Long-tailed Duck at Chatham Maritime 27/10/2011

I went across to Chatham Maritime this evening after hearing that there was a Juv Long-tailed Duck present. This was a Kent tick for me and so it would have been rude not to go. Anyway, a pretty little duck which kept swimming into the centre of the East Basin whenever someone walked along the the edge and then was always on the move! I managed a couple of shots with my new digiscoping kit.

Riverside CP - 19th October 2011

I walked from the main car park around Eastcourt Meadows then out to Horrid Hill and back in to the visitor centre before heading off out to Motney Hill and back. The most interesting bird was a Peregrine which powered in towards a group of waders, which it completely missed before alighting on the old causeway some distance out (record shot attached). Also, good numbers of Avocet (c450), Brent Goose (170) and Great-crested Grebe (20). I also saw two Greenshank, one Marsh Harrier, one Sparrowhawk and one Kestrel. A bit of movement with 20 Chaffinch passing over and four Skylark as well as a few Reed Bunting.


Peregrine Falcon.

I really need to get a digiscoping kit as holding my digital camera to the telescope lens just results in too much shake for any decent shots. I've tried a couple below:


Curlew.


LBBG.


Greenshank.

Isabelline Shrike - Cliffe Pools 16/10/2011

Absolutely stunning bird and showing pretty well. Great views with a scope, but not much use for the cameras. Isabelline Shrike is split into three races with only two likely to occur over here. Daurian and Turkestan. This bird seemed to fall somewhere in between with a lovely rufous crown, but no supercillium of note. No doubt it will be discussed on the forums until someone makes their mind up, but the BOU just lumps them all as Isabelline at the moment due to hybridisation. Also seen, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and a few Little Egrets.

Isabelline Shrike at Cliffe...

Stuck at home waiting for the car to come back. Will I make it before dusk? To be continued...

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 - 27/09/2011 PALLID HARRIER

I arrived on site early this morning, just after the sunrise. My aim - the Pallid Harrier which roosted there on the 26th for the second time. I walked up to the 1st Viewing Mound over the Black Barn pools and there were only two other birders there! Anyway, one of the RSPB guys, Rolf spotted a Harrier on the other side of the track as it headed down towards the Black Barn. A quick check before it landed confirmed it was the illusive Pallid! The bird landed on a small grassy mound and sat preening itself for 20 minutes or so before taking off again, seemingly hunting. It then landed again but now out of sight. However, it went up again when the sheep came trotting into the field. This time is headed back towards the Thames then across East out across the Isle of Grain. A really stunning bird and all the features were easy enough to pick up. The really obvious pale collar which extended onto the nape, the pale trailing edge or hand of the wing, the rufous, unstreaked belly and breast. However, looking at some photos of the bird, the wing tip is not pale, but appears dark. This doesn't question the Id, but is an interesting feature nonetheless. The other thing I learnt about Pallid Harriers is that the iris is pale in Juv males but not Juv females, making this bird a male. Cool bird and only the third Kent record and the first since 2002.

Also on the reserve were 3 Curlew Sands, 13 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 6 Blackwits, 2 Barwits (circled over 1st Black Barn pool but didn't land), Lapwing, Avocet and Green Sanpiper. Just before I left, a Marsh Harrier passed through. Again, there was a Black-necked Grebe on Flamingo.

Cliffe Pools - 19/09/2011

I walked from the car park round the top, back down passed Black Barn Pools and along the bottom back to the car from 10.30 til 3.15 today. Of interest were:

Black-necked Grebe - 1 on Flamingo Pool.
Black-tailed Godwit - 54 on Flamingo Pool.
Yellow-legged Gull - 1 on the Thames foreshore by the creek.
Whinchat - 2 along the track from the sea wall down to the Black Barn pools.
Ruff - 8 on the first Black Barn Pool.
Green Sandpiper - 1 on the first Black Barn Pool.
Spotted Redshank - 2 on Radar Pool.
Greenshank - 2 on Radar Pool.

Also of note, I found a young Grass Snake along the path between the top of Flamingo Pool and the viewing point over the creek by the sea wall.

A few butterflies still about as well with Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Large White and Small Heath.


Redshank - Cliffe Pools


Spotted Redshank - a distant record shot...


Grass Snake - Cliffe. Clearly showing the yellow collar which is one of the separating features between this and the Adder.

Cliffe Pools - 07/09/2011

I made a quick trip to Cliffe on Wednesday. Not a huge amount about and I dipped the Spoonbill. But sitting up around the 1st Black Barn pool I found 7 Curlew Sands and 13 Ruff. Also a single Yellow Wag around the scrub at the water's edge.

A couple of updates - but not from Medway.

A couple of rarities from the last few weeks. Whilst staying in Dorset, I took an afternoon out to head across to Lodmoor RSPB to try and catch up with the Stilt Sandpiper seen there the previous day. Having walked far too long, I realised I had taken the wrong route past the 'hump'. SO I turned back and found a single birder from Merseyside looking at a largely empty scrape. After sifting through a couple of Green Sands and Snipe, the bird appeared from behind some vegetation. It was an impressive bird with fantastic barring to the flanks and the clearly longer legs. A great bird, probably now in the Camargue in France. Whilst in Dorset, I also caught up with Pied Fly, Redstart and Nightjar.

Nearer home, I popped across to Farthing Downs, Coulsden and caught up with a really showy Hoopoe. I first saw it in flight, then grubbing about on the ground and finally perched for all to see in a dead hawthorn tree. Great views.