Tuesday, 24 April 2012

A few days in Dorset 21/4 - 24/4 2012

I spent a few days in Dorset this week and picked up a few decent birds as well as a number of spring migrants I haven't yet seen back in Kent:

22/4 - Durlston Country Park: Plenty of Guillemots and a couple of Razorbill from the cliffs. Also, a female Bullfinch, my first Whitethroat of the year, a Sandwich Tern passed, singing Chiffs and Blackcaps, a Raven and a few Swallows through.

22/4 - Brand's Bay approaching low tide: Two flyover Med Gulls, two Whimbrel, a Common Tern and a couple of Sandwich Terns. A few hirundines passed through with two Sand Martin, two House Martin and a few Swallows.

23/4 - Just outside Wool: I twitched a short-staying White Stork, which left flying North 20 mins after I saw it. I saw another White Stork last year on 14/4, so both birds fell in the ideal migratory period for this species.

23/4 - Studland NNR and Little Sea: A bit quiete, but singing Willow Warblers, Chiffs and a couple of Wheatears and another couple of flyover Med Gulls.

23/4 - Middlebere: Hoping for Osprey and Spoonbills, but alas I had to make do with Chiffs, a couple of Sedge Warblers, a few Buzzards, a single Greenshank and c300 Blackwits.

24/4 - Studland NNR and Little Sea: Still no Dartford Warblers, but out at the Little Sea there was a juv Little Gull flitting from the surface into the air before alighting on the surface again. Also at least four Swifts, four House Martins and some Swallows through. A single Sparrowhawk fly along the adge of the lake.

74 species in three days and an additional 17 for the year list.

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Nightingales Arrive - 15/04/12

A quick walk around Eastcourt Meadow at Riverside CP this morning and I heard two singing Nightingales (the first of the year for the park) as well as a few Chiffs and Blackcaps. Still 93 Brent Geese on the high tide.

Friday, 13 April 2012

Still a bit quiet.

I still haven't seen much evidence of migration around Medway. I had three Swallows over Riverside CP from the seawall towards Motney last week and a quick walk around Berengrave today (13th)only gave up a few Chiffs and Blackcaps as well as a flyover Med Gull.

I was ringing at Sandwich on Wed (11th) and even there the migration wasn't really flowing. I processed a re-trap Tree Sparrow which was a lovely little bird and ringed a male Blackap. We flushed a couple of Grey Partridge from the Whitehouse and a Cuckoo was reported nearby.