Thursday 30th November 2006 Chambers Wall &
Coldharbour
The sun was shining this morning and I felt that I
should go and see if i could locate the Black Brant over at
Coldharbour, on arrival at 08-45hrs, I noted the lack of waders on the
shoreline just a few Turnstones, Oystercatchers and Grey Plover out
on the sea was a group of 33 Brent Geese and 1 Black
Brant, (nigricans), In the Coldharbour Lagoon 8 Redshank,
2 Mute Swan, 5 Little Grebe, Scanning back over the field
birds to note 2 Marsh Harriers (Male & Female) a flock of 30+ Greenfinches,
2 Skylarks, 7 Meadow Pipits and 30+ Mute Swan. (Gadget)
Wednesday 29th November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
A wonderfully bright afternoon, so I just had time to cycle across to
Ramsgate Harbour, after I finished my shift, for a spot of ring
reading. High water wasn't until after dark, but a few gulls were drifting
in to roost on the pontoons. Unfortunately there were no new birds amongst
them, just C-R Herring Gull - White A3GX being
located. I went round to the Harbour Lights Cafe to scan the area from a
different angle and was delighted to find a 1st winter male Red-breasted
Merganser feeding in the outer harbour. I managed a few pics
before the sun dipped below the port buildings and it was time to cycle
home - 15.40hrs, I'd only been there for an hour! (Dylan)
Wednesday
29th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
This afternoon/evenings incoming tide turned up: 2 Brent, 14 Shelduck,
c130 Mallard, 280 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, 5 Teal, 4
Grey Heron, 5 Little Egret, 2430 Golden Plover, c5000
Lapwing, 930 Dunlin, 750+ Oystercatcher, 210 Curlew,
1 Spotted Redshank, 56 Bar-tailed Godwit, 40 Sanderling,
1 Corn Bunting, 9 Twite, 1 Sandwich Tern and c1000 Starling.
(Phil M)
Monday
27th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
A very similar story to yesterday afternoon with much barring the Barn
Owl re-showing. The Lapland Bunting showed up late afternoon -
another quick fly-through - calling overhead plus there were quite a few Yellow-legged
Gulls with a 1st winter, 2nd winter, 4th winter and at least 3 adult
birds on show as the tide pushed up. Other 'bits' included 1 adult Mediterranean
Gull, 9 Twite, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 1 Spotted
Redshank, 119 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Black-tailed Godwit,
c2000 Golden Plover, c200 Grey Plover, 3000+ Lapwing
and at least 6 Little Egrets. (Phil M)
Monday 27th November 2006 Dumpton Thanet
Lunch time today around the garden on the feeders
and fatballs 4 Blue Tits, 2 Great Tits, 9 Greenfinches,
11 Starlings,14 House Sparrows, 2 Dunnocks, 4 Blackbirds,
7 Collared Doves and 1 Robin over the fields behind the
house an assortment of Gulls! Black headed and Herring and 1
Common Gull, 40+ Woodpigeons and 30+ Carrion Crows.
(Gadget)
Sunday
26th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
A short trip this afternoon turned up a few bits and pieces - a Lapland
Bunting flew south over the salt marsh late afternoon (which Dave
called a Lapland Longspur - perish the thought!!) plus there was a
cracking Barn Owl hunting in the area behind the Garage when we
left at dusk. Other things seen included quite a few Yellow-legged
Gulls (3 - 5), at least 9 Twite, 1 Spotted Redshank,
2000+ Golden Plover etc. 100's of 'Alba' Wagtails were
moving south to roost as is usual these days.
(Phil M and Dave B)
Saturday 26th November 2006 Deal Pier (08.00
- 10.20hrs)
The first gales of the autumn were whistling through the wires, along
Vine Close, as I left the bungalow and headed across to Deal. I
couldn't think of anywhere better, locally, to seawatch in the conditions. With
a 30 mph southerly, it was never going to be hectic, but I really enjoyed
myself. The bare facts (all birds south, unless otherwise stated) were
5 Red-breasted Merganser (3m & 2 red-heads), 1 Fulmar
N, 2 Gannet N (juv & ad), 1 Curlew,
3 Oystercatcher, 1 Auk sp., 2 Wigeon,
4 Red-throated Diver, 6 Great
Crested Grebe (1 on, 4 S & 1 N), 1 Razorbill
N, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Common Scoter
(male), 1 Dunlin, 1 Cormorant N and 1 Guillemot
on the sea, just as I prepared to leave. There was a large scale movement
of gulls, into the gale, the majority being Great Black-backs
(c 670) and Common Gulls (c 150), but
the highlight, amidst a flurry of Herring & Black-headed,
was a superb 2nd winter Caspian Gull. (Dylan)
Thursday
23rd November 2006 Pegwell Bay
Lots of birds this afternoon though nothing too exciting. Other than a
probable adult Caspian Gull and a 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull
across on Shellness nothing better than a very smart adult male Red-breasted
Merganser. Other bits seen included 1000+ Golden Plover, 4000+ Lapwing,
2 Black-tailed Godwit, c80 Bar-tailed Godwit, 223 Lesser
Black-backed Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Little Grebe etc.
