Parakeet roost count this Sunday – any
volunteers?
A
national parakeet count is being held this Sunday afternoon between 1400 and
1630 with the aim of counting all known roosts in the country. To the best
of our knowledge there are two roosts on Thanet, the long standing one in
the Dumpton/Ramsgate Cemetery area plus a new one in the Westwood Cross
area. Although we already have counters for both roosts, we would like each
roost to be counted by two groups of two people if possible to enable the
counts to be cross-checked. If you are able to help with this can you either
contact Gadget on 07974 404114 or Tim Hodge on 07880 792403. Fuller details
of the count methodology will be given out on the day. Thanks for any help.
Tuesday 29th December 2009
North Foreland
Being in the real world, I was only able to
seawatch for the first half hour of light from North Foreland this morning.
Plenty moving - all south; 72 Divers, 56 Gannets, 14 Brent
Geese, 2 Common Soter, 3 Velvet Scoter, 4 Red-breasted
Mergansers, 3 Great Skuas, 10 Little Gulls, 37
Kittiwakes and 665 Auks, (F Solly)
Monday 28th December 2009 Ramsgate
Harbour
East Kent's second most photographed
Kingfisher - on the harbour wall (Philip Hurst)
Sunday 27th December 2009 Foreness
Area
Nipped up to Foreness for an hour this
morning, not much going on birdwise but 4 Snow Buntings dropped in
and appeared to drop onto the beach but I couldn't relocate them. Only 2
Purple Sandpiper noted amongst the waders. A Bar-tailed Godwit
was a surprise, feeding on the pitch & putt with a Curlew. A few
Gulls but nothing too special, 2 Mediterranean Gulls ( 1 adult and 1
1st winter ) on the grass by the hut. A handful of Divers offshore, all
Red-throats as is the norm. (Barry Hunt)
Sunday 27th
December 2009 Worth Marshes Area
The
Great White Egret that Colin Fisher found yesterday flew from Worth
Marshes over the railway towards Roaring Gutter, this afternoon about 13-
20hrs, other bit noted out on the Worth Marshes were 20 Curlew, 20
Common Snipe 60 Lapwing, 40 Teal, 1 Merlin, 1
Kestrel and 1 Peregrine, back at the observatory a small
number of Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Reed Buntings, Tits, and the like
were around the bird table. (Gadget)
Tuesday 22nd December 2009 Seaton
& Stodmarsh NNR
We visited Seaton from 11.45am to
13.30pm today. In the fields around the lakes 3 Mistle Thrushes and
3 Song Thrushes, on the lake 3 Goosanders (2 Drakes) ,+20
Gadwall, I elusive Goldeneye, good numbers of Teal, Wigeon,
Tufted Duck and Mallard, also several Pochard, Shoveler,
Herons, Egrets and Grebes. No sign of the Bewick Swans or Smew.
Overhead a steady movement of Fieldfare. We moved on to Stodmarsh and
spent an hour in the reed-bed hide in the hope of spotting a Bittern. One
had been spotted earlier in the day but no luck for us this time, the only
birds of note: - at least 6 Marsh Harriers, a Sparrow Hawk and
+50 Fieldfares in the trees adjacent to the car park. Wishing
everyone the best for Christmas and the New Year, (Barry Woolhouse and
Malcolm Mcvail)
Tuesday 22nd December 2009
Sandwich & St Peters B/stairs Thanet
Not really been out birding, but had two
birds i enjoyed seeing today - a Common Buzzard, on the Sandwich to
Dover Road, flying very low, probably looking for frozen road kill, and a
first for the back garden in the shape of a Woodcock, coming in to
roost. (John Carnell)
Saturday 19th December 2009 Seaton
At
Seaton today 4 Bewick's Swans again, together with drake Smew,
1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Goldeneye, plenty of duck and 1 Marsh
Harrier. (Peter Loudon)
Saturday 19th December
East Cliff at Margate
A Great Skua was
resting on the sea close inshore under the East Cliff at Margate at 15.00
hrs suffering the enthusiastic attentions of several Herring Gulls
with characteristic ill humour. (Tom Robertson)
Saturday 19th
December
Whiteness
area & Seaton
18/12. An extremely dull and cold 2 1/2
hr seawatch from Whiteness during which even Divers and Auks were a rarity.
