Goldcrest, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff and a few Blue and Great Tits. Then I went for a seawatch for another 1.5 hrs which didn't yield a huge amount - 38+ Guillemots, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Great-crested Grebe as well as Gannets, Cormorants and a variety of the more common gulls.

However, I then went out towards the fishing boats and found the Glaucous Gull sitting within easy photo distance of the car. I didn't even see the Caspian Gull next to it until Dave pointed it out! The Casp was a Kent tick for me, having seen them before at RSPB Rainham.

I then drove back ot the ARC pit and saw the Great White Egret on the way there. From ARC I saw the recent Peduline Tit, Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye and almost all the more common ducks.

Not a bad day for December with two year ticks and one kent.



Glaucous Gull



Caspian Gull



Penduline Tit

Shellness and Raptor Watch point - 28/11/2011

A quick trip round Shellness didn't reveal anything spectaculae on the rarity front, but was made up for in numbers. Loads and loads of Mallard on the sea which seemed a little unusal and mixed in with them some Common Scoter. On the beaches were plenty of Sanderling and Turnstone whilst round at the wader roost it was choc-a-block with Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin and Barwits. Walking back to the car park, a Short-eared Owl flew over. The only other BoPs were a pair of hunting Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel.

Fromt the Raptor Watchpoint, I only picked up a couple of Marsh Harriers, a Kestrel, the usual Corn Bunts on the wires and a drop-in Green Sandpiper.

Riverside CP - 16th November 2011

I spent just over an hour walking around Motney Hill this afternoon. The best of the bunch was an Adult (Winter) Med Gull on the east side of Rainham Dock on the high tide and on the bank to the east there were a few Red-legged Partridge running about. Whilst out at the RSPB bit of Motney Hill, three Red-breasted Merganser flew upriver.

Not much else of note.

Shellness and Swale NNR then on to the Raptor Watch Point 08/11/2011

I went for an afternoon out at Shellness hoping to do a bit of seawatching, but visibility wasn't good and other than 16 Common Scoter, there wasn't anything passing the point. So I walked out to the wader roost at Shellness. A good selection of waders including Knot, Barwit, Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Sanderling. I did find what seems to be a leucistic Dunlin as well (see pic). Out at the point a flock of 13 Snow Buntings were rising from the roped off wader roost, circling about then landing again out of sight. Then back to the car and a quick look in the bushes around the car park revealed just a single Goldcrest. Although there was also a colour-ringed Mipit (yellow ring on right leg, but couldn't make out the lettering.

I then started to head back and stopped at the little ramp by the boats. Whilst looking at some Sanderling, I saw a bird flicker up onto one of the telegraph poles - a quick check in the bins and it was a Great Grey Shrike. My first in Kent and a self-found one! It went out of sight, but I track it down behind the mound on a fence post and managed a few pics.

Then, still buzzing, I went round to the Raptor Watchpoint at Capel Fleet and was immediately greeted with superb views of three Short-eared Owls(more pics). Just as I was leaving, I saw a very tall white Egret in the ditch behind the watchpoint and as it took off, I clamped the bins on it and confirmed my suspicion that it was in fact a Great White Egret. One of two in the area at the moment.

Along with a few Marsh Harrier, this didn't make a bad afternoon birding on Sheppy!



Dunlin



Great Grey Shrike



Short-eared Owl

Rough-leg at Shellness/Swale NNR - 28/10/2011

After an early morning trip to Oare this morning (where I saw a stunning male Hen Harrier) I went across to Sheppey to try and catch up with the Rough-legged Buzzard which has been hanging around Shellness/Swale NNR for the last few days. I managed pretty good views of it hovering and hunting over the back of the fields. It was joined by the pale Common Buzzard which had a very pale tail base just to make things confusing! No pics, as it was too far off.

Long-tailed Duck at Chatham Maritime 27/10/2011

I went across to Chatham Maritime this evening after hearing that there was a Juv Long-tailed Duck present. This was a Kent tick for me and so it would have been rude not to go. Anyway, a pretty little duck which kept swimming into the centre of the East Basin whenever someone walked along the the edge and then was always on the move! I managed a couple of shots with my new digiscoping kit.

