Capstone Farm CP - 18th Oct 2014

With birds apparently appearing all around the coast, but not much time on my hands, I went for a couple of hours' walk to Capstone Farm CP near Chatham.  Sometimes this place can be a little sparse for birds, but there seemed to be some movement on this Saturday afternoon.

I walked from the top car park around the perimeter of the park.  Across the horse paddocks a small movement of 10+ Mistle Thrushes were passing through, alighting on the fenceline.

I continued around the park, noting Green Woodpecker, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits in mixed flocks.  One Chiffchaff called as it dropped into a bush out of sight.  However, the highlight was found right at the back of the park favouring the tops of bushes on a mound.  This Whinchat must be pretty late in passing through Kent:

I finished off with a few more common species including Pied Wagtails, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows and a lot of Jays.  One Redwing flying over added a wintery feel.

Of note from elsewhere, midweek saw a huge movement of Ring Ouzels through Kent with a high count of 550 through Dungeness!  I managed to catch up with the 7 at Leysdown-on-Sea at the Pitch and Putt:

Autumn's not over yet, so there's still hope for something decent in Kent!

Oare Marshes and some garden moths.

On Sunday 27th July I went for a walk around Oare Marshes, mainly to catch up with the Bonaparte's Gull, but there was plenty else about as well.  Lots of Avocet, Blackwits, Golden Plovers, a few Dunlin, Green Sands, Yellow Wagtail and an interesting moth - Sitochroa palealis.

Then overnight on Sunday I caught a Tree Lichen Beauty and a couple of Onocera semirubella, both were new for the garden.

A few pics here:

 Avocet

 Bonaparte's Gull

 Golden Plover

 Yellow Wagtail

Sitochroa palealis

Wow - I haven't posted for 14 months!

I'm not sure I can remember everything that's happend since May 2013.  In birding terms, I added 7 species to my BOU and Kent list (seeing as I rarely bird outside Kent), then in 2014, I did add one from outside Kent - the Short-toed Eagle.

In terms of moths, I have added 23 Macros and 46 Micros to my life list!

The bird additions were:

Bonaparte's Gull, 28/04/14 at Oare
Dusky Thrush (now accepted), 18/05/13 at Margate Cemetry
Montagu's Harrier, 18/05/13 at Reculver on the way home from the Thrush
Black Kite, 10/06/13 nr Selling
Lesser Yellowlegs, 25/09/13 at Cliffe
Lesser Grey Shrike, 06/10/13 at Capel Fleet, Sheppey
Yellow-browed Warbler, 14/10/13 at Reculver
Short-toed Eagle, 31/05/14 at Morden Bog in Dorset

The thrush was a big old twitch having rolled over in bed in the morning and checked Birdguides (I don't have a pager) and seen it was still there I shot off to the Cemetry.  Then on the way back, I swung by for the Monty's at Reculver.  Two in one day doesn't happen very often in Kent.

The Lesser Grey Shrike was hard work as I sprinted across the fields on the first evening only to hear it had just gone to roost.  I came back the next morning and connected which was really pleasing.

I found my first YBW in the poplar trees by the caravan park at Reculver having tried so many times for this species over the years!

Finally, the Short-toed Eagle rocked up on 31/05/14 when we were staying in Swange, Dorset.  I had seen it come up on Birdguides and it kept moving, leaving me thinking it was going to be the usual flyover reports.  Then just as I settled into the bath, I checked once more to find it was settled in a tree at Morden Bog!  Out the bath, dried and dressed then I high-tailed it the 9 miles to the Bog and ran to the 30-40 gathered people to watch it for about half an hour as the sun set.  A Nightjar started singing whilst we were there which added some value to the trip!

 My moth numbers have gone up, but only really stuck in the garden.  I'm still really keen to get hold of a generator to get out to some different habitat, but getting more and more into Micros has certainly helped with numbers.

As I write, my BOU list is on  272, my Kent list is on 242.
Macro moths is on 347 and Mircos on 97 = 444.

We're off to Dorset for a couple of weeks in the late summer, so might get some more moths.  Although the way this summer is going on the east coast for rarities, I might still pick up some new birds...