No Twite, Snow or Lapland Buntings today. (Phil M)
Thursday 23rd November 2006 Broadstairs to
Dumpton Gap
I went across to Broadstairs with Bev. She went to work, I walked back
home along the beach - tough life ain't it? A Sparrowhawk
over Viking Bay caused panic amongst the local gulls and feral pigeons. I
descended to the beach and took a very leisurely stroll back towards
Dumpton. Plenty of Herring & Black-headed
Gulls to search through and I also located 7 Great
Black-backs and a 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull,
sadly most of them were sitting on the sea, so no chance of spotting any
plastic jewellery! Quite a few waders along the chalk reef. 7 Grey
Plover, 1 Redshank, 13 Oystercatcher,
3 Curlew, 30+ Turnstone and 2 Purple
Sandpiper made my walk rather enjoyable, although the light was
awful and most of my digi-scoped images were hopeless. Nothing much else
to report, except a couple of Rock Pipits and a
scattering of Pied Wagtails. Something I did notice was
the complete lack of Fulmars along the coast, they are normally back on
their nesting ledges by now. A Great Spotted Woodpecker
was "drumming" in King George VI Park - something is not quite
right. (Dylan)
Wednesday
22nd November 2006 Pegwell Bay
I popped down for the dropping tide this afternoon. Rarity of the day came
when 2 chunky passerines flew low south over the salt marsh and one called
(luckily) to give it away they were Lapland Buntings. A right
result as I've very rarely seen them from the nature reserve. They flew
off south and disappeared around the corner no doubt re-landing in the
salt marsh? Other 'bits' included many sightings of the 9 resident Twite,
3 Corn Bunting, 2 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern,
6+ Little Egret, 3500 Lapwing, 2200 Golden Plover, 1 Black-tailed
Godwit, 2 Brent, 270 Wigeon etc. Some of the 'Alba'
Wagtails feeding on the newly ploughed fields on the clifftop sound
like White Wagtails to me. I couldn’t be bothered to get off my
bike and check them out properly. (Phil M)
Tuesday
21st November 2006 Chambers Wall
Scanning the
fields from Chambers wall beside the Wantsum River, Birds recorded were 1 Blackbirds,
2 Stonechat along side the railway track 9 Moorhen, on the river
Wantsum and the far bank, on the field looking towards Shuart 22 Mute Swans and
1 Little Egrets, and
the fields looking towards Reculver 320+ Brent Geese, 7
Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwings, birds flying over 4 Turnstones,
2 Skylarks, 8 Meadow
pipits, 12 Goldfinch, 9 Cormorant, 25 Black headed Gulls,
and 2 Mallard on the way back to the car 1 Robin and
4 Chaffinch. (Gadget)
Monday 20th November 2006 Dumpton
Loads to do, so birding demoted to a lesser priority. I still managed to
see a couple of bits as I cycled to the garage on Hereson Road. A
female Sparrowhawk was hunting the railway bushes, before
heading off towards Ramsgate Cemetery and my journey home was brought to
an abrupt stop when a Hawfinch flew from the mature trees
in the walled garden along West Dumpton Lane, calling loudly and
displaying its' wing bars. It appeared to land in the vicinity of Broadstairs
Cricket Ground, so it could be worth a look? I was well chuffed, it's my
first Thanet record. (Dylan)
Sunday 19th
November 2006 Minnis Bay Late News
Lunchtime
cycle ride from Minnis to Coldharbour and back, in brilliant light with
just slight NW breeze, produced in addition to usual Waders and Brent
Geese, 1 Red-throated diver swimming ~20 meters offshore near
gate at start of seawall, 1 Little Auk about 10 meters offshore at
first shingle bank, and a Kingfisher perched at the end of the rock
breakwater near Plum Pudding Island. (Bob Hinge)
Sunday 19th
November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
If only the birding could match the weather? A superb morning, Ramsgate
bathed in glorious sunshine, it was great to see so many people making the
most of it. I had timed my visit to coincide with high tide. Although
there were a few gulls on the pontoons, the lack of any real breeze meant
that the vast majority of the birds were content to sit out the high water
out in Pegwell Bay. A mix of Great Black-backed, Herring
and Black-headed Gulls were scrutinised, alas no
C-R birds today. A Kingfisher was spotted on a couple of
occasions as it skimmed across the outer harbour. A few Cormorants
were fishing amongst the moored boats and 2 Sanderling
scurried around the legs of the roosting gulls on the central pontoon. 50+
Turnstones were around the site, the highest number so
far this autumn. Apart from the usual Rock Pipit
sightings, the only other bird of note was an adult Kittiwake
perched on the slipway behind A&P Shipyard. (Dylan)
Saturday 18th November 2006 Oare Marshes KWT Late
News
I would have been at Deal Pier if only the BBC Ramsgate weather
forecast had been accurate. In reality, the predicted winds failed to
materialise and I drove across to Oare Marshes instead. This reserve must
be one of the best places in the UK to get close to waders.