A small number of Ducks moving, the pick of which was a Long-tailed Duck.
I decided to give Seaton a go, lots of the usual Ducks including 600+
Teal. Of more interest were 5 Goosander (3 males), 3 Smew
and 3 Goldeneye. In the fields just to the east were 4 Bewick's
Swan. Other bits included 2 Kingfishers, 7 Little Egrets
and 3 Green Sandpipers. (F Solly)
Saturday 19th December 2009 Foreness Area
No snow when I awoke this morning but
with the onset of a blizzard just after dawn, sent me up the point in search
of some signs of hard weather movement. At first visibility was poor and I
could not even see the sea at times but it slowly became clearer. There were
a few duck on the move, with a redhead Smew leading a flock of 26
Teal being the most noteworthy. Also 500 Wigeon, 66 Teal,
7 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, 29 Mallard, 16 Gadwall,
6 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye and 1 Pintail flew west. At
least 5 Woodcock were flushed from the clifftop scrub although one
individual crashed into the cliff and then onto the beach before finally
finding his chosen resting place. 4 Snipe in total including 2 on the
beach feeding amongst the more usual shore waders. 3 Mediterranean Gulls
were seen around the point. Not a lot of passerines around, 1 Skylark,
1 Rock Pipit and the odd Redwing were about it. (Barry H)
Saturday 19th
December 2009
Reculver Area
An hour sea
watching at Reculver produced: 2 female Red Breasted Mergansers, 65
Wigeon, 30 Gadwall and 24 Teal. Also 4 Little Gulls
and a single Red Throated Diver. A Woodcock nearly flew into
my face before landing on the rocks in front of the car park. There were 2
male Marsh Harriers mobbing a Peregrine behind the caravan
park, and 15 Snow Buntings were in the Coldharbour area. Home just as
the snow started again! (Ross
Crates)
Saturday 19th December 2009 Dumpton Thanet
With
the firsts sufficient snowfall on Thanet this morning of about 1" which
settled and made a beautiful winter seen in the garden and the field behind
my house, as the snow stop the feeders became alive with birds, 5
Chaffinches, 4 Greenfinches, 7 Goldfinches, 5 Blue Tits,
Great Tits with 6 Blackbirds, feeding on the ground 7
Starlings, 3 House Sparrows, 2 Dunnock's, 1 Robin
with 5 Collard Doves, and 7 Feral Pigeons out on the field
were 7 Carrion Crows and nothing else to see until a female
Sparrow Hawk scattered everything in the garden and a Woodcock
from the edge of the field which flew north/west over the field towards the
farm. Around 12-45hrs while I was filling the bird feeders 3 small birds
flew over head, by the call I had no doubt to what they were so
I went up the stairs and scoped the field where I located 3
Lapland Buntings, before I could digiscope them they took flight
south/west towards Pegwell, the trees on the far-side of the field held 37
Woodpigeons and 11 Carrion Crows, (Gadget)
Wednesday 16th December 2009 Worth Marshes area
A
trip to renew my membership at the Sandwich Obs meant an ideal opportunity
for a couple of hours bird watching in sunshine (for a change!) A quick
check from the hide at Restharrow revealed the water was mostly frozen, with
just 3 Mute Swans, a couple of Shelduck & 6 Teal there.
My chosen walking route took me towards Worth & on to Roaring Gutter by way
of the Pinnock Wall. The flock of some 40 Goldfinch remain active
near the Obs, with a lesser supporting cast of Chaffinch. A single
Yellowhammer was also seen here, with 5 more by the Blue Pigeons
farmhouse. A Sparrowhawk was active along the Wall, keeping the
flock of some 60 Starling active & 2 Kestrel were also seen.
