1st April
big change in the weather from warm to 10 degs with a biting strong NE wind but 1 sedge and 1 swallow seen with 4 ravens, 1 egret,and 60 crows at LA.
2nd
Good Friday and 7 degs and cold wind, 4 greylags, 6 stock doves 1 yellowhammer, 1 egret and 62 crows from LA..
3rd
Still cold east wind. Walked up to the Coote finding 87 crows on the way 21 shelduck, 1 great white egret, 2 avocets and 2 marsh harriers.
31st
A late afternoon visit to SS finding 2 sedge warblers, and 2 ring-necked parakeets o/f east from PH. LA quiet except for 3 ravens . Stopped on way home by ski club to see 55 grebes on the sea plus 3 tufteds and one shoveler.
25th March
A short visit to SS seeing 5 buzzards and 98 curlew on the Alberta field. Returned late pm to see 7 Canada geese flyover and near the old shed on Cleve Hill farm 1 little owl and 2 red legs close by.
28th
Very windy the last few days but went to LA late pm finding the ringtail again.
29th
Sunny and warm 15 degs, 2 buzzards and 5 ravens at SS.
21st
A cold easterly wind still blowing, as all month so not much hope for migrants. The only birds of note were 2 Canadas on the marsh opposite the LA and a distant peregrine. Late pm 2 ravens put in an appearance followed by buzzard and the best, a ringtail flying across the road where I managed to get a few shots.
22nd
Strangely I got up early and was out just before seven, a lovely still day, the sea like a piece of glass and hardly anyone about. I stopped at the NRA to look over the sea and found 51 red-throated divers resting on the water a fair way out plus 22 grebes. As the tide left the beach there were still good numbers of waders coming in to feed, c.1000 knot, c.1500 dunlin and I stopped counting grey plovers at 150, could have been three times that number.
On the fields there were 71 curlews, and 38 crows and from the LA 2 buzzards and whilst having coffee there I saw a CRANE fly over towards Faversham. I managed a record shot but it was a long way off, the photo is only 600 pix across. Also a group of 4 ravens. A big flock of c.2000 starlings were flying about all day plus saw 2 greylags late afternoon.
8th Mar
Still plenty of waders about on the flats......took a walk along the path to L.Array flushing two grey partridges but nothing more except a buzzard........returned late pm to see the great white egret.
9th Mar
Returned seeing a distant raven perched on a drinking trough....took a few photos....late pm I saw the GWE again.
I took a distant speck shot of a peregrine, just to see how the camera performed, its only 410 pix wide.
12th Mar.
I saw a Med gull and some lesser black backed gulls from the beach and then at LA a merlin.
14th
Another unpleasant day with cold winds but I had a good bit of luck with a shot of the ringtail harrier that came closer than they normally do. Also a chiffchaff by the NRA.
6th March
6th March
Not been out for four days after a skin cancer on my forehead was removed at Canterbury, bit of a headache. So first day out took a short visit to the London Array watch point as crowds of people were along the seafront.
An hour at LA produced 2 peregrines, 1 Great white egret, 4 ravens, marsh harrier and ringtail harrier, 3 buzzards.
27th Feb
Seasalter; PM visit, I saw barn owl, 2 peregrines, buzzards, a male hen harrier, 2 egrets, raven and 9 wigeon on the marsh.
1st March
A walk along the seafront at SS ticking off the waders for the month list and on the way home saw 65 whitefronts about to land on the 'Alberta Field', the first time I have ever seen geese there.