Let's hope that Mr. Swandale, the reserve warden, can do as good a
job when he takes over at Pegwell Bay & Sandwich. It was a very
pleasant morning and I enjoyed the company of Murray Wright for an hour,
or so, as we scanned the East Flood from the hide. Birds on display
included 4 Little Stint, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Avocet, 1 Knot,
40+ Dunlin, 450+ Black-tailed Godwit (including 3 C-R birds)
plus Redshank, Lapwing, Common, Herring & Black-headed Gulls.
Murray did the circuit; I returned to the seawall and walked west towards
Conyer. 3 Little Egret and a scattering of Curlew and Redshank
were noted as I made my way west. Across the Swale a spectacular flock of Avocets
flew towards Elmley, looking superb in the bright sunlight. At the reserve
boundary I located a covey of 9 Grey Partridge and a group of Skylarks
flushed from the saltings had a lone Lapland Bunting in attendance.
I returned to the East Flood, where the resident Long-billed Dowitcher
was performing to a very appreciative audience before being flushed by an
over flying Marsh Harrier. (Dylan)
Saturday
18th November 2006 Garden Dumpton Thanet
What
a fantastic day, weather wise that is, I haven't been able to get out
myself, but did find time to have a look over the fields behind my house
150+ Carrion Crows, 60+ Woodpigeons, 200 Starlings and
in the garden it self 22 Collard Dove, 15 Greenfinch, 14 House
Sparrows, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 2 Dunnocks, 1 Robin
and 1 Wren. (Gadget)
Friday
17th November 2006 Chambers Wall
Scanning the
fields from Chambers wall beside the Wantsum River, Birds recorded were Blackbirds,
Starlings around the railway track 1 Little Grebe, 1 Coot, 5
Moorhen, on the river Wantsum, on the field looking towards Shuart
150+ Brent Geese, 28 Mute Swans and 2 Little Egrets, and
the fields looking towards Reculver 120+ Brent Geese, 17
Ringed Plover, 12 Grey Plover, 2 Lapwings, 3 Turnstones,
birds flying over 1 Kestrel, 6 Skylarks, 18 Meadow
pipits, 2 Cormorant, 5 Black headed Gulls, and 1 Grey
Heron heading back to the main road a Green Woodpecker flew
along side the car, windy but nice to be out. (Gadget)
Thursday 16th November 2006 Ramsgate
Harbour 08-20 to 09-15hrs
A brief seawatch from Harbour lights at the end of
the east pier produced just: - 18 Gannets, 3 Auk sp, 1 Guillemot,
1 Red-throated Diver, 22 Kittiwake, 27 Great Black-backed
Gulls, 4 Lesser Back-backed Gull and 14 Common Gulls all
south. In the harbour all the normal things with Great Black-backed
Gull numbers up sheltering from the wind and the Great Crested
Grebe still. (Craig S)
Thursday 16th November 2006 West Cliff
Ramsgate
1 Purple Sandpiper with 26 Turnstone
roosting on the middle breakwater below the West Cliff this morning. (Nick
Lever)
Wednesday 15th November 2006 Foreness & Palm Bay
Just a quick, after work, session to check through the gulls around
Foreness. A massive influx of Common Gulls into the
region must mean it can only be a matter of time before I locate a C-R
bird. Today I had to make do with 4 Mediterranean Gulls
(2 ad winter & 2 1st winter) - which included Green 3EVO, a few Great
Black-backs, 1 Lesser Black-back
and the usual mix of Herring & Black-headed
Gulls. 5 Purple Sandpipers were feeding way out
on the mussel beds, below the pumping station, and I found a couple of Rock
Pipits along the seawall as I walked towards Palm Bay. (Dylan)
Tuesday 14th
November 2006 Pegwell
Bay Late News
Sunday
12th Monday 13th November 2006 Pegwell Bay Late News
I watched the last two evening tides seeing a few bits and pieces as you
might imagine? Probably exactly whet you might imagine actually?? Both
days I have seen the group of 9 Twite commuting between Shellness
and the Country Park - giving flight views only so far. On Sunday there
was an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern and 3 new Black-tailed
Godwits. Otherwise all the normal suspects in all the normal amounts.