All 3 raptors flew to Great Wood for a perch eventually. Ten Pied
Wagtails picked around on the frozen surface of the marsh water & at
least a dozen Common Snipe were also here but flushed by the hawk.
Wrens & Reed Buntings very evident & although there were plenty
of Blackbirds, several Song & Mistle Thrushes in the bushes,
didn't see a single Fieldfare or Redwing. (Ben Ring)
Tuesday 15th December 2009 Sandwich Area
I
saw a Common Buzzard circling low above the Sandwich end of the
Ash bypass. (John Carnell)
Monday 14th December 2009
Broadstairs Thanet
I Saw 6-7 Grey Heron standing in
field of Spring wheat (very short still) this afternoon. Unusual to see so
many together. Sorry no pics! (Roger Wildman)
Monday 14th
December 2009 Minster Area Thanet
A
late start this morning in beautiful sunshine but chilly, Birds were
plentifully with good numbers of Starlings, House Sparrows, Blackbirds,
while Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tits were also recorded,
with a few Goldcrests, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robin's, Blackcaps, Chaffinches,
Greenfinches and Goldfinches, 22 Stock Doves amongst 50
Woodpigeons were out on the fields and 4 Meadow pipits flew
overhead and 7 Fieldfare were in the roadside bushes, Green
Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay's had been recorded
along route. (Gadget)
Saturday 12th December 2009
Foreness Area
A half hearted seawatch this morning at
Foreness produced the following - 350 large Auks, 290 Red-throated
Divers, 4 Great Skua, 45 Kittiwakes, 6 Eider, 19
Gannets, 3 Shags, 16 Brent Geese, 3 Mediterranean Gulls,
6 Common Scoter and a lone Snow Bunting that flew west along
the clifftop. (Barry H)
Saturday12th December 2009 Seaton
Area
At Seaton today 4 Bewick's swans
flew in and were still on the main lake when I left. Also there male Smew,
and pair each of Goosander and Goldeneye, 27 Little Egret,
Marsh Harrier and Kingfisher. (Peter Loudon)
Wednesday 9th December 2009 Reculver/Coldharbour area
A
walk this morning from the Towers along the seawall as far as Coldharbour
then back along the railway embankment in largely overcast conditions. Good
numbers of finches early on including the Gold & Green variety & Linnets.
Connected with the flock of some 20 Snow Buntings which remained
skittish on approach. Two sightings of Kingfisher, a couple of
Little Grebe, Little Egret, Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails & the
inevitable Brent Geese also present. A handful of Turnstone, a
solitary Grey Plover & 3 Ringed Plover were spotted amongst
the loafing gulls. A Sanderling was being mercilessly pursued by a
Black Headed Gull & a couple of Bewick's Swans flew in from the
sea. The Great Northern Diver was located thanks to Robin Blyth & a
few record shots only were obtained, not wishing to distress the bird by
down the seawall apron & on to the lower track. It seemed to be happy
feeding on crabs. (Ben Ring)
Wednesday 9th December 2009 Kearsney
Abbey & Bushy Ruff Lake
On a dull and drizzly day I ventured
along Lower Road River where the Grey Heron was still present. There
were also 31 Black-headed Gulls, 7 Mallard, 4 Coot, 2
Moorhen and a flash of azure blue as the Kingfisher flew
across the pond. I then went into the lower path of Kearsney Abbey where
there were 12 Mallard, 3 Mute Swans and a Grey Wagtail.