Riverside CP - 19th October 2011

I walked from the main car park around Eastcourt Meadows then out to Horrid Hill and back in to the visitor centre before heading off out to Motney Hill and back. The most interesting bird was a Peregrine which powered in towards a group of waders, which it completely missed before alighting on the old causeway some distance out (record shot attached). Also, good numbers of Avocet (c450), Brent Goose (170) and Great-crested Grebe (20). I also saw two Greenshank, one Marsh Harrier, one Sparrowhawk and one Kestrel. A bit of movement with 20 Chaffinch passing over and four Skylark as well as a few Reed Bunting.


Peregrine Falcon.

I really need to get a digiscoping kit as holding my digital camera to the telescope lens just results in too much shake for any decent shots. I've tried a couple below:


Curlew.


LBBG.


Greenshank.

Isabelline Shrike - Cliffe Pools 16/10/2011

Absolutely stunning bird and showing pretty well. Great views with a scope, but not much use for the cameras. Isabelline Shrike is split into three races with only two likely to occur over here. Daurian and Turkestan. This bird seemed to fall somewhere in between with a lovely rufous crown, but no supercillium of note. No doubt it will be discussed on the forums until someone makes their mind up, but the BOU just lumps them all as Isabelline at the moment due to hybridisation. Also seen, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and a few Little Egrets.

Isabelline Shrike at Cliffe...

Stuck at home waiting for the car to come back. Will I make it before dusk? To be continued...

Riverside CP - 14th October 2011

A walk from Rainham Dock out to Motney Hill and back late afternoon. When I arrived, the tide was just starting to go out. Out on the marsh at Motney Hill, I found a good selection of waders in the channel which leads out to the river. All tucked up in this channel were:
Dunlin, Spotted Redshank (2), Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit (1), Avocet, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Turnstone, Lapwing and Grey Plover. Two Cetti's in the reedbeds and a few Meadow Pipits over. Something put the waders up and there were 200+ Avocet. By the time I walked back, the tide was almost out and the birds were all directly into the sun.

Riverside CP - 9th and 10th October 2011

Just a quick update from two very brief visits to Riverside CP over the last couple of days as I have now moved house to Rainham.

On Sunday, I walked out and round Horrid Hill, but the tide was way out. A few Curlew, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing about on the mud. I did manage to pick up a male Marsh Harrier hunting over Nor Marsh.

Today, I parked nearer Motney Hill and walked along the sea wall for a bit. The tide was out again and much the same birds were on the mud. There was a strange LBB Gull on the mud with a charcoal grey mantle and wings but completely black wing tips with no visible mirrors. Then the male Marsh Harrier passed over the mud putting a few bits up into the air, including a Greenshank. I heard two Cetti's Warblers in the reedbeds opposite the sea wall.

Cliffe Pools - 27/09/2011 PALLID HARRIER

I arrived on site early this morning, just after the sunrise. My aim - the Pallid Harrier which roosted there on the 26th for the second time. I walked up to the 1st Viewing Mound over the Black Barn pools and there were only two other birders there! Anyway, one of the RSPB guys, Rolf spotted a Harrier on the other side of the track as it headed down towards the Black Barn. A quick check before it landed confirmed it was the illusive Pallid! The bird landed on a small grassy mound and sat preening itself for 20 minutes or so before taking off again, seemingly hunting. It then landed again but now out of sight. However, it went up again when the sheep came trotting into the field. This time is headed back towards the Thames then across East out across the Isle of Grain. A really stunning bird and all the features were easy enough to pick up. The really obvious pale collar which extended onto the nape, the pale trailing edge or hand of the wing, the rufous, unstreaked belly and breast. However, looking at some photos of the bird, the wing tip is not pale, but appears dark. This doesn't question the Id, but is an interesting feature nonetheless. The other thing I learnt about Pallid Harriers is that the iris is pale in Juv males but not Juv females, making this bird a male. Cool bird and only the third Kent record and the first since 2002.

Also on the reserve were 3 Curlew Sands, 13 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 6 Blackwits, 2 Barwits (circled over 1st Black Barn pool but didn't land), Lapwing, Avocet and Green Sanpiper. Just before I left, a Marsh Harrier passed through. Again, there was a Black-necked Grebe on Flamingo.

