June including the Red-Foot

4th June

Suffering a bit of man-flu but tempted out by a call from Geoff about red kites at Seasalter. They were over the field along Seasalter Lane, three of them, although the farmer I met who told me he had seen eight. The kites must have been tired as they were on the ground at first but got up times for a fly about and at one time were fighting with a buzzard over a moorhen that one of them had caught. This was the morning after the big influx of over well over a hundred plus yesterday afternoon.

Red Kite Holding a Moorhen/Jackdaw or Something

14th June

First time out for a while and went to East Blean Woods finding a few heath fritllaries and at least two white admirals.

16-21st North of England

A really hot period first stopping at Flamborough and RSPB Bempton and get some photos of the gannets etc. but the bright sun made exposure tricky for the camera.

We had a day out on the moors finding a few red grouse, one with chicks. A few curlew could be heard calling and at one stop I disturbed a snipe with its young as I got out of the car.

The last couple of days were spent visiting my brother further north.

22nd June

I had a look at Duncan Down, close to where I live seeing a couple of broad-bodied chasers, large skippers and a red-eyed damselfly and some blues.

25th June

I went to Kingsdown looking for marbled whites which I found near the riffle range.

30th June  

I went to see the red-footed falcon at Grove.

The End of May

Sorry, I have been busy with other things lately and not much birding so I am just posting the low lights of the last part of the month.

20th May

Two wheatears still hanging around by the huts at Seasalter, might they breed?

21st May

The wheatears are were present plus a red-legged partridge was a welcome addition to the year list.

23rd May

Two yellow wagtails along the seawall path near the white post, LNR but no wheatears by the huts. Every year a pair hang around for two or three weeks leading me to hope they will breed.

I saw a variable damselfly and the Swalecliffe female eider turned up on the 'island' roost.

 Meadow Pipit

26th May

A sunny day, so I went to Stodmarsh finding variable and azure damselflies.

 Blue-tailed Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

28th- 30th Wales

A photographic jolly with three others to mid-Wales, first stop at Gigrin to see the red kites as the weather was good. We reluctantly coffed up £25 each to use the top hide, too expensive, maybe not again, not worth it.  That was a good move as the rest of the time it was dull and mizzly all shots requiring high ISOs. Most of the time was spent at Gilfach where the redstarts weren't playing ball but the pied flycatchers were, although mainly in the shade. Wood warblers were about singing in the trees but no chance of photos. The last full day was rainy so we cut it short and came home in the afternoon

 Pied Flycatchers

Whinchats

Dipper

Damselflies and Wagtails.

23rd May

A quiet visit at Seasalter produced two wagtails on the wall by the white post but no wheatears, I always think the long staying ones will breed but they always go in time.  I spent time looking for damselflies finding a variable damselfly along the entrance track. A female eider was an oddity found on the 'island', little else though.

26th May

A visit to Stodmarsh mainly looking for damselflies finding azures and blue-tailed.

 Blue-tailed Damselfly

Azure Damselflies

The Bonsai Bank, Grove and Seasalter.

13th May

Its been a long time since I have visited Denge Wood but I wanted to see the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary again so with directions and a three quarter of a mile walk I arrived at the spot, didn't look much different from before! It wasn't long before I saw up to four individuals along the walk through, may have been more if the weather had been kinder. Several garden warblers were in song as I continued the walk further towards the 'warren' where I found some  dingy skippers just sitting on the warm dry mud areas.  Also a buzzard made an appearance overhead plus two nightingales were in song and of course lady orchids.

 Dingy Skipper

Duke of Burgundy

14th 

 A visit to Grove was rewarded with three spoonbills flying over westwards.

 

18th May

First time to Seasalter since coming back from Kos and not a lot to report, just one wheatear near the huts and on the plots I managed to photograph some goldfinches.

Holiday to Kos

4th-11th

My usual Lesbos destination was fully booked this year as Thomas Cook cancelled all the April flights due to the thought of a migrant problem that does not exist. So I thought we might try Kos, it has a couple of wet areas so the internet told me so it could be nearly as good. However, it wasn't, nowhere near, I had a car for four days but there was a dearth of small birds. Not one wheatear, tern, etc., I learnt from the two regular birders there were special places to go that could have produced a wheatear or two, they commented they had never known such a poor year.

We stayed at Tingaki right next to the 'salt lake', a huge shallow lagoon which held c100 flamingoes, 5 curlew sandpipers, 2 greenshank, 1 common and green sandpiper, c.150 ruff, c.15 little stints, 2 ringed plovers, 2 LRPs, c.30 stilts, 3 Kentish plovers, reed warblers, cetti's, 1 tawny pipit, ruddy ducks, 2 little bitterns, 5 squacco herons plus hirundines, 2 cuckoos and most mornings bee-eaters were flying over, lots of crested larks, hooded crows, lesser kestrels. Spur-winged plovers were easy to see with at least four around the lake, bred in past years I was told.

Rollers are quite common near the airport as there are some sandy valleys that they like, I saw four altogether. A couple Eleonora's falcons, 2 long-legged buzzards and the kestrels were the only birds of prey I saw. What was common all across the island were jackdaws, everywhere, up in the mountains, all over plus odd to see several magpies here as well. My list amounted to only 51!

Wheatear Week

25th April

A few highlights from Seasalter today were; 8 whimbrel, 6 wheatears in the sheep field opposite the Sportsman, 2 Med gulls overhead, c.50 swallows, 54 turnstones roosting on the beach beyond the white post, another three wheatears by the huts again (might they breed), 6 mipits, 4 skylarks, 1 house martin and the lone rook seems to have made its return. 

 Is that a growth on the side of its bill

Skylark

29th

At Seasalter there were 9 wheatears in the sheep field opposite the Sportsman  plus three on the beach and one on the field along Seasalter Lane.  I went up onto Wraik Hill and looked down on the levels counting 140 corvids, didn't give much hope to the breeding lapwings and redshank ( I didn't actually notice any either), also 7 greylags and 4 Canada geese. I was pleased to hear a nightingale in the Wraik Hill car park plus 2 lesser whitethroats in full song and a buzzard  high up.  No yellowhammers along Pye Alley  but several whitethroats plus lessers and chaffinches.  Also two heavily armed helicopters flew over.  Returning, there was another nightingale singing half way down Foxes Cross hill.

 Goldfinches on the plots

30th April

A strong SE wind kept most things under cover plus all the wheatears bar one had cleared out, even the ones on the beach. I changed the plan and went to Oare finding Murray back on station plus a spoonbill was there to greet him along with a squadron of 28 knot, some in breeding plumage and a greenshank was flying about.