Monday 28th February 2005 Broadstairs to Ramsgate
Harbour
Due to the prevailing weather patterns, and a night
shift to look forward to - not!, I decided on a stroll from Broadstairs to
Ramsgate Harbour. Not being the "sharpest pencil in the box", I initially
thought that the large number of gulls along the beach was due to the
weather. It turned out to be a crab-fest (see the Non-avian page) which
the birds were taking full advantage of. 900+ Herring, 270
Black-headed, 7 Common, 1 Great Black-back and 1 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls gorging themselves on this glut of food. Waders were
the usual mix of Turnstone, Curlew and Oystercatcher plus
single Ringed Plover, Redshank and Purple Sandpiper.
The harbour had little of note, a lone Cormorant on the pontoons
along with 3 adult Lesser Black-backs, 65 Herring and 26
Black-headed Gulls. 2 Rock Pipits were foraging around the old
slipway and a couple of Pied Wagtails were feeding on the beach by
the Casino. Nuff sed - boring! (Dylan)
Sunday 27th February 2005 Nothing Reported Sorry
Saturday 26th February 2005 Campbell's Ashford
Factory
With quite a lot of snow melt-water running off the
site, I did the environmental checks around mid-morning to ensure that we
weren't polluting the River Stour. Thankfully we were not; there is an
Environment Agency monitoring point just downstream! 2 Little Grebes
and a Grey Wagtail provided the highlights of my walk, but it was
nice to hear the song of a Chaffinch for the first time this year and
watch the frantic courtship display of 2 male Blue Tits as they
attempted to impress a single female. 35+ Pied Wagtails in to roost
on the Quest buildings this evening and a handful of Meadow Pipits
over at dusk. (Dylan)
Saturday 26th February 2005 Wye
Just been out for a drive, to see if the Whooper
Swan was still about? It’s still in the same area as before,
Naccolt/Wye, with about 15 to 20 Mute Swans also a few Skylarks
singing. From there I went over to my usual haunt where I saw plenty of
Shoveler, Tufted Duck. Gadwall, Little Grebe, Pochard, plus the usual
Coots, Mallard, Cormorants (1 with quite nice markings if
you can call a Cormorant nice - see photo attached) and Black
Headed Gulls. But best of all were 4 Common Buzzards
circling in the distance with 1 coming quite near allowing stunning views of
its underside as it soared over head. There were 20 to 30 Greylag Geese
in the fields on my way to the swan. (Pete Young part time birder)
Friday 25th February 2005 Broadstairs
A very quiet stroll over to Broadstairs today. I
checked the Rowans along Ramsgate Road, but still no sign of any Waxwings.
Plenty of time yet and plenty of berries to boot! A pair of Parakeets
noisily passed over Broadstairs High Street as I made my way towards the
Tartar Frigate and the coast beyond. I had just enough time to do the walk
along the seawall to North Foreland Estate before having to return for a
spot of lunch and a couple of "light ales" with Bev. 2 Pied Wagtails
busied themselves around the carpark and several groups of Turnstones
were feeding along the advancing tide line. Fulmars, Cormorants and
Herring Gulls were moving off-shore, yet the sea was very quiet.
Hopefully this is just a quirk of nature and not a more significant sign of
the state of our coastline? A solitary Curlew flew down the beach
uttering it's evocative "curl - eee -curl - eee" call and several groups of
Oystercatchers flew north towards the high tide roost at North
Foreland. I could hear a Firecrest calling in Piermont Park, as I
headed back home, but didn't hang about trying to find it. (Dylan)
Thursday 24th February 2005 Ramsgate, Pegwell Bay
& Weatherlees SSSI
Very much a "mish-mash" of a day. I started
by accompanying Bev to her office, in Broadstairs, before heading back west
towards Ramsgate and, Pegwell Bay, beyond! The weather was awful and I
experienced prolonged periods of drizzle, sleet and heavy snow, as I made my
way around the coast towards the bay. A Purple Sandpiper was noted
close to Dumpton Gap, feeding amidst a gathering of Turnstone and
Sanderling. The only other waders on show were the usual mix of
Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Grey Plover. Ramsgate
Harbour was almost devoid of birdlife, just the same 3 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, as yesterday on the pontoons, and the only reminder
of any migrant activity. The Port and the Western Undercliff were very
quiet, only 29 Black-headed Gulls and a Rock Pipit for my
efforts. Continuing along the cliff-top, to the Hoverpad, I managed to
record a nice mixed flock of Turnstone, Redshank, Sanderling, Knot
and Dunlin roosting on the beach below Cliffsend Farm. Another group
of waders, on the Hoverpad, contained a minimum of 21 Ringed Plovers
- although the exact number was difficult to record due to dog-walkers using
the area! Reed Buntings were very active in the salt-marsh and I
flushed a Common Snipe, as I made my way across to the Sportsman PH,
via the spartina. Pegwell itself, provided a few snippets, 3 Linnet, 5
Great Black-backed, 7 Lesser Black-backed, 1 Peregrine
and a Sparrowhawk before I headed onwards to a meeting with the
contractors at Weatherlees SSSI. A great afternoon, despite the weather, and
a great deal of sensible habitat management achieved. The Stour Valley
Project and English Nature are to be congratulated on their vision for the
development of the site. Let's hope that it includes public access to this
wonderful local asset in the not too distant future! Weatherlees SSSI
allowed me to add Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Goldcrest and
Greenfinch to the day-list, but the potential for the reserve is so
much greater. A Cetti's Warbler was calling from the ditch besides
Pfizer's sports ground and I noted 9 Magpies and a female Kestrel
by the green where the "Hugin Viking" has been removed. When is it coming
