Fulmars and Red-Necked Grebes

Mon. 21st March

Visiting Seasalter again I saw; 4 com. gulls, 105 brents, 16 redshank, 29 turnstones, 2 sanderling 19 ringed plover, c.25 dunlin, 1 drake shoveler landed briefly on the sea and a dead hedgehog on the beach! Over on the plots 2 stonechats, 2 cetti's, skylark, reed bunting, mallard plus 1 short-eared owl.

23rd.

Along SS Lane, 1 cetti's, c.30 teal, 7 lapwings, 6 coots and a few mallard. At the seafront, c.250 dunlin, 1 grey plover, 20 redshank, 4 gc grebes, 1 egret, c.40 brents, 3 marsh harriers, 7 redwings, 2 l.t. tits, 1 snipe and 1 stonechat etc..

25th

I traveled east to North Foreland to see the fulmars and any migrants, the only one found being a chiffchaff on the cliff edge plus a tortoiseshell and mipits.  However, plenty of fulmars to photograph.

pm

An evening visit to SS produced c.250 fieldfares next to the sub station entrance and 1 SAND MARTIN.

29th

A short, uninteresting visit to SS finding 15 shelduck, 1 cetti's, 8 grey plovers and a handfull of other waders. The plots looked quiet with just one chiffchaff in song, afterwards I left for Bossenden Wood to do a spot of photography.

1st April

I left home at 5.00am on a photo jolly with 'Ashtours', the four of us heading for Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford to see a red-necked grebe in breeding plumage. We made good time, the early start missing the heavy traffic around Heathrow which enabled us to have a relaxing breakfast stop along the M40,  Arriving at a large car park next to the sailing club we did a twenty minute walk to the allotted area to where this long staying grebe had made home. On route, several great crested grebes and coots were on show but little else although a red kite did fly over mid morning. The grebe seemed drawn to the particular spot due to the abundant fish it was catching all morning, no wonder it didn't want to leave.

After filling our boots with photos we drove back to Watlington for lunch at a pub overlooking Christmas Common and later spent the rest of the day photographing the 30-40 red kites that performed overhead.

A slow journey back home crawling through the Friday afternoon traffic we arrived home at 6.00pm., A great day out and many thanks to Steve for organizing and doing all the driving.

Camera Fodder

Rather quiet for birding over the last couple of weeks, however I managed a few outings with the camera;

7th March
A cold NW wind was blowing but I forced myself out to have a look over the patch. From the beach, 41 dunlins, 3 redshank, 30 turnstones, 6 ringed plover and 1 lesser black backed gull and on the plots a few blackbirds, coots and 2 mallard. I soon gave up!

8th
A trip to River for the grey wagtails then onto Oare.

10th
Another trip to Oare.

11th
I went to Hampton hoping to find the purple sandpipers.

13th
A trip around the back of Faversham to find buzzards.

15th
Another trip to Oare playing with cameras.

18th March
Lunchtime I went out to the car, the gulls were screaming away as usual are but this time I noticed a raptor amongst them. Grabbing an old pair of bins from the boot I could see it was a red kite.

19th
Back to Seasalter and some birding, the cold NE was still blowing and on the beach I found; 8 sanderling, c.80 turnstones, 34 ringed plover, c.40 dunlin, 8 redshank, c.20 brents.  Later, whilst sitting in the car during the mizzle I saw a red kite drift west over the sub-station.

20th
After a quick stop at Hampton and finding 1 purple sandpiper I continued onto SBBOT for tea and onto the Restharrow hide.

PM
I nipped over to Oare again in the afternoon finding the redpolls, pintail, blackwits and egret.

Shorelark Tops The Month

19th Febuary

A frosty and sunny morning, first stop was at SS lane seeing c.80 lapwings over on the back fields plus, 3 reed buntings, 1 grt tit, 4 mipits, 7 swans, crows, starlings, w.pigeons, 1 heron and a peregrine hunting across the levels. From the 'village green' on the seafront, 64 brents, c.50 redshank, 300 dunlin, c.60 ringed plovers, turnstones and just one sanderling.  At the NRA pumping station 2 greylags landed in the dyke and a walk around the plots revealed several skylarks, 1 snipe, chaffinch, 3 distant buzzards, 1 marsh harrier, 2 teal, 4 gadwall, 2 stonechats and mipits.  Further on, opposite the Sportsman there were c.800 golden plovers plus a big flock of starlings.

20th

A visit to Hampton finding the two purple sandpipers and a Mediterranean gull.

23rd

A cold morning and the same birds more or less with 65 ringed plovers, 300 dunlin, 1 marsh harrier, 48 brents and 1 sanderling.

26th

I thought I would have a look for the long staying shorelark at Minster, Sheppey.  I walked up and down the beach section four times before I saw it, a needle in a haystack.  It melted into the beach vegetation so well that it was nigh impossible to see it unless it moved but finally it revealed itself enabling me to get a few photos.

27th

Another visit to SS, nothing much but a shoveler amongst the c.70 teal was new for the month plus 4 lesser black-backed gulls just off the outfall. Most of the big wader numbers were reduced with just c.150 knot off the outfall, 1 barwit and 2 brents. Around the plots, 1 stonechat 2 skylarks, 3 gadwall, 1 SEO and 2 pheasants. PM.  I saw 3-4 SEOs in the ares. 

The Quiet Period

I 've not been out too much over the last few weeks, its either to windy, raining, too busy or got out of the habit!  However, a few notes on the days I have been out.

21st. Jan.   A trip to Ramsgate to see the great northern diver then a rainy trip to Dungeness on the 22nd, too wet to get out of the car - waste of time that was!

Rock Pipit and G.N. Diver at Ramsgate Harbour

23rd.  Another trip to Ramsgate harbour, the diver performing well in the sunlight and on the way back home I stopped at Hampton clocking the two purple sandpipers.

Great Northern Diver at Ramsgate 

Purple Sandpiper at Hampton

24th.  A dull quiet morning at SS the only excitement being another great northern diver swimming just off the Ski Club.

25th. A walk up to C.Coote  the only thing of note being a red admiral basking in the sun.

3rd Feb.  A bit of a break from going out due to the weather etc. but I ventured out to SS but to didn't find much, just coming back with a head cold (still with me today 13th).

6th.  A short walk over the plots revealed a dozen snipe, the most I have seen this winter. Also similar numbers of mipits plus a marsh harrier. Later I went to Hampton finding the two purple sandpipers plus a Med. gull.

7th.  A bright morning but still windy so I went over to Bossenden Wood finding the usual selection of tits, treecreepers and nuthatches.

10th.  A drive out with the other half pausing to see the Med. gull at Hampton and late pm I saw a shag just off the harbour arm at Herne Bay. Only had the point and shoot with me which only went 50mm or 1x, so a heavy crop to get some sort of record shot.

Shag. A massive crop as taken with a 50mm lens on my Sony

11th.  A visit to SS on a beautiful frosty morning, sun and no wind, how strange. I didn't see anything unusual but 6 red-breasted mergansers were nice to find.  Out on the plots a dozen reed buntings, 6 long tailed tits, 2 stonechats, 1 snipe, 2 cetti's etc..  On the mudflats, c.150 knot, 60 brents plus representatives of the other wader species but no godwits for me. A decent morning finishing up with 48 species.

12th. Looked after the twins this morning but went to Grove pm finding a SEO and a barn owl around the paddock.