This evening the highlights were: 1 Little Grebe, 2+ Red-throated
Diver, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Black-tailed
Godwit, 1 Peregrine and 1 Marsh Harrier. We also had a
record count of alba Wagtails going to roost with 439 bird moving
south in the evening as well as about 50 Meadow Pipits and 4
Corn Buntings. (Phil M)
Monday 13th
November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
After my shift finished I cycled down to the harbour to catch the rising
tide. Plenty of gulls around the pontoons, including 3 C-R birds, but all
old acquaintances. An immature Great Crested Grebe was
fishing in the outer harbour and a couple of adult Kittiwakes
were on the slipway behind the A&P Shipyard. Apart from the usual Rock
Pipit activity, there was a noticeable pre-roost build up of Pied
Wagtails on the Western Pier. Finally, I heard a Firecrest
calling from the large Holm Oak, beside the Montefiore Avenue entrance to
King George VI Park, as I cycled home. (Dylan)
Monday 13th November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
A breezy morning with a look at the sea in mind just
to get out of the flat for a few hours. I started at the west pier to see
if the Kingfisher was present which it was but very mobile. Other
things around the harbour included a lone Ringed Plover, Redshank,
Great Crested Grebe and adult Kittiwake on the old hover pad as
was c150 Herring Gulls asleep. As i made my way to the end of east
pier the Cormorant with the C-R red TO on its left
leg was still present of the clock tower. A brief check of the sea didn't
produce very much just singles of Common Scoter and Gannet
with large numbers of Gulls far out at sea. I re-traced my footsteps
with the usual Rock Pipits, Turnstones and Pied Wagtails
dotted around. (Craig S)
Sunday 12th November 2006 Minster SF & The Abbot's Wall
I spent a few hours, this morning, walking the area around Minster Water
Treatment Works. I chose to do this because I was looking for suitable
fields of oil-seed rape, which could be attractive to wild swans and/or
geese later in the winter period. Apart from locating at least 3 areas
that appear suited, I was pleasantly surprised to find several large
flocks of Skylarks. I estimated 160+ birds present, but
feel sure that a coordinated count would reveal a higher number than this.
Whatever the exact figure, this is the largest gathering of this species I
have recorded on the marshes since 1997, when there were a similar number
on the Ash Levels, near Guston Farm. Chaffinches were
also noted in the fields, yet I failed to locate a single Tree Sparrow or
Yellowhammer, a sorry sign of the times. Despite the bumper crop of
berries around the hedgerows, winter thrushes were conspicuous by their
absence. I found just a handful of Blackbirds and one
each of Redwing and Song Thrush. It
wasn't all "gloom & doom", raptors were well represented
with 2 Peregrine on the centre cooling tower of
Richborough Power Station, 1 Merlin, 1 Sparrowhawk,
2 Kestrel and a female Marsh Harrier
seen as I wandered the area. A Grey Wagtail flew into the
treatment works and a Kingfisher perched on a small bush
above the small dike that runs into the River Stour besides the
fishermen's carpark. Other birds recorded included Reed Bunting,
Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch and 3 Chiffchaff.
All in all, a very productive morning. (Dylan)
Sunday 12th November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
Not too much down at the Harbour this morning, 80+ Herring Gulls,
about 20 Black Headed Gulls, 1 Lesser
Black-Backed Gull, 6 Cormorant, 10 Turnstone and
a House Sparrow. There were 2 CR birds though...The
first was the Herring Gull, A3GX, previously reported on
October 20th and second an adult Great Black-backed, white letters
on a blue ring. Unfortunately, once again, it was too distant to
discern the numbers precisely. I'm going to have to invest in
some better optical gear of some description. (Jerry)
Sunday 12th November 2006 Ellington park Thanet
Sorry
for the late posting, 1 Treecreeper calling on the west side of
Ellington park yesterday morning at 7.40am also a Fieldfare over.
(Craig)
Saturday 11th November 2006 North Foreland
At North Foreland this morning the only birds of
note: - a Little Egret feeding in the rock pools and a flushed Woodcock
flying inland. (Simon
Mount)
Saturday 11th November 2006 Reculver Towers to Coldharbour & back
What a splendid morning for a stroll along the seawall. Brilliant
sunshine and a WNW breeze, perfect conditions for scanning the shingle and
sea beyond. Brent Geese were moving along the coast,
small bunches passing in both directions at regular intervals. A
steady flow of Herring Gulls headed west and contained
quite a few "argentatus" individuals. Grey Plover,
Turnstone, Redshank, Sanderling,
Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher were all
noted as I made my way towards Coldharbour Lagoon. Skylarks
and Meadow Pipits were particularly numerous along the
shingle and, as I approached the lagoon, a large flock of finches rose
from the mound proving to be a mix of Greenfinch & Linnet
with a couple of Reed Buntings in tow. I had a brief
encounter with a single Shore Lark, when one perched on a
shingle ridge. I managed just one pic before it dropped out of view - never
to be seen again. A scan through the gulls resting on the shingle spit, just
before the lagoon, provided an opportunity for me to get a few pics of an
adult "graellsii" Lesser Black-backed Gull. I
did this to get reference shots for my ever-growing collection of gull
images. These have proved to be particularly useful of late following Andy
Lawson's request for help with the id of a gull that he found on the mud
at Greenhithe. (It can be seen on the NW Kent page of the KOS website) No, I
haven't got a clue what it is, but I am pretty sure I know what it isn't!