back - answers on a postcard please! (Dylan)
Wednesday 23rd February 2005 Ramsgate Harbour to
Dumpton
Gadget dropped us off at the harbour and we walked back
along the coast to King George VI Park before heading inland to Dumpton. The
harbour was very quiet with few gulls on the pontoons. 3 adult
Lesser Black-backs were new and, worryingly, 2 of them showed signs of
oiling! It's probably a good job there aren't large numbers of birds at sea
off of our coast if there is any pollution out there. A Kingfisher
perched up allowing nice scope views and a Rock Pipit foraged around
the stowed fishing gear on the old slipway. 4 Cormorants and a few
Turnstones about sums up our efforts in the harbour so we made our way
along the beach to Winterstoke Steps. 4 Sanderling were feeding on
the breakwater by the carpark and a few Fulmars were patrolling the
cliffs. The park was fairly uneventful, Parakeets dominated the area
both visually and audibly but we saw a nice pair of Long-tailed Tits
as we walked through the wooded area by the buildings. (Frank & Dylan)
Wednesday 23rd February 2005 Weatherlees SSSI
As a consequence of an earlier visit, we went back to
Weatherlees SSSI to check on the progress of the habitat management that had
been agreed between English Nature, the Stour Valley Project and Mr. Hulme,
the grazer and provider of the heavy plant required to do the work. One of
the areas had been cleared completely and a second was being worked on as we
watched. The first impression is "what a mess" but, given time the regrowth
of the plants on the cleared areas will give an idea as to the potential
success of this management strategy and help return the site to it's former
glory. Although snow was lying across the whole of East Kent, it was a very
pleasant day and we saw a few birds as we moved about the site. A large
adult female Peregrine was perched on the tall chimney in the power
station complex and we encountered several Goldcrest and Chaffinch
as we made our way through the scrub near the entrance. Bullfinches
were very conspicuous and looked stunning in the bright sunlight. Robin,
Greenfinch, Blue and Great Tit and a lone Green
Woodpecker were noted as we made our way to the gorse area around
Weatherlees Hill. In the rapidly expanding clearing there were 2 Pied
and a White Wagtail (1st genuine migrant of the year!) feeding and
continuing through the dense smoke we flushed a magnificent female
Sparrowhawk that flew back towards the power station affording us
excellent views. A party of 17 Magpies were out in a set-a-side field
beyond the reserve boundary and we saw 2 Redwing amidst a group of
Blackbirds and Song Thrushes feeding along the adjacent hedgerow.
A birder, from Bristol, was doing some survey work from a point along the
footpath near Sevenscore. He told us that he had seen both Marsh and
Hen Harrier but very little else - nice work if you can get it! We
retraced our footsteps and headed back towards Thanet. (Gadget, Frank &
Dylan)
Tuesday 22nd February 2005 Ramsgate Harbour
My first day, for a while, where work didn't interfere
with my birding. The car is in Pieremont's, getting the textured finish
removed, hence, I was allowed to walk to Ramsgate Harbour. A howling
North-eastely gale drowned out any sound, apart from the screeching
Parakeets, as I walked through King George VI Park. Opting to stay on
the cliff-top, I made my way to the harbour via the steps by the Albion
Cafe. The wind whistled through the rigging on the various yachts moored in
the marina and waves crashed against the outer harbour wall engulfing the
Harbour Light Cafe in a mist of foam and spray - fairly spectacular stuff.
Birding was far less entertaining. An oiled Razorbill was in the
marina, along with the regular adult Shag. 5 Cormorants were
sitting out the high tide, on the pontoons, accompanied by 5 Great
Black-backed, 1 Lesser Black-backed, 200+ Herring and 40+
Black-headed Gulls. A single Kingfisher and 2 Rock Pipits
accounted for the best of the rest, I headed back home looking "windswept
and interesting" (quote Billy Connolly) - (Dylan)
Monday 21st February 2005 Naccolt / Wye And Grove
Ferry
A very strange mix today. The weather was variable, in
the extreme. We've experienced brilliant sunshine, wind, rain, hail and
blizzards, surely something there for everyone? I started my birding around
the garden then progressed to Naccolt/Wye; I had an important meeting at the
soup-mine, and then finished off at Grove Ferry for a quick 45 minutes at
dusk. My garden stuff is on the garden watch page. The adult Whooper Swan
was still present with the Mute Swan herd at TR 043454 and a scan
through the geese, feeding on the winter wheat by Blackwall Farm, revealed
71 Greylag, 6 Canada and a solitary Pink-foot. A pair of Stonechats
were actively feeding around a gateway nearby. Grove Ferry was a nice bonus
and provided me with excellent views of 3 Marsh Harriers, an adult
male & female plus an immature bird. A pair of Bearded Tits were
feeding on the seed heads of Greater Reedmace and provided me with a few
images, although the light was atrocious and the majority of my efforts were
no more than indistinct blurs! Looking out from the Green Hide, the
waterfowl present on the pool included Gadwall, Mallard, 2
Shelduck, 43 Teal, m&f Pochard and 3m, 2f Tufted Duck.
A Water Pipit called as it flew overhead, Water Rails squealed
and a mixed flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover performed
intricate aerobatics caused by a female Sparrowhawk skimming the
reeds, hunting for an evening meal. Bullfinch, Goldcrest and
Redwing were all noted around the paddocks as I walked back to my car. A
very pleasurable session. (Dylan)
Sunday 20th
February 2005 Ash Levels
An Icy wind accompanied our walk from Ash around
Goldstone/Brooke St/Weddington this morning - 8:30/10:30am.
