High Tide at Seasalter, 2nd November

I didn't want to go too far this morning as the weather look far from certain so I stayed local and went back to Seasalter again. The tide was up on the beach and still coming in so any feeding waders were well gone leaving the high tide,  'island roost' where I counted 29 ringed plovers and c.600 dunlin. Apart from 4 g.c.grebes the sea looked empty although much later I did see 5 distant gannets. I headed for the 'plots' it looked pretty quiet with half a dozen moorhens and a gadwall in the dyke and in the bushes, 12 goldfinches, 1 cetti's and a pair of stonechats.

Stonechat

I walked up to the old 'pill box' finding a sparrowhawk perched high up in a popular tree and a kestrel was on the wires  near the main road. Someone told me they looked in the pill box once finding a barn owl  but not for me. A handful of mipits and great tits were feeding just over the bridge along with a single male reed bunting which was wearing a leg iron.

Reed Bunting

Moved on up to S. Swale NNR on the way seeing the two resident rooks on the seawall near the toilet block, these two having been here for the past few years. Nothing around the beach huts but a few turnstones at the bottom of the beach plus a grey plover. Further along and sat in the middle of the freshly germinated crop was a merlin which I was able to show to a couple of regular dog walkers who had always wished to see one on their walks.  Of course no golden plover or lapwing flock seen here as the merlin was still there even when I left for home.

Grey Plover

On the walk back a handful of goldies flew past and a couple of lapwings bringing the morning list up to 41. In the distance over the plots I scoped a marsh harrier and just managed to lock onto half a dozen skylarks over the arable. As the sun had been out for the last hour I was pleased to see two clouded yellows on the bank and plus another pair of stonechats in the field margin.

Godwits Galore - 31st Oct

After the beautiful day yesterday when it was duty day with the twins I was looking forward to a lovely day out this morning but, oh no, lets have a damp, dreary day for your reward!  Not to be put off, I went to Seasalter and waited until the rain stopped, drinking coffee, just seeing a marsh harrier over the arable fields. The tide was still up on the beach allowing me to count the waders on the beach in front of the chalets by the Sportsman. A count of 65 ringed plovers and c.200 dunlin plus 8 redshank, then as the tide left the beach a large flock of 240 barwits landed on the freshly exposed mud just below the beach. Amongst them 260 knot and c.25 grey plovers, quite a nice surprise on such a morning and no dog walkers to scare them off.

                                                         Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot

No sign of the wheatears or whinchat today, I rather hoped they would hang to be a November tick. Chaffinches were moving west again, c.150 during my hour and a half. Brents were very few I only counted about 50 here, maybe more further up. A peregrine swooped across the fields behind putting up the c.600 strong flock of golden plover plus lapwings must which must be of similar numbers.

Brent Goose

The same 'orangey' marsh harrier appeared again and c1000 starlings were diving around, sometimes landing in the fields or onto the beach looking for food.

Common Gull

Earlier, I stopped by the Ski Club where a couple of common gulls were having an argument on the posts. I didn't check the 'island roost' today as a dog walker was coming along the beach which is probably why the waders turned up near the Sportsman. 

Swift sp seen at Seasalter. 24th Oct.

A tweet by Geoff Burton alerting that a swift sp was seen circling and going west at Seasalter by Greg Herne. A call from Mark Chidwick got us down there within a few minutes but no sign of the bird. Worked our way west stopping at the pumping station where c.400 black-tailed godwits were feeding off the outfall, they seem to be slowly increasing in numbers as only seen a couple of weeks ago when I saw six. Also my first big numbers of knot, big being 42! A small flock of dunlin was wheeling about amongst the brent and a group of 5 shoveler sitting on the mud was a surprise.  Moving onto the S.Swale NNR, still no sign of the swift just a few beardies pinging in the reedbed so Mark told me,  (new ears please).  Beyond the white post we started to see a few birds, the 2 wheatears were still on the beach together with c.20 mipits and 6-8 skylarks and a pair of stonechats further on.

There was little to photograph, just snapped at this distant skylark on the wall and working our way back in the hot sunshine (had to take my coat off, crazy weather) we saw 5 clouded yellow butterflies and finally a buzzard circling Cleve Farm.

Return to Hemsted Forest 23rd Oct

I wanted to return to Hemsted especially to see the parrot crossbills to which I only had a quick view last week.  I have not been out the last few days, what with looking after the twins for two days and a bit of man flu plus all the rain so today was just what I needed.  I was surprised to see they still attracted crowds of people although when I arrived there was nothing much to see but finally the two-barred appeared back towards the road but it never came to the oak tree, plenty of commons though.

