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.

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.

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.

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.