Mostly thrush family sighted, with large numbers of Fieldfare &
Blackbird & much lesser Song & Mistle Thrush. A single Redwing
also. Two
Skylark along Cop St & an adult Lesser Black-Backed Gull with a
juvenile flying over at Goldstone. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was
seen here. A
pair (?) of Chiffchaff made a (very) brief appearance in a hedgerow
heading towards Europa Nursery. a fem. Sparrowhawk & 2 male
Kestrels also seen
(Ben Ring)
Saturday 19th February 2005 Nothing Reported Sorry
Friday 18th
February 2005 Dumpton to North Foreland
I couldn't get much
kip, with all the noise going on, so I ended up walking from Dumpton to
North Foreland, along the beach, then back to Broadstairs to meet up with
Bev in the Barnaby Rudge for a spot of lunch. The birding was nothing more
than OK. A Firecrest was calling from a garden along West Dumpton
Lane as I walked across to the coast. Several Greenfinches were in
full song and displaying over the gardens at Dumpton Gap. By walking along
the coastal path and beach, I was able to reach North Foreland quite easily
as the tide was in my favour, still good numbers of Pied Wagtails
about, yet I didn't see a single Rock Pipit today? Waders counted
included 10 Curlew, 3 Redshank, 7 Grey Plover, 3
Ringed Plover, 1 Sanderling plus numerous Oystercatcher
and Turnstone. An adult male Kestrel was hunting the cliff-top
at North Foreland and I noted 3 Great Created Grebes and an adult
Shag, on the sea, just off shore. I must have been very bored as I
counted the gulls today! 2 Great Black-backs (m & f), 55
Black-headed, 81 Herring and 1 Common Gull was all I could
manage and not a single ringed bird amongst them! (Dylan)
Thursday
17th February 2005 Western Undercliff and Ramsgate Harbour
I
parked the car just beyond the tunnel and walked to Ramsgate Harbour. The
tide was receding and waders flying back from their roost sites, in/around
Pegwell Bay, to feed on the exposed mussel beds. In the limited time
available I recorded 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Purple Sandpiper, 5
Redshank, 1 Curlew, 2 Grey Plover, 40+ Oystercatcher
and 30+ Turnstone. The harbour was generally quiet. 3 Kittiwakes had
followed the 10 o'clock ferry into the outer harbour and there were 3,
summer plumaged adult, Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the pontoons.
Everything else was as expected. Common, Black-headed and Herring Gulls
were all present in reasonable numbers. 4 Rock Pipits were seen
and included a male singing from the roof of the Harbour Master's office. A
Kingfisher was fishing from the wall behind the amenities block and
allowed me to get a few pics before whizzing away, low over the water,
towards the Harbour Lights Cafe. (Dylan)
Thursday 17th February 2005 Pegwell Bay
Dull, dreary and soggy underfoot ... but enough talking about Tim Hodge and
on with the bird news. We watched the incoming tide this afternoon from
about 3.00 till 5.30ish seeing:1 Great Crested Grebe,2 grey Heron,1
Little Egret,11 Brent,3 Bean Geese,30 Shelduck,26 Mallard,70 Wigeon,38
Teal,5 Shoveler,1 Hen Harrier,1 Sparrowhawk,1 Peregrine,315 Curlew,200+
Bar-T Godwit,3 Black-T Godwit,2300 Lapwing,2420 Golden Plover,150+ Grey
Plover,c10 Snipe,260 Knot,1020 Dunlin,18 Ruff,4200 Black-H Gull,570 Common
Gull,900 Herring Gull,5 Lesser Bb Gull,1 Great BB Gull,1 adult Mediterranean
Gull plus 41 Pied wagtails and 75 Meadow Pipits flew north to roost. The
3 Bean Geese flew north from the Sandwich side about 4.00pm ish.
(Phil "n" Slim)
Thursday 17th February 2005 Cottington area
A morning walk around the Cottington area included a
drake Goosander flying south, 5 Siskin, 22 Goldfinches,
4 Goldcrests, 6 Jays, 1 Teal, 6 Greylags flying
west, 2 Green Woodpeckers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker,
whilst there was a Short-eared Owl hunting near the Chequers pub
along the Ancient Highway. (Tim Hodge)
Wednesday
16th February 2005 Newland's Farm area
Night-shifts are really
playing havoc with my birding! I had a stroll around the fields behind my
bungalow, for an hour at mid-day. Wall to wall grey skies and the birding
was just as exciting! A small group of Long-tailed Tits were in the
hedge at the end of Vine Close and a pair of Stock Doves flew from
the ploughed field, as I crossed towards Pyson's Road. Pied Wagtails
seem to be very numerous this year (although it may be a consequence of me
being more aware?) I counted 5 birds feeding around the farm buildings as I
passed. Small groups of Greenfinch and Chaffinch were along
the lane beside the school playing field and I also managed to find 2
Goldcrests by "pishing" them out into the more open part of the thick
hawthorn hedgerow. Blackbirds are very conspicuous this winter, I
counted 23 on the playing field, along with 5 Song and 2 Mistle
Thrushes. A mixed flock of Herring, Common and Black-headed
Gulls were feeding on the Rugby pitch and I watched a female
Sparrowhawk skim the hedge before mounting a low level hunting sortie
across the dwindling cabbages. A Goldfinch flew over as I headed back
and I completed my sojourn with nice views of a female Kestrel,
perched on a telegraph pole, over towards Park Avenue. (Dylan)
Tuesday 15th
February 2005 WeBS Count
96 Oystercatcher; 3 Ringed Plover; 2 Grey Plover;
872 Turnstone;19 Dunlin; 162 Sanderling; 2 Purple Sandpiper; 110 Redshank;
4 Curlew;
The strong northerly winds meant that most of the
roosting sites along the north coast were not used except for Margate
Harbour where the slipway held more than 600 birds of 6 species.