Dungeness - 6-8 May 2013

I made my spring trip to Dunge at the beginning of the week.  I headed down in the late afternoon on Monday 6th.  I went straight to the seawatching hide at about 5.30pm.  Within 30 mins my first Pomarine Skua went passed and until 7.30pm another 3 flew East.  I also had 1 Arctic and  1 high Bonxie over the hide.  Then news of a Montagu's Harrier came in over the entrance to the RSPB, so I jumped in with Andy L and made my way round there.  We didn't get even close - it might have been a Hen anyway.

Next day I was up at 4.50am and after a walk around an empty moat I headed to the sea again.  I stayed until 9.00am and had another 9 Poms, 1 Arctic and 1 Bonxie.  Later, back at the sea during the early evening, I had a flock of 8 Velvet Scoter heading East.  Elsewhere, I headed over to Scotney to look for the Long-tailed Duck which I found on one of the back pits with a Wood Sandpiper as a bonus.  Finishing off at Denge Marsh there was a booming Bittern.  Migrants were thin on the ground with only Yellow Wags in any abundance.  3 Hobbies over the Water Tower by ARC was nice though.  The trapping area and desert was hard work for a few Chiffs and Willow Warblers.

Finally on the last day, Wednesday 8th, I went for another early seawatch, which was cut short by heavy and persistent rain.  It did yield 1 Pom, 8 Velvet Scoter, 1 Roseate Tern and 1 Black Tern.

A total of 94 species over a couple of days wasn't bad, despite no particularly exciting arrivals...

The moth trap only yielded 3 Tawny Shears.

Spring Update - 30th April 2013

I've managed to catch up with a good number of spring migrants now and even a good Kent rarirty.

I started to pop down to Riverside CP in Gillingham in the evenings hoping to catch up with owls or even hear a crake.  I have really targetted around Rainham Dock East and the Motney Reedbeds.  In the last few weeks I've seen a good fall of Chiffs on 15th April when I picked up my first singing Nightingale as well.  I am pretty sure there were two singing a couple of nights later, but have only had one since.  Also in the second half of April at Riverside I've seen Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Sedge Warbler, with the reisdent Cetti's singing throughout.

I took a walk from Broadstairs round the coast to Margate on Sat 27th April and whilst it seemed fairly quiete, I did pick up my first Wheatear of the spring and a really unusual Lark which I flushed from Foreness.

Then on Sunday 28th I got news of a Bonaparte's Gull at RSPB Elmley.  I jumped in the car with a bike in the boot and cycled furiously down to Wellmarsh Hide where the 1st winter bird showed brilliantly.  I managed a few photos:

This one seems to show the features pretty well.  You can even see the bubblegum pink legs...

Also one one of my evening visits to Rainham Dock East, I was looking through the viewing screen when a Long-eared Owl swept into the trees, perching on a fallen log for a while before flying off.  Fantastic!

Most recently, I was sitting in the garden on 30th April when a Med Gull flew over calling.  Not long after this, I heard a Herring Gull and casually looked up.  I was kind of surprised to see it mobbing a Hobby.

16/07/2012 - Riverside CP

With an autumnal feel to the weather, it seems that the wader migration has also begun.  225 Blackwits on the estaury from Motney Hill with 3 Spotted Reshanks in Otterham Creek as they are coming out of their summer plumage.  A few finches on the move as well with small flocks of Goldfinch and Greenfinch heading over.  No doubt come the real autumn passage, the weather will improve and we'll have calm sunny conditions...!

Cliffe, Shuart and Grove Ferry

Cliffe Pools - 22/05/2012:
I drove to the BB pools and then up to the sea wall.  Not a huge amount around and the water levels are still quite high.  A single Hobby zipped through and a Cuckoo was calling from between the mounds again.  A young Stonechat was up near the sea wall.  Not much else to report.  Some of the Avocets were with chicks though.

M2 J5-6:
A Red Kite over the motorway was nice to see, albeit being unable to stop and have a good look!

Shuart - 23/05/2012:
I walked from the end of the lane along the track to the railway line and back.  A single Turtle Dove calling from along the track and a very persistent Cuckoo moving around the area.  Two Yellow Wags over the fields and plenty of Swifts.  Singing Cettis, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Chiff, Blackcap, Sedge and Reed Warblers.