Anyway, I digress, as I was looking at this bird a Brent Goose
walked in front of it and had two gleaming colour rings - one on each leg.
What a result, my efforts were redirected and I captured some nice images
before I made my return walk. By walking along the grassy track, below the
seawall, I was able to add a couple of Stonechats, a Little
Egret and several nice flocks of Goldfinches to
my list. (Dylan)
Friday 10th November 2006 Dumpton garden
A bright dawn with a sharp frost, very unusual for Thanet - especially in
November. Fieldfares were on the move, with several large flocks
heading SW over the garden. I was fortunate to have 3 birds drop in for a
quick snack, on the rose-hips in the hedge, before continuing on their
way. Starlings were also moving in large numbers, although they
could have been leaving a local roost as opposed to genuine migrants. I
haven't spent much time birding the garden lately. Odd Redwing &
Meadow Pipits passed overhead and a Great Spotted Woodpecker
flew north along the Vine Close gardens, alighting briefly in the large
Cherry tree next door, before heading off towards Broadstairs Cricket
Ground. Simple things and a simple mind? (Dylan)
Friday 10th November 2006 Pegwell
A flock of about 400 Golden Plover dropped in at Pegwell garage
end at 07-15hrs. (Frank F)
Thursday 9th November 2006 North Foreland &
Foreness
A
count of Ringed Plovers in Joss Bay today concluded at 106 - very
handsome they looked, too, in the autumn sunshine. With them were
three or four Purple Sandpipers and a smattering of Sanderlings
and Turnstones. Rest of the area turned up very little birdwise,
20+ Long-tailed Tits, a female Blackcap, a Sparrowhawk and
a Guillemot N being the highlights (?). Gorgeous day, though.
(Dave Mairs)
Thursday 9th
November 2006 Pegwell Bay
I popped down for a couple of hours in the afternoon I realised the tide
would be high but I thought it may have given me a chance to see any water
birds or over wintering Larks/Buntings/Finch's across on Shellness point.
The weather was lovely with brilliant winter light and with the tide being
high it has the added bonus of keeping the bait-diggers and dog walkers
etc off the mud which is much more relaxing or at least less irritating.
Quite few Ducks out on the sea, which included an f. type Eider,
and a male Tufted Duck no doubt the bird I saw there on Monday?
Also 3+ Red-throated Divers were present and half a dozen Great
Crested Grebe loitering amongst the Wigeon, Mallard, Pintail
etc. There were also still 3
Sandwich Tern present amongst the roosting Gulls and Oystercatchers
perhaps they will over winter? Other bits seen included 8 Snow Bunting,
9 Twite, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1+ Sparrowhawk,
1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine and the local Water Rails were
struggling to find any dry land so there was squeaking and Squawking
coming from here there and everywhere in the saltmarsh. I even spotted one
swimming across the river and clamber up onto Shellness opposite me. A few
Redwings were reported from Stonelees and a flock of 20 Fieldfare
flew in off the sea mid-afternoon. I see the powers that be have decided
to pull down the bird-hide in their infinite wisdom? This means there
won’t be any shelter until the new one get planted at some time in the
distant future. Word on the street has it that the old hide was derelict
but surely it was better than
nothing? It certainly kept you dry in a shower and proved a decent
windbreak in any s/west to n/west winds. But they’re again the people
who make the decisions down there haven’t got any clue what is good or
bad for the area. The local birders could have been at least consulted or
is that showing too much common sense? It now means that there cannot be
any bird monitoring going on when the weather is too windy or wet as there
is nowhere else to shelter unless you fancy rushing up to the toilets
which are overrun with fa***ts! (Phil M)
Wednesday
8th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
A short session this afternoon two hours after high water turned up c350 Wigeon,
3 Pintail, c100 Mallard, 1 Eider, 1 female Red-breasted
Merganser, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Red-throated Diver,
1 Sandwich Tern, c3000 Lapwing, c1500 Golden Plover,
1 Merlin and 1 Sparrowhawk amongst all the other normal
stuff. I also flushed a Woodcock off the Country Park on my way
home. (Phil M)
Wednesday
8th November 2006 King George VI Park
Just a quick cycle across to the park. As expected, birds were at a
premium. I found 3 Goldcrest amongst a mixed flock of Long-tailed,
Blue & Great Tits in the plantations
beside the cycle track, whilst a very dark grey/brown Chiffchaff
was by the Winterstoke entrance gate. Plenty of Blackbirds
are probably a consequence of the recent arrival of
"Continental" birds and overhead I noted 7 Skylark,
moving SW into the strengthening breeze. A couple of Great Spotted
Woodpeckers and the ever-present Parakeets about
sums up my session. (Dylan)
Tuesday 7th November 2006 Foreness
A
single Lapland Bunting along the cliff-top at Foreness early this
morning was the sole birding highlight. (F Solly
Tuesday 7th November 2006 Seaton GP’s
Managed a couple of hours this morning between 7:15
& 10 in the vain hope of locating the Red-Crested Pochards seen
on Sunday but without luck. The gloomy light did not aid me, combined with
the ducks usual insistence on pinning themselves to the far banks!