Cliffe Pools - 19/09/2011

I walked from the car park round the top, back down passed Black Barn Pools and along the bottom back to the car from 10.30 til 3.15 today. Of interest were:

Black-necked Grebe - 1 on Flamingo Pool.
Black-tailed Godwit - 54 on Flamingo Pool.
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 on the Thames foreshore by the creek.
Whinchat - 2 along the track from the sea wall down to the Black Barn pools.
Ruff - 8 on the first Black Barn Pool.
Green Sandpiper - 1 on the first Black Barn Pool.
Spotted Redshank - 2 on Radar Pool.
Greenshank - 2 on Radar Pool.

Also of note, I found a young Grass Snake along the path between the top of Flamingo Pool and the viewing point over the creek by the sea wall.

A few butterflies still about as well with Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Large White and Small Heath.


Redshank - Cliffe Pools


Spotted Redshank - a distant record shot...


Grass Snake - Cliffe. Clearly showing the yellow collar which is one of the separating features between this and the Adder.

Cliffe Pools - 07/09/2011

I made a quick trip to Cliffe on Wednesday. Not a huge amount about and I dipped the Spoonbill. But sitting up around the 1st Black Barn pool I found 7 Curlew Sands and 13 Ruff. Also a single Yellow Wag around the scrub at the water's edge.

A couple of updates - but not from Medway.

A couple of rarities from the last few weeks. Whilst staying in Dorset, I took an afternoon out to head across to Lodmoor RSPB to try and catch up with the Stilt Sandpiper seen there the previous day. Having walked far too long, I realised I had taken the wrong route past the 'hump'. SO I turned back and found a single birder from Merseyside looking at a largely empty scrape. After sifting through a couple of Green Sands and Snipe, the bird appeared from behind some vegetation. It was an impressive bird with fantastic barring to the flanks and the clearly longer legs. A great bird, probably now in the Camargue in France. Whilst in Dorset, I also caught up with Pied Fly, Redstart and Nightjar.

Nearer home, I popped across to Farthing Downs, Coulsden and caught up with a really showy Hoopoe. I first saw it in flight, then grubbing about on the ground and finally perched for all to see in a dead hawthorn tree. Great views.

Cliffe Pools - 26/05/11

A quick visit to Cliffe this morning whilst my wife went to Bluewater! Only really time to sit about by the 1st and 2nd viewing mounds which was very blustery.



View from the 2nd viewing mound. Although not as attractive to the scarcer birds which have visited the site, in years gone by it has held Broad-billed Sandpiper, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike as well as annual Garganey.

From the 1st viewing mound there were more than 60 Avocets feeding across the black barn pools with 12 Dunlin, one Greenshank, lots of Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover, Lapwing and 100's of Shelduck. Also large numbers of Swifts moving around/through. I then took a break out the wind at the bottom of the viewing mound to look across the fields out eastwards. Not much moving about but 2 Adult summer Med Gulls flew over calling. A few Little Egrets and a Kestrel. A few Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving over and a Cettis calling from the reedbed. The only other warblers were Reed, Whitethroat and a few Blackcaps.

As I left I noted a Great-crested Grebe on the main pool and a Green woodpecker flew from one of the pilons.

Riverside CP - 20/05/11

I walked from the visitor centre towards Motney Hill, then back to Horrid Hill. However, I timed it all wrong and have not seen the tide as far out before! Still, trying to make the best of it, the following were seen of any interest:

Lesser Whitethroat - 3 singing in the scrub along the path between the visitor centre and Motney Hill.
Black-tailed Godwit - only one on the mud.
Brent Goose - 24 out on the incoming tide.
Cuckoo - one calling from Eastcourt Meadows.

Not Medway, but worth it anyway.

I spent two nights down at the Obs in Dungeness this week and thankfully they proved to be just at the right time. On the way down I thought I'd swing by the ARC to see if the Red-backed Shrike was still about on the 9th. When I got to the Water Tower, it hadn't been seen for more than 20 mins, so I stood with the only three other birders and waited. Sure enough within 20 mins of arriving, one of the other guys picked it up poking its head out of a bush. We then watched it for the next 30 mins or so before it seemed to disappear. I picked it up sitting with its back to us in the sun under the firs. I left with the bird still there. As I left, I passed Dave Walker on his way to see it. He got some fantastic photos, one of which is now on the Obs website.