(John Websper)
Tuesday 15th
February 2005 Ramsgate Cemetery
Work and weather, both did
their best to restrict my activity today. Dodging, unsuccessfully, the snow
showers, I had a walk around to Ramsgate Cemetery. 4 Long-tailed Tits
and a Green Woodpecker were waiting to greet me as I walked up
towards the main entrance. Once through the archway I turned left and found
a nice mixed flock of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits with a
couple of Jays foraging for stored acorns near by. I followed the
western wall for a short distance before turning right towards the Chapel
then left down the central pathway. I found a group of 5 Firecrest, 3
Goldcrest and an "eastern race" Chiffchaff (almost certainly
the bird that Craig had reported last week!) feeding in the pines. If this
is the same Chiffchaff as Craig saw (?) then it is not a "tristis"
but an "abientinus / fulvescens" type individual - I heard it calling
with the typical disyllabic "hu-weet" contact note (how I found it!). It has
very grey upperparts, silvery-white underside and does show a slight
wing-bar on the greater coverts with dark bill and legs, although they
didn't appear to be black, in the prevailing light conditions! A cracking
little bird and well worth a look if it hangs about, whatever the race.
Continuing around the circuit, I managed to record another 3 Green
Woodpeckers, 31 Ring-necked Parakeets, 2 Mistle Thrush, a
pair of Magpies - nest building, several large groups of Starling,
8 Chaffinch moving north overhead and 21 Herring Gulls,
paddling on the cropped turf, trying to fool worms into thinking that is was
raining, maybe the hail wasn't heavy enough? (Dylan)
Monday 14th
February 2005 Foreness Point & Broadstairs to Dumpton Gap
The
biting northerly wind always meant that it was going to be a struggle today!
Even with several extra layers of clothing, the bone chilling wind readily
found chinks in my armour. I drove over to Foreness Point, after dropping
Bev at her office, and should have known better. Apart from the usual mix of
Herring, Black-headed and Common Gulls on the Palm Bay playing
field and a sprinkling of Kittiwake and Fulmar passing
off-shore, birds were conspicuous by their absence. Having severe difficulty
maintaining my balance, let alone looking through my optics, I decided that
the relative calm of Broadstairs to Dumpton Gap would be a better option. So
it proved. The chalk cliffs protected the beach from the direct blast and a
flock of several hundred Black-headed Gulls were gathered along the
rocks. Some of the near summer plumaged adults showing the delicate pink
tinge on the breast feathers. A couple of Great Crested Grebes flew
north and waders present included 2 Curlew, 16 Oystercatcher,
3 Grey Plover, 23 Turnstone and a lone Purple Sandpiper.
Out at sea Fulmars made light work of the conditions and I counted 5
adult Common Gulls moving north along the coast. A Great Spotted
Woodpecker flew from King George VI Park, as I approached and the
Parakeets were noisily active in the tall sycamores beside the Tennis
Courts. (Dylan)
Sunday 13th February 2005 Nothing Reported Sorry
Saturday
12th February 2005 Ashford
Managed to get a look along the
river at mid-day. Despite the blustery conditions I heard my first
Chiffchaff singing from the railway embankment. A Little Grebe
was fishing in the murky, rain swollen River Stour and I saw a Little
Egret standing alone out on the field between the river and the railway.
Just as I started to think about getting back to work a Pied Wagtail
made frantic alarm calls and I watched a Merlin flash across the
field and beyond the Quest buildings, only the second time I've recorded the
species here in 11 years! (Dylan)
Friday 11th February 2005 Pegwell Bay
We watched the outgoing tide this afternoon seeing: 470 Oystercatcher,
2 Black-T Godwit, 3500 Lapwing, c3000 Golden Plover, 23
Twite, 80 Teal, 90 Wigeon,1 Hen Harrier,1
Little Egret, 44 Less BB Gull,980 Herring Gull and 1
Kittiwake. Dire! (Phil M, Tim Hodge and "the hair")
Friday 11th February 2005 Dumpton
Gap to Kingsgate
A weird one today, I walked along the beach, from
Dumpton Gap to Kingsgate. The weather was very pleasant and the tide in my
favour allowing me to keep to the shoreline below the North Foreland Estate.
Despite my exertions, there is very little to report. A Firecrest was
calling from a garden along West Dumpton Lane and proved to be the highlight
of the day. The coast provided all the usual encounters, Oystercatcher,
Curlew, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Turnstone and Redshank all
recorded along the route. A lone Purple Sandpiper was feeding on the
rocky outcrop by Broadstairs Eastern Esplanade and 40+ Fulmar were
loafing offshore from North Foreland. I recorded 4 Great Crested Grebe
and an adult Shag, at Kingsgate Bay, before turning back and meeting
Bev for lunch in the Barnaby Rudge. A guy, with a fancy camera, informed me
of a Black Redstart in Refuge Road, Broadstairs as I neared Bleak
House. The only other thing of note was the rise in Linnet numbers,
there were about 70 recorded along the cliffs, some of the males in full
song. Very cheery after the drab conditions of recent days. (Dylan)
Thursday 10th February 2005 Pegwell
Bay
Spent 2.00-4.30pm watching the tide or rather watching the birds getting
continually spooked by Kite Boards! Please give the authorities as much
stick as is possible before the area turns into a recreation area as I am
getting to the end of my tether with it all. Very quiet birdwise whilst we
were there with most of the stuff seen flying around in the Bay due to all
the disturbance about 4000 Golden Plovers,1200 Lapwing plus,
232 bar-T Godwit, 2 Black-T Godwit, 42 Sanderling, 5
Gadwall, c17 Teal, 4 Pintail, c70 Wigeon, 740
Common Gull, 3500 Black-H Gull and 2 Yellow-L Gulls. (Phil
M and Craig)
Thursday
10th February 2005 King George VI Park & R/gate Harbour
I
suppose that the sun will shine again upon this "Septred Isle" but I won't
hold my breath! A walk to the Harbour produced very little of note. A female
Sparrowhawk was hunting the gardens along West Dumpton Lane, as I
made my way towards King George VI Park. A small mixed flock of Blue &
Great Tits also contained 3 Goldcrests yet, apart from the
Parakeets, the area was very quiet. Making my way down to the beach, via
Winterstoke Steps, good numbers of Fulmar were either cruising the
cliffs or sat just offshore, on the sea. Pied Wagtail and Rock
Pipit made it into the notebook as I made my way towards the Casino and