Otherwise, ducks seen were much the same as Dylan's report on Sunday
(except I didn't get a Goldeneye!). Good numbers of Wigeon
& also perhaps 20 Great Crested Grebes dotted around the main
pit, showing different ages & plumage. Managed to see brief Grey
Wagtail, Kingfisher, & also a Mandarin Duck which
had seemingly grown quite fond of a drake Mallard, such was its
keenness to follow it about! It seems such a shame that there are only a
few half-decent viewing positions at this site. (Ben Ring)
Monday 6th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
I went back in the afternoon - the weather was lovely, but the birding was
much as expected. The tide was still quite high when I arrived at 13.00
and most of the wading birds were still roosting upriver to find some dry
land during one of the highest tides of the year. Vast numbers of Plovers
were spooked soon after arrival by a hunting Peregrine - there were
well in
excess of 5000 Lapwing plus at least 2000 Golden Plover. As
I waited for the tide to drop I saw a Red-throated Diver, 3 Great
Crested Grebe, 1 Eider, 1 f. Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Pintail,
2 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 280 Wigeon present offshore, plus
the star bird of the day - a drake Tufted Duck a reasonably scarce
bird at Pegwell these days. More surprising was the amount of Sandwich
Terns - at least 8 birds probably more as I wouldn’t have been
surprised if there were a few birds moving offshore. It's very late to see
so many Terns though you can always get the odd one or two in November.
The other 'bits' seen included 29 Brent, 10+ Little Egret, 1
Merlin, 2 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk, 320 Curlew,
1 Spotted Redshank, 70 Turnstone, 80 Sanderling, c700
Oystercatcher etc. There were still a few Wood Pigeons
moving southwards - the day total probably somewhere around 300 birds.
(Phil M)
Monday 6th November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour
A short session, just before high tide, to check through the gulls.
Plenty of Great Black-backs to study, including 2nd
winter C-R Blue JH3P - almost certainly the bird that Jerry reported
yesterday. 3 Rock Pipits were on the seawall by the
Harbour Lights Cafe and a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits
passed overhead as I scoped the gulls on the central pontoon. There has
been an arrival of "argentatus" (Northern)
Herring Gulls and I spent an enjoyable time getting
some pics of these winter visitors. (Dylan)
Monday 6th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
I started off at 07.30hrs on the clifftop just to see if there was any
vismig going on, which as it happened there wasn’t! Between then and
nearly 10.00am I only saw a handful of passerines going over - the
occasional
Skylark, Mipit, Goldfinch etc and a couple of Redpolls. I
checked the Hoverpad where I saw the semi-resident Kingfisher and
about 30 Meadow Pipits seeing half a dozen Little Egrets and
a single Sandwich Tern out on
the mud plus a single highflying Sparrowhawk. A lovely morning but
very slow. (Phil M)
Monday 6th November 2006 Ramsgate
Harbour/Main Beach
A brief visit in the warm morning sunshine with
highlights being just a single drake Mallard and c40 Turnstones,
c400 ''Large Gulls'' around the harbour plus a single Little Auk
of the main beach drifting north with the high tide at 10.15hrs (Craig S)
Sunday
5th November 2006 Pegwell Bay
I popped down into the circus arena better known as Pegwell Bay nature
reserve - spending part of the already dropping tide mid-afternoon. A few
bits and pieces showed up - a Little Auk was in the mouth of the river
(last seen flying north along the shoreline) also present were an adult Yellow-legged
Gull, 1st winter Mediterranean Gull, adult Little Gull
and 2 late Sandwich Terns. I did do a few common bird counts which
were as follows: 3 Corn Bunting, 1 Stonechat, 1 Brent,
18 Shelduck, 80+ Mallard, c400 Wigeon, 1 Grey
Heron, 4 Little Egret, 55 Bar-tailed Godwit, c80 Knot,
c2000 Golden Plover, c500 Lapwing, 120 Grey Plover, 7
Ringed Plover, 45 Sanderling, 880 Dunlin and 230 Curlew.
