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.

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...

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.

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 - 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.

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.