I then headed round to the Obs, dropped my stuff off and went for a stroll. There wasn't much about, but I did connect with the Glaucous Gull out by the fishing boats (poor record shot taken!). A couple of Black Terns passed by feeding at sea and I headed in. Dave had the moth trap out, so I was expectant for the morning with Purple Cloud and Dusky Hook-tip recorded earlier in the week.

Up at 5am for a seawatch, hoping for Poms, but alas I only managed 2 Arctics and 2 Little Terns of note. I gave up after an hour and a half and went in for breakfast just in time to go through the trap. I added 17 new Macros for my Life List and a load more NFY's. Despite being Na, Light Feathered Rustics totalled about 280!!! We also had Fox Moth, White Spot, Sharp-angled Peacock, Puss Moth, Cream-spot Tiger and some others brought across from another trap.

Then it was time for a bimble around the trapping area. Not much in the way of grounded migrants, but Dave found the first Whinchat of the year. Also, Garden Warbler, 3 singing Lesser Whitethroat and not much else. I had a quick look at Birdguides and saw at least 2 inland Roseate Terns, so my thinking was that if Berkshire has a Roseate, why wouldn't Dunge? With this blind optimism I headed for the patch. Within minutes of going through the terns on the beach I picked out a beautiful Roseate Tern in spring plummage with a very slight pink flush to the breast. The streamers were phenomenally long (they can just about be made out from my poor photos).

I passed Dave again at the seawatching hide and he headded down for the Roseate. I went off to Denge Marsh Road hoping that the Purple Herons had simply been hiding for three days! No such chance. But a Merlin passed through and several Hobby's overhead. Then off to ARC. This time, there was no one in the Hanson Hide, which was weird. So I checked Birdguides and saw a Collared Pratincole had been seen an hour and a half ago over New Excavations. I dashed off to the visitor centre just as it was radioed in that the bird was up again! More running and I got some glimpses through the bins to bank it before walking the rest of the way round to the Christmas Dell hide where I got amazing views with 20 or 30 other people. It did spend loads of time of the ground out of sight, but in the air it was magnificent. Then I headed back to the Obs picking up three Little Gulls at the far end of ARC. I went for an eveing stroll round the trapping area and found two each of Grey Partridge and Red-legged Partridge. Having just eaten dinner, Phil's radio crackled into life at about 8pm that a Crane was in the air over the back of Christmas Dell hide!!! We headed round to Denge Marsh Road with another guy and picked it up in a field. Pretty decent views given the fading light. Sadly, niether the Crane nor the Prat were seen the next day.

Having left Dunge really satisfied, two Red-rumped Swallows turned up! Still, you can't have it all...




Glaucous Gull by the Fishing Boats



Roseate Tern at The Patch


White Spot



Puss Moth


Fox Moth

Cliffe Pools 02/05/11

A very windy, but sunny trip to Cliffe today with some decent spring migrants and the usual species too:


Hobby - 2 East along the Thames then into the reserve by the grazing area to the eastern boundary.
Wheatear - 1 on the fence along the eadge of Coastguards.
Yellow Wagtail - 1 off the Thames on the path along the sea wall.
Greenshank - 8 on Coastguards and 2 others dotted about.
Dunlin - Huge flock (circa 200+) flew East down the Thames.
Barwits - 8 West down the Thames and 1 on Flamingo.
Blackwits - 3 on Flamingo.
Whimbrel - 2 on Flamingo.
Nightingale - only 1 heard.
Lesser Whitethroat - 2 heard.
Cettis - 3 heard.
Common Tern - steady trickle of 1s, 2s and 3s down the Thames.
Swift - 3 over the car park.

A new blog!

I will shortly be moving house from Hayes, Bromley to Chatham. I know that the KOS and others have some reporting on birds in the Medway area, but the whole place seems to be underwatched. So this blog aims to provide sightings as I visit the various sites in my new area. Key sites will no doubt be:

Riverside CP (Gillingham)
Capstone Farm CP (Chatham)
Darland Banks NR (Gillingham)
Cliffe Pools RSPB (Isle of Grain)
Northwood Hill RSPB (Isle of Grain)
And of course anywhere else.

The blog will also include Moth sightings from my moth trap deployments and any species found out and about in the area.

Wish me luck!