 Common Crossbill

I met plenty of the Kent birders inc. Mark Tomlins, Grant Demar, Jerry Warne, Rick Smith, Marc Heath, Derek Smith, hope none of you should have been at work!  There was a flock of about 20 commons which at one point landed in one of the small pines allowing a group shot.

Common Crossbill

Not much happened for a couple of hours around lunchtime, I moved around to the back of the track with a few others to get closer to the large tree they seemed to often use.  From here I got a few views of the odd parrot amongst the commons, finally getting a shot albeit not very good due to the distance. This shot was cropped to just over to 700 pix across.

Parrot Crossbill

Added this highly cropped photo to show the bill which does not appear crossed like the common crossbill, seemed pretty straight on this individual as in some other photos. 

Three Crossbill Species in a Day

The weather looked good for a visit to Hemsted Forest and an attempt to see the Two-barred, Parrot and Common crossbills. As is often the case, as I was walking to the site, wonderful views of the two-barred were being had but gone when I arrived on the scene! Typical, however, the drill was to sit tight and await their return and after an hour they duly returned, that is a dozen commons and one two-barred, all descending onto the lone oak and pine. Distant for the camera, even with converters  but you have to have a go, so a few record shots.

Two-Barred and Common Crossbill

Oddly, crossbills were the only birds seen most of the time as throughout the morning and early afternoon returning every hour or so. Many of them flew across to pines on the left where they descended down to a large puddle to drink but this was a dark area and no good for photos except perhaps early morning when the light may have been ok.

Around midday a flock of crossbills landed back down the track towards the 'car park' and amongst them at least one Parrot Crossbill but too far for a photo.  Meanwhile, the two-barred returned within another flock giving a few more photo opportunities.

I nipped back to the car for some food etc., during which time the parrot crossbill made a closer visit near the oak tree I was told. Walking back to the site a brimstone butterfly was a surprise to see, whilst during the morning a couple of red admirals were flying about plus a party of l.t.tits. The after lunch session didn't come up with anything better, most views were distant in other corners of the forest but I was very happy with two Kent ticks in one day!

Snow buntings and Shorelarks 16th October

Wasn't sure where to go today and the weather wasn't sure either but I finally settled on Chambers Wall and a walk along to Minnis. I soon met Derek Smith whose excellent hearing put me onto siskins and 2 grey wagtails flying overhead and later on the path to Cold Harbour, a ring ouzel flew out of a bush and back towards the embankment. I parted company there and continued down to the sea and on route saw a kingfisher, marsh harrier and a merlin was over the arable putting up a huge flock of mainly linnets.  Nothing going on at Cold Harbour so continued towards Minnis with a few reed buntings, chiffchaffs, mipits and blue tits on the way. A lone figure ahead of me disappeared from view but  eventually catching up with him he turned out to be Steve Ray who had just caught up with the two shorelarks.  

Shorelark

The weather was grim now with rain in the air so after grabbing a few shots we hastened on towards Minnis when after a 100yards the two snow buntings were posing on the beach just below the wall not more than eight feet away. Filling my boots there I parted company with Steve and made my way back along the embankment in the rain. 

Snow Bunting

It was still a bit early to get back home so I diverted to Reculver Towers where a Black Redstart was hopping about on the large rocks.

Black Redstart

Sunny afternoon at Seasalter. 15th October.

After an uneventful morning at the 'Feast hide', Grove Ferry where my only chance at kingfisher was thwarted by a noisy person the hide, I imagined the rest of the day was going to be on the PC.  However, after lunch the sun came out and  I spent a couple of hours at Seasalter. I went straight to the South Swale LNR where around the beach huts the two wheatears were still present.  Two or three chaffinches were feeding around the huts also but no sign of any black redstarts.

Chaffinch

Making my way along to the start of the wall, a clouded yellow was moving from flower to flower allowing a me to get a couple shots.

Clouded Yellow

A couple of mipits were flitting about and on the wall the two whinchats were still on site but I could not approach closer than about 40yards. They led me a merry dance but I eventually got a record shot which needed a tight crop.

Whinchat

The tide was out and a count of the brent revealed only 81 birds, none in the top corner at Castle Coote either when a couple of days ago when there was up to 4000......some clear out. Along the edge of the beach a little egret kept me company whilst out on the arable a peregrine landed in the middle of one of the fields.

Little Egret

On the walk back, several common darters were active in the late afternoon sunshine often landing on the concrete wall. 

Common Darter