Grove Ferry - 23/05/2012:
A few Buzzards up along the ridge, the usual Marsh Harriers and at least 5 Hobby .  Plenty of singing warblers and two drake Garganey on the pool from the viewing mound.  Also amongst the many Gadwall was a single drake Wigeon.

My camera is broken at the moment, so no pics for a while...

Nightingales and Stilts - 6th May 2012

0530 - Nightingale survey at Riverside CP.  Only one singing, but a Turtle Dove purring in the background made for a pleasing sound to show the Maltese shooters that the birds will somehow get through.  Also about were a few Reed Warblers, one Lesser Whitethroat, lots of Whitethroat, a couple of Willow Warblers and a few Chiffs.

1615 - A quick trip over to Elmley for the Black-winged Stilts; 4 of them!  Loads about on Elmley as well. Up to 4 SEO's, 2 or 3 Marsh Harriers, 3 Spotted Redshanks, 4 Greenshanks, 5 Whimbrel, 3 Barwits and a few Yellow Wags about.

Riverside 5th May 2012

I took a quick walk around Riverside CP this afternoon.  Of interest were at least 3 Nightingales, 2 Turtle Doves, 1 Willow Warbler as well as the usual fare.

I was down at Dungeness the previous week and picked up a good few for the year list as well as participating in a mammoth sea watch which broke at least one previous spring record (this one for Arctic Skuas, but the Bonxies came pretty close as well). Only one Pom, but out on the reserve, Lesser Whitethroat, Little Ringed Plover and gathering numbers of Hirundines.

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.

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.

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.

Darland Banks - 30th March 2012

I walked from one end (Hempstead) to the Other (Luton/Chatham) this morning. Lots of singing Chiffs (9) and Blackcaps (4). No migrants to really speak of though. I was hoping the movement of Red Kites yesterday might continue overhead in Medway, but alas, no BOPs other than a Kestrel in a large Beech tree mewing it's excited/anxious calls suggesting probable breeding somewhere nearby. Several Jackdaws passing overhead with nesting material in their beaks and a Great-spotted Woodpecker drumming somewhere in the woods. Also two Green Woodpeckers and the usual fayre of Tits, Finches and Corvids.

Berengrave and Rainham Dock East

As part of my recce for the upcoming Nightingale survey, I had a brief walk around Berengrave NR and into Rainham Dock East. Walking the loop around the disused quarry/pit was enjoyable in the sunshine and accompanied by at least four singing Chiffchaff. Also about; Green Woodpecker, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Wren, Dunnock and down by the small pond a Coot. Moving into Rainham Dock East I picked out a Med Gull circling amongst a few Black-headed Gulls (it tends to give itself away with its call). More singing Chiffs and from the viewing screen a single Cetti's could be heard.

Hopefully at the end of April and into May, these areas will be dripping with Nightingales.

Some updates.

I've not birded that much in Medway this year, but did see the Long-tailed Duck again in January at Chatham Maritime and went out for the Red-necked Grebe at Cliffe:


Red-necked Grebe - Timber Lake, Cliffe Pools, Kent on 16th Feb.

I went across to see the Hooded Merganser at Whetsted GP's on 29th Feb:


Hooded Merganser - Whetsted Gravel Pits on 29th Feb.

On Thursday 15th March I went across to Sheppey and spent a few hours around Elmley RSPB. Good for raptors, but not much else other than two Med Gulls flying over. I found a couple of Marsh Harriers, a single ringtail Hen Harrier, a Peregrine, a Merlin and this Short-eared Owl:


Short-eared Owl, Elmley RSPB on 15th March.

I heard my first singing Chiffchaff this morning in the garden and have just got the moth trap running again. So far I've only had a few species:
Hebrew Character
Common Quaker
Early Grey
CLouded Drab
Small Quaker

Red-necked Grebe - Cliffe on 16th Feb 2012

I walked out to the Timber Lake at the Western end of Cliffe on Thursday and located the Red-necked Grebe. I managed a few pictures alongside a Great-crested Grebe. Whulst walking from the old Church at Higham, a Peregrine flew along parallel to the power lines.

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