There was a continual southward passage of small groups of Wood Pigeons
all afternoon plus quite a few Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits
were starting to move through on the way to their roosting sites. (Phil M)
Sunday 5th November 2006 Seaton GP's &
Grove Ferry
I had arranged to meet Norman McCanch at Seaton this morning, so I
arrived on site just after 07.30hrs. It was a very pleasant morning and I
noted several Redwings and a flyover Grey Wagtail as I
walked across the meadow to the main lake. A Kingfisher called as
it skimmed across the pit and several parties of Wigeon and Tufted
Duck were dotted about the water. A scan through the telescope
revealed several Shoveler, Mallard, Teal and Pochard to be
also present. I walked along the riverbank, to get a different angle on
the pit and my second look revealed a smart pair of adult Red-crested
Pochard feeding in the shadow of the overhanging trees on the far
bank. I took a few record images before walking on and meeting up with
Norman, who had also been looking at the ducks from another view point. We
stood around, chatting - as you do. I picked out a female-type Goldeneye;
Norman had also seen a young male on the South Pit. A Marsh
Harrier drifted over and a check through the gulls on the water
revealed little more than a few Commons amidst large numbers of Black-headed
Gulls. Martyn Wilson turned up to "twitch" the Pochards
before returning to his lonely vigil on the ramp at Grove Ferry. I joined
him there for 45 minutes and had nice views of Lapwing, Golden
Plover, 2 Dunlin, 3 Green Sandpiper and the usual mix of
Teal, Mallard and Shoveler. A Ringed Plover called
twice somewhere to the right, but neither of us managed to locate the
bird. My watch told me it was 10.00hrs and I gladly left the reserve and
drove home. Something has got to be done with this reserve or it will
become un-birdable! (Dylan)
Sunday 5th November 2006
Ramsgate Harbour
Had an hour down at Ramsgate Harbour this morning. There were plenty
of Great Black-backed Gulls, including an immature
with a colour-ring: blue ring, white letters, left leg.
Unfortunately it was just too distant to read and my camera didn't help
either. On the tide line just North of the Harbour were
about 6 Turnstone, 4 Sanderling and a
single Purple Sandpiper. A Rock Pipit
was seen just near the cafe. As I left 2 Cormorant
alighted on posts very near the quay. The first was wearing a red
ring as reported previously, "T|O", but the other one also
had a ring, metal only, on right leg. The bird was so close it was
possible to read part of the number and I could see it finished 518. The
rest of the number was out of sight, although it can only have had 1 or 2
more digits, the other side of the ring was blank. It didn't look
like a standard BTO-style ring, I wonder if this bird also had a colour
ring at some point but has lost it? (Jerry)
Sunday 5th November 2006 North Foreland
At North Foreland this morning: - a Merlin off
the sea at 08:45, 45 Common Scoter west and a 1st winter Glaucous
Gull heading round towards Foreness. Very little moving overhead with
just one Reed Bunting and a Brambling. (Simon Mount)
Saturday 4th November 2006 Ash Levels
The
superb crisp & sunny morning put paid to any thoughts of meaningful
work so we set out from Ash to the Stour, via Goldstone, & along the
river to Richborough & back.8: 15 - 2:15. Although the walk was very
enjoyable, the birding was decidedly mediocre & highlights were few -
Along Goldstone Drove we spotted 4 Yellowhammers, 1 Fieldfare,
4 Redwings, 1 Snipe & a male Marsh Harrier. On
the river,
just a Little Grebe. Heading towards the Richborough towers, there
were m & f Kestrels hovering within perhaps 100 yards of
each other & at the towers, a Peregrine was seen
briefly.
