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...

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.

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.

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.