Harbour beyond. I had timed my walk to perfection as the bridge between the
Marina and Outer Harbour was raised as soon as I crossed it. Loads of gulls
present on the pontoons, I counted 300+ Herring (equal numbers of
"argenteus & argentatus" adults) which included a 1st yr bird in a very
retarded moult, basically still in full juvenile plumage and an adult
"omissus" Northern Herring Gull! 4 ad & 8 x 1st yr Lesser
Black-back, 5 ad, 2 x 3rd yr & 3 x 1st yr Great Black-back and
120+ Black - headed Gulls were also around the Harbour/Port area. The
only other birds of note were 3 Cormorant, 4 Rock Pipit and 2
Eider - 1st yr male & adult female, along the undercliff beyond the
Port entrance. I did have a walk around the St. Lawrence area in the hope of
finding a Waxwing or two. Nothing doing other than Mistle Thrushes
and a few hundred Starlings! Still there's always tomorrow! (Dylan)
Thursday 10th February 2005
Oare Marshes
Had a trip down to Oare Marshes to day as Dylan gave it
such a good report (I have been there before a few years back) On driving
down to the car park first bird to pick up on was a Little Egret
(only the 1 bird). Parked the car and walked back down the road to go across
to the hide on my left, as I walked along the path I was greeted by a
Stonechat then over the fields high in the sky a Marsh Harrier on
the lookout for food. When in the hide looking over the pools there were
Teal, Pintail, Greylag, Lapwing, Shoveler, Pochard, Coot, Common Gull, Black
Headed Gull, Mute Swan, a Sparrow Hawk came in low over the pool
flushing all the other birds. After an hour or so I went the other side of
the road to the other hide very little to see there but added Ringed
Plover, Wigeon, Dunlin, Tufted Duck as there was little else
walked back to the hide that overlooks the bay. Birds there were
Turnstone, Rock Pipit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Shelduck and
at least 50+ Avocet a nice sight when they all took off and landed
together. All in all a good half days birding at a different venue.
(Pete Young)
Wednesday 9th February 2005 Pegwell
Bay
Very little has happened down at the local dog toilet whilst I’ve been
offline this past week - I’ve seen a Marsh Harrier, a few Ruffs
- the Spotted Redshank etc plus there seem to be a few Lesser
Black-backed Gulls and Blockheads on the move. Today was awful -
the counts turning up:1 Diver sth,1 Great Crested Grebe, 4
Grey Heron, 29 Shelduck,109 Wigeon,12 Teal, 410
Oystercatcher, 2 Black-T Godwit,1800 Lapwing, 3600
Golden Plover, 275 Grey Plover,1 Ringed Plover (Ooooh!)
100 Redshank, 235 Knot, 56 Sanderling, c100
Turnstone, 32 Lesser Black-backed Gulls,12 Rooks and about
70 Crows. (Phil M)
Wednesday 9th February 2005
Oare Marshes
I
called in at Oare Marshes, today, purely on the strength of an adult
Glaucous Gull that had been reported there for the past three
afternoons. The last time that I saw an adult was more than 10 years ago, so
I must confess to "twitching" this bird. I found it sitting alone, on a
tussock, out on the largest island of the East Flood. It really didn't look
very well at all. Because of the dismal conditions I had to walk around to
the eastern bank, besides Faversham Creek, in order to get the light and
background at its' most favourable. A prolonged look at the bird suggested
that it was in poor health and when it stood up it was clear that the left
foot was badly deformed/infected. This was to be made even more apparent
when the bird was seen in flight and the leg/foot dangled limply below the
body. The plumage was bright and clean but the bird was hunched on a tussock
with its' tail skewed and the left foot clearly causing it some discomfort.
The eyes were frequently closed and the bill appeared quite pale for a bird
of this age in summer plumage! I last saw the bird flying, rather
laboriously, off to the south along Faversham Creek, headed towards Ham Road
Pits? Despite its lack of condition, it still looked magnificent in the dull
grey sky. Glaucous Gulls really are quite special, in my completely
unbiased opinion that is! Other bits around the reserve included large
numbers of Wigeon, Pintail and Black-tailed Godwit along with
2 Stonechat, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Kestrel, 1 Marsh
Harrier, 2 Little Egret, 7 Little Grebe, 4 Greenfinch,
2 Rock & 7 Meadow Pipit and 5 Skylark. (Dylan
Tuesday 8th February 2005 Dumpton to Foreness
Point (and back!)
I started out just
after 09.00hrs, walking to Dumpton Gap. A Goldcrest and 2 Green
Woodpeckers were noted as I made my way down to the coast. The tide was
almost fully in, so I was restricted to walking along the seawall. A total
of 16 Brent Geese, in 3 groups, passed by over the sea heading south
and I watched 2 pairs of Linnets feeding on the undercliff at
Broadstairs. Continuing along the beach, I found 2 Purple Sandpipers
& 3 Turnstones roosting on a small slipway but very little else until
I was forced to leave the beach and climb the concrete stairs that allowed
me to continue onwards along the cliff-top. A Firecrest called from
some ivy clad trees but, despite some prolonged "pishing" the bird refused
to show in the open. Making my way back to the coastal path in front of the
North Foreland Estate, I flushed a superb male Peregrine from the
chalk cliffs close to the high-tide wader roost. Although the bird was
reluctant to leave the area, it didn't allow me any chance to get a decent
image. Looking out to sea from the North Foreland Pumping Station I saw the
only Red - throated Diver of the day, as a summer plumaged bird flew
south, showing excellently in the bright sunshine. Joss Bay and the Digby
were almost devoid of birdlife, it wasn't until I reached Botany Bay that I
saw a male Stonechat perched on an overhead wire. 2 more Stonechat
(m & f) were seen by the "pitch & putt" at Foreness whilst the small
gathering of gulls, on the grassy area, contained the 2 colour -
ringed adult Mediterranean and a single adult Lesser Black-backed
Gull but very little else. 37 Purple Sandpipers were gathered on
the concrete apron below Foreness Pumping Station and I found another 5 in
the wader roost at North Foreland as I walked back along the beach. Good
numbers of Oystercatcher (133) were counted at the three roost sites
with 51 Grey Plover, 22 Curlew and 3 Redshank being the
only other notable records. Sanderling, Ringed Plover and
Turnstone were also recorded, but I gave up attempting to make any
serious counts as there were birds scattered all the way along the coast.