A flock of Long-tailed Tits and 2 Goldcrest were working their
way through the trees overhead. Once into Bushy Ruff Lake area another
Kingfisher shot off up the lake, also present were 52 Black-headed,
18 Common and 3 Herring Gulls, 3 Little Grebe, 2
Gadwall, 11 Moorhen, 5 Coot and 2 Herons in the
tree at the far end of the lake. There were also many Blackbirds, Great
& Blue Tits, several Robins and a single Song Thrush, a
Mistle Thrush was also singing in the distance. (Graham Crick)
Tuesday 8th December 2009 Stodmarsh NNR
Arriving around lunchtime today at the car-park, where a flock of 17
Long-tailed Tits were flitting though the treetops, as I was making my
way to the reed-bed hide I noted 1 Water-Rail & 1 Cetti's
Warbler calling and a few Blue Tits in the bushes, on entering
the hide I found four members of the SBBOT camera club had gathered and
setup, Mallard, Teal, Greylag Geese, Cormorants, Reed Buntings,
Stonechat, and Marsh Harriers were observed, then as the light
faded I walked round to the alder wood area and then though onto the
boardwalk back to the car-park on rout 300+ Fieldfares were flitting
across the treetops. (Gadget)
Sunday 6th December 2009 Dumpton
Thanet
On my return from the SBBOT Photographic
Club just after 14.30hrs today, I was pleasantly surprised with the number
of birds in the garden, 37 Starlings, 3 Blackbirds, 3 House
Sparrows, 1 Dunnock, 1 Wren, 1 Robin, 9 Blue
Tits, 5 Great Tits, 7 Greenfinches, 11 Goldfinches,
5 Chaffinches and 5 Collard Doves, the fields behind my house
held a mixture of Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Carrion Crows and
woodpigeons, (Gadget)
Sunday 6th December 2009 Stodmarsh
NNR
This afternoon as the sun shone out over the marshes, a Bittern
dropped into the reeds just outside the reed-bed hide photograph by (Steve
Ashton)
Sunday 6th December 2009 Foreness
area
A late start this morning due to the
relentless gales and rain, arrived at about eleven and spent an hour or so
at the point. A Black Redstart was lingering around the pumping
station and two very flighty Snow Buntings were buzzing around the
area. On the sea still at least two Shags present, the odd
Red-throated Diver and plenty of Fulmars, which seemed to be
enjoying the stiff breeze. (Barry H)
Saturday 5th December 2009 Mill
Pond River Nr Dover
As the weather was reasonable this
morning, I thought it would be a good chance to try out the new camera. The
Grey Heron was the one I was hoping to see as it's been there most of
the week. There were also 64 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Mute Swans,
3 Coots, 4 Moorhen, 7 Mallard and a Grey Wagtail.
(Graham Crick)
Saturday 5th December 2009
Foreness area
A hour or so around the Foreness area
produced a mobile Black Redstart just East of the pumping station, 4
Mediterranean Gulls on the grass, still at least two Shags off
the point, 13 Great Crested Grebes offshore and a handful of
Red-throated Divers.
(Barry H)
Saturday 5th
December 2009 Reculver area
An
adult Great Northern Diver was showing well on the Oyster Farm today.
(Tim H)
Friday 4th December 2009 Seaton Lake area
One Bittern flying over the main lake at Seaton today. Also 2
Marsh Harrier and good numbers of Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Pochard
and Tufted Duck. (Peter Loudon)
Friday 4th December 2009 Dungeness RSPB area
Such
a nice change to have a bit of prolonged sunshine & a walk around the
reserve produced Great White Egret & 3 Black Necked Grebes
(Dengue Marsh Hide),2 Glossy Ibis & a Bittern (Hanson
Hide). The Great White Egret was also viewed from this hide briefly as
it obviously decided on a change of view! (Ben Ring)
Friday 4th December 2009 Stodmarsh NNR area
With the sunshine making an appearance for the fist time for a week, I
arrived at reserves car-park Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robins and
Blackbirds were noted, walking down the track towards the reed-bed hide
the sound of Greylag Geese from over the field to the left, on opening the
hide to find (Steve A & Mike F) setup with there cameras, birds noted: 1
Bitten, 3 Marsh Harriers, Mallards, Teal, Greylag Geese, Cormorants,
Stonechat and Cetti's Warbler heard, a quick look at the alder
wood found 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker more Blue Tits with a
few Chaffinches, Blackbirds and 5 Fieldfares but little
else. (Gadget)