Just 2 Rock Pipits seen today and a few small parties of Pied
Wagtails feeding in favoured spots along the coastal defences. The
resident pair of Kestrels showed well around Foreness Pumping Station
but that's about it! Back home at 14.40 hrs. (Dylan)
Tuesday 8th February 2005 Ramsgate Cemetery
14.00-15.10hrs
A nice slow stroll, in the spring-like conditions, this
afternoon. After not doing as much birding as I would have liked lately, my
walk produced all the regular
species, many of which were singing in the pleasant sunshine. The
highlight from the site being a cracking male Blackcap feeding on the
underside of the branches, which, if I had taken my scope and camera, would
have given me a chance to obtain some blurry images, no doubt. As I
approached the central pine belt I could hear crests calling as they
rummaged in the foliage and closer views revealed that they were
Firecrest, excellent! As the birds flitted about above my head I managed
to count at least four Firecrest and another bird, which turned out
to be an Chiffchaff . Not much else really apart from a Starling
mimicking a Waxwing, dam it, maybe next time. (Craig S)
Monday 7th
February 2005 Wye
Important meetings at the Soup Mine ensured that my day
would be disrupted. A "diary-date" at mid-day meant that I could do very
little after dropping Bev off in Broadstairs. I opted to go across to Wye,
for another look at the Whooper Swan, near Naccolt. The bird was
still present and showing well, although the Mute Swan numbers have
now risen to 48 individuals. Still loads of Skylarks in the
surrounding fields with a female Stonechat and an adult male
Sparrowhawk also noted. Driving on, towards work, I was able to record a
flock of 61 Greylag Geese feeding on a field of winter wheat near
Blackwall Farm. (Dylan)
Monday 7th
February 2005 Seaton Pits and Preston Marshes
Wonderful weather, so I
opted for a stop at Seaton on my way back from Ashford. A Grey Wagtail
overflew the car as I parked and a Little Egret was flushed by a
dog-walker across by the old cress beds. Climbing the style, I walked across
the meadow to the main pit. A few Fieldfare were present on the turf
with a 2nd Little Egret fishing in the ditch beyond the wire fence.
Duck numbers were very disappointing. Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard,
Tufted Duck and Pochard were all present in very small numbers. I
continued my walk past the pits and along the riverbank to the "Blue Bridge"
on the Preston Marshes. At least 5, although it may have been 7!, Marsh
Harriers were seen, along with a female Sparrowhawk, 1
Kestrel, m&f Stonechat, 1 Green Sandpiper and another
Grey Wagtail. Swapping notes with David Feast and John Veal, as I bumped
into them, I was informed of 2 Kingfisher and a calling Little Owl.
Wishing them well, and continuing upon my way, I was able to add
Bullfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Cetti's Warbler
and Treecreeper to my day list. The meadow between the pit and Seaton
held a nice flock of 65 Fieldfare & 145 Redwing, all feeding
on the short cropped grass. Excellent afternoon in a wonderful part of East
Kent. (Dylan
Monday 7th
February 2005 Grove Ferry
I went over to Grove Ferry this morning from the ramp good numbers of
Lapwings and Golden Plover, 9 Pintail, and the Teal
number has drop to just a few, I decided to walk round to the green hide
were I could sit down also the sun being in the best place for viewing
behind me, as I walked towards the hide two groups of Bearded Tits 7
& 5 were in the reeds nice to see, a Cetti's Warbler was disturbed
just outside the hide, once inside I settled down and awaited for the birds
to arrive, but after a hour & half all that i observed was 7 Coot, 9
Mallard, 5 Pochard, 2 Little Grebe,1 Snipe and 1
Kingfisher skimming over the water, (Gadget)
Sunday 6th
February 2005 Worth Marshes & Pegwell Bay
A look round Worth Marshes south of Roaring Gutter
included 21 Yellowhammers, 36 Greylags, 3 Tufted Ducks,
30 Teal, 25 Linnets, 1 Sparrowhawk and 4 Green
Woodpeckers. There were three (possibly four) Long-eared Owls at
a traditional roost site in the area. A very quick look at Pegwell included
15 Ringed Plovers, 1 Marsh Harrier, 4 Brent Geese and 3
Grey Herons. Phil won’t believe the excellent Ringed Plover
count, but, hey, there they were. (Tim Hodge)
Saturday 5th
February 2005 Westgate Garden & Pegwell Bay
There was a Blackcap in my garden in Westgate
today, plus I notice that Razorbill is not on the year list, I saw a
couple at Ramsgate early in January. There was a flock of 45 Greylag
Geese present in Pegwell this morning which may well have been eastern
race birds, Francis saw them well but they took off and flew east out to sea
just as I got my scope on them. (Tim Hodge)
Saturday 5th
February 2005 Seaton pits, Stodmarsh & Grove Ferry
A 'quiet' trip around the circuit this morning between 8:30 & midday. Cold &
overcast, the carpark aside, which was alive with bird song/activity, there
was very little to excite today. Lengthy patches en route seemed totally
devoid of birds. Highlights were 2 female Marsh Harriers buzzing the
Teal on the main lake before being mobbed by Black Headed Gulls,
a male Sparrowhawk flying low & quite fast over the reeds at the
Grove end, & a party of 4 Bullfinches.
The main lake had numerous Teal, Mallard, & Pochard on
it & Great ,Blue, & Long Tailed Tits 'busied' themselves in the
trees along the Lampen Wall.
The Ramp provided a view of several hundred Lapwing , which
'exploded' into the air at the slightest provocation. I counted 14 male
Pintail there also. Very few geese around & those that showed were the
inevitable Greylag variety. Similarly, Swans were all Mute. Cetti's
were also conspicuous by their apparent absence with remarkably few calling
birds, & the few 'pinging' Bearded Tits remained invisible to our
eyes. A female Reed Bunting allowed us to get within 4 feet as it
preened itself at the base of the Ramp! I was advised that a male Hen
Harrier was seen from the Reed bed hide at approx 8:15am & that the
Smew were absent from the main pit at Seaton early this morning. A
disappointing 41 species but nice to get some fresh air in the lungs!
(Ben Ring)
Saturday 5th
February 2005 Ramsgate Cemetery
During my regular stroll around the
cemetery this afternoon, amongst all the regular birds was an addition to
the Thanet year list (unless anyone else has seen one already?!). Having
seen 4 Goldcrests and a single Firecrest in one of the pines
in the centre of the cemetery, I was watching a mixed flock of tits (Great,
Blue and Long-tailed) when two particularly 'manic' squirrels
disturbed more birds that were quietly feeding in some small trees and
undergrowth. One of these flew to an exposed tree trunk and began walking up
it. Treecreeper, a pretty scarce bird in the area, is now ticked for
the cemetery year list and, perhaps, the Thanet list. (Phil B)
Friday
4th February 2005 Grove Ferry
I went over to Grove late afternoon today
for a wander around to see if there was any goodies around and i was not
disappointed. At 3.35 as i had just left Harrison’s Drove hide i noticed an
Egret flying towards Seaton, I was immediately thinking Great
White Egret, its large size and most noticeably of all the slow deep
wing beats were enough to make me think that it was Great White Egret.
I got home and checked a few details and informed a few friends, Brendon
Ryan rang to say he had been over Grove this morning and probably had the
same bird. It would be interesting to see if it is seen over the weekend.
(Marc Heath)
Friday
4th February 2005
Dumpton Gap to North
Foreland
I was able to get a
decent morning's birding today, so I walked from Dumpton Gap to North
Foreland, along the beach. A Sparrowhawk and a trickle of Meadow
Pipits overhead, as I replenished my garden feeding station, was a nice
start and the walk along the seawall between Dumpton Gap and Broadstairs was
enlivened by a party of 11 Eiders flying south. Plenty of gulls
and waders to scrutinize as I made my way to Viking Bay, yet nothing out of
the ordinary. It was only when I reached the northern side of Viking Bay,
below the Tartar Frigate, that things started to get a bit more interesting.
A female Black Redstart was busily feeding along the fence line just
beyond the boat storage yard and a Snow Bunting flew north, calling
frequently, only to reach the cliffs at North Foreland and fly back south,
still calling! An adult Shag was fishing just off shore whilst a male
Linnet was singing from a perch midway up the chalk cliff. I managed
to find 5 Purple Sandpiper, 30+ Curlew, 11 Grey Plover,
1 Rock Pipit and 4 Sanderling along with the usual mix of
Oystercatchers and Turnstones. A summer plumaged Guillemot
was found on the rocks below North Foreland Pumping Station and, although
lightly oiled, seemed to be healthy enough. It didn't allow me to get within
35m before jumping back into the sea! 3 Grey Geese spp. must
have flown right past me as I attempted to get a few pics of the
Guillemot, all I saw was the "horse-shoe" white upper tail pattern and
long-winged silhouettes disappearing along the coast, towards Joss Bay and
the North Sea! The Black Redstart was still actively foraging around
the fenced area as I made my way back to my lunch-time rendezvous, with Bev
in the Charles Dickens, at Broadstairs - very pleasant! (Dylan)
Friday
4th February 2005 Late News
Foreness area 2nd February 2005
50 Great Crested Grebe,
1 Shag,
1 Peregrine,
1
Short-Eared Owl,
1 Lesser-spotted Woodpecker,1
Black Redstart,1
Goldcrest, 3 Snow
Bunting, (F Solly)
Thursday 3rd
February 2005 Ramsgate Cemetery
The weather was dreary and, together
with other events, conspired to restrict my birding to a short look
around Ramsgate Cemetery. I called in at Frank's place, as I passed, and
thus I had company for the session. We walked through the main gate and
turned right following the twisting pathway until we reached the gap in the
central wall and went into the Eastern section. A Sparrowhawk flew
from cover and scattered the Woodpigeons as it dashed through the
trees. Parakeets were as noisy as ever and it was obvious that many
of the birds were already paired and searching for nest sites. Blackbird,
Song Thrush, Blue & Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin and Wren were seen
as we slowly walked the pathway. A male Green Woodpecker probed the
short turf by the Military graves, whilst good numbers of Jays and
Magpies "chattered and screeched" amongst the scattered trees. Returning
to the main cemetery area, a Goldcrest called from a Holme Oak yet
steadfastly refused to show in the open. Onwards to the northern boundary,
the numbers of common species we were seeing was very encouraging. As we
turned back towards the Chapel, I heard the distinctive call of Firecrest
and after a few fleeting glimpses managed to "pish" a bird out of the canopy
allowing me to get a year tick and Frank a "lifer", a second bird called
nearby and the two birds disappeared back into the dense canopy.
Chaffinches flew overhead in small numbers with a group of 5
Greenfinch also noted. Almost back at the entrance, I found a third
Firecrest feeding low down in some thick Laurel-like plant in the
company of a nice party of Long-tailed Tits. Deciding to have one
last look, we walked back into the new section and were rewarded with nice
views of a flyover female Sparrowhawk, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Redwing,
another Goldcrest and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Only away from the bungalow for 90 minutes, it's amazing what you can find
if you keep your eyes open! (Dylan and Frank F)
Wednesday 2nd February 2005
Newland's Farm & Weatherlees SSSI
I had no special plans for today so I
started by walking the fields around Newland's Farm. No great shakes, I'm
afraid, just the expected mix of Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chaffinch,
Greenfinch, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits with a nice mixed
flock of Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls feeding on the
College playing field. A Mistle Thrush was in fine voice as I left
the fields behind and headed off towards Pegwell Bay, via St Lawrence. A
Great Spotted Woodpecker announced its' presence in the park by drumming
loudly and a group of Jackdaws chased around the tower of St Lawrence
Church. As I approached the Hoverpad there was a flock of 75+ Meadow
Pipits and 7 Skylarks in the stubble field besides the cycle
track. As Phil and others have also done the "Bay" today, I'll miss the
middle bit out and continue at Weatherlees SSSI. A splendid adult male
Peregrine was perched high up on the tall thin chimney within the Power
Station complex, whilst the reserve itself held 12 Bullfinch, 3
Green Woodpecker, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Water Rail, 3
Goldcrest and a nice sub-adult male Marsh Harrier. A group of
ducks on the pool within the power station compound consisted of 16
Mallard, 27 Teal and a drake Gadwall with a few noisy
Coots for company. A small flock of Goldfinches were feeding on
thistles at the railway end of the reserve and provided a nice splash of
colour in the grey afternoon conditions. I returned to Pegwell and spent a
pleasant couple of hours with messrs Milton, Hodge & Solly watching the
rising tide. (Dylan
Wednesday 2nd February 2005 Pegwell
Bay
After a quick wander around the top fields where I came across 90 Meadow
Pipit and c30 Skylark I eventually arrived at the hide for about
1.00pm -
staying until near dusk. Lots of birds (as usual) but nothing unexpected.
The counts turned up: 3 Grey Heron,1 Little Egret,3 Brent,138
Mallard,137 Wigeon,c50 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 1
Hen Harrier,1 Peregrine, 8 Black-T Godwit, 8000+
Lapwing, 5320 Golden Plover, 50 Snipe, 2160
Black-headed Gull, 600 Common Gull, 450 Herring Gull, 3
Stonechat and 42 Twite.
(Phil M, Dylan, Tim Hodge and old Hairy Solly)
Wednesday 2nd February 2005 New Downs/Backsand area
A morning wander around the New Downs/Backsand area at
Sandwich Bay was rather quiet, but included 1 Merlin, 1 Hen
Harrier, 1 Marsh Harrier, 6 Stonechat, 11 Corn Buntings,
1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 7 Tufted Ducks,
3 Little Grebes, 1 Little Egret, 7 Mistle Thrushes, 40
Skylarks and 4 Grey Partridges. (Tim
Hodge)
Tuesday 1st February 2005 Western
Undercliff & Ramsgate Harbour
A new month, so I
started off with a session along the Western Undercliff and around Ramsgate
Harbour. Very few surprises, the waders, feeding on the exposed mussel beds,
were all the usual suspects. Oystercatchers were particularly
numerous (130+) with Turnstone, Curlew, Redshank, Grey Plover and 2 Purple
Sandpiper noted as I walked towards the Port with the bonus of a single
Knot - looking very out of place wandering about on the rocks! There
was a small, yet noticeable, movement of Meadow Pipits flying west
along the cliff top and Rock Pipits were conspicuous with 4 along the
undercliff and a further 7 in the Harbour! Fulmars cackled from their
ledges as I passed and a group of 5 Pied Wagtails fed inside the
newly fenced area below the Motor Museum. The Harbour was very quiet, just
the normal mix of Herring, Great Black-back and Black-headed Gulls
along with 2 Cormorants and a sprinkling of Turnstones.
(Dylan)
Tuesday 1st February 2005 Pegwell Bay
Did a 12.30 - 4.00pm session on the incoming tide seeing nothing too
exciting other than a possible "Omissus" (yellow-legged
Argentatus) that appeared to have pinky/orangey legs? The bird was
certainly a northern Herring Gull anyway. Still good numbers of
Ruff with at least 29 birds present - good numbers for Pegwell. Oops ...
nearly forgot - 3 White-Fronted Geese flew n/west over the reserve at
2.35pm - they're not all that regular these days. The other counts turned
up:1 Diver north, 3 Brent, 51 Shelduck, 43 Mallard,
1 Gadwall, 136 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 3 Eider, 2
Peregrine, 590 Oystercatcher, 260 Curlew, 210 Barwit,
3 Blackwit, 4500 Lapwing, 4750 Golden Plover, 320
Grey Plover, 1 Spotted Redshank, c30 Redshank, 2 Snipe,
260 Knot, 940 Dunlin and 71 Sanderling. (Phil M and
Slim Hodge)
Tuesday 1st
February 2005 Northdown Park
I went
down to Northdown Park this morning in the hope of seeing the Goshawk
that seems to be hanging around in the area. I don’t know if it is a wild,
or captive, bird but would still love to see it. I spent an hour or so with
no luck but plenty of Ring-necked Parakeets busily flying and making
noises everywhere. It was nice to see signs of spring, Blue Tits were
singing and displaying as were a few Great Tits, A single Great
Spotted Woodpecker flew over, calling, and a small party of
Long-tailed Tits added a little colour to the day. Every now and then
the Gulls would make a fuss and I thought that maybe the Goshawk
would make an appearance but no joy. With the weather and birds, arriving
soon from their holidays, it should make for exciting times. (Marc Heath)
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