It was here that we saw the best view of a male Kestrel, initially
spooking the assembled Pigeons as it made its entrance, hovering,
& then swooping on its prey of a hapless mouse. We then watched it eat
its victim from just across the river for perhaps 5 minutes before flying
off (must have been a big rodent as the Kestrel could hardly gain any
height as it flew
past us!). (Ben Ring)
Saturday
4th November 2006 Minnis Bay and
Reculver
Inspired by Dave Beadle’s efforts on foot yesterday, I decided to do a
big walk today. I started at Shuart at dawn, headed over to Brooksend,
back to Shuart then down Shuart Lane to the sea, along the sea wall to
Coldharbour and then Reculver, over to Brook then back along the railway
line to Minnis Bay and back up Shuart Lane, finishing at 4.00 p.m. with
tired feet. The weather was lovely and sunny all day, although the wind
had gone round to the west, which wasn’t ideal, particularly for
seawatching. There wasn’t a huge amount about, with very few duck in the
area and little moving offshore, but I managed to see 91 species during
the day. Best bits were a Puffin which was on the sea off the
Towers for 10 minutes before flying west, a Little Auk 2 metres
offshore from the Towers (no, I didn’t have my camera), 3 Shorelarks
at Coldharbour, 1 adult male Snow Bunting NW at the Towers, 30 Tree
Sparrows roosting at Brooksend, 238 Fieldfares W, 35 Redwings
W, 5 Brambling W, 3 Siskin W, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Kingfishers,
1 ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Merlin,
1 Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawks, 1 Little Owl, 18 Common
Scoter, 245 Oystercatchers, 1 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great
Crested Grebe, 155 Golden Plovers, 145 Grey Plovers, 4 Bar-tailed
Godwits, 80 Ringed Plovers, 65 Sanderling, 5 Little
Egrets, 8 Grey Herons, 2 Goldcrests, 63 Mute Swans,
c50 Greylags, 400 Brent Geese, 70 Teal, 1 Shoveler,
2 Water Rails, 90 Stock Doves, 2 Stonechats, 110 Linnets,
1 Yellowhammer and 28 Corn Buntings. (Tim Hodge)
Saturday 4th November 2006 North Foreland
At North Foreland this morning a roost of waders
contained 30 Redshank and 75 Ringed Plover. A few Guillemots
on the sea plus 3 Eider - one male. Starlings and Skylarks
were coming off the sea in small numbers. There was a Swallow along
the clifftop. (Simon Mount)
Saturday 4th
November 2006 Ramsgate Harbour King George VI Park
I
couldn't sleep this morning so ended up down at the harbour just after
06.00hrs. Much the coldest morning of late and a beautiful sunrise.
During the hour I was there 3 single Shag flew South while 2 Sandwich
Terns, 5 Brents, 1 Auk sp. & 1 Common Scoter
flew North. A Robin and 5 Starlings flew in off and I
heard a few Blackbirds and a Redwing around Harbour Lights
first thing. A very quick cycle through King George VI Park produced
1 Chiffchaff and 2 or 3 Goldcrest. (Nick Lever)
Friday 3rd November 2006 Marshside
I came across a totally exhausted Little Auk today at
my friend’s fish farm at Marshside. I guess this coincides with the Little
Auk movement along the north Kent coast during the last couple of
days. He looks a bit the worse for wear, and has taken refuge in one of
the fish tunnels. (Steve
Ashton)
Friday 3rd November 2006 Chamber's Wall &
Coldharbour
I
couldn't get out much today, but did see about 10 Little Auks, 1 Merlin
and 1 Peregrine early on at Reculver, a Long-eared Owl and 2
Kingfishers at Chamber's Wall this evening, plus two Shorelarks
just west of Coldharbour. A shot of Brent Geese flying onto the mud
at dusk at Coldharbour is
attached. (Tim Hodge)
Friday 3rd November 2006 Foreness Point to
Margate (& back!)
Tempted by Nick Lever's sighting of a, German or Danish, C-R Cormorant I
headed off to walk the seawall in the hope of relocating the bird. A Black
Redstart on the fencing around Foreness Pumping Station was a good
start. Things got even better when, I walked down to the sea, a Little
Auk landed, close to the apron, and proceeded to swim around in the
shadow of the cliffs. It was a false start, because it departed as
suddenly as it had arrived, leaving me cursing a missed opportunity. I
checked every Cormorant, Gull and Turnstone as I
slowly walked towards Margate. No rings, of any kind, were seen. I
found the corpse of a Little Auk, a sad legacy of the events of the
past couple of days. In the hand they really are tiny little birds! I
reached Margate having noted little more than a couple of male Kestrels,
7 Rock Pipits and a handful of Pied Wagtails. My return walk
was rewarded with another Little Auk on the sea, just by the Winter
Gardens. Although quite distant, I was able to get a few pics before it,
too, departed
westwards. A Brent Goose flew along the shoreline, where I also located
3 Little Egret and 3 Eider (1 ad male & 2 female). A
lovely afternoon and some nice, leisurely birding. (Dylan)
Friday 3rd November 2006 Thanet
Coastal Path to White Ness
A car service in Cliftonville at 8:30am gave me a
good opportunity to have a walk along the Thanet Coastal Path as far as
White Ness until 11:30. With the tide high & a brisk northerly
blowing, it was quite bracing but very enjoyable, with almost
complete sunshine. Armed only with bins, the distant birds were difficult
to ID but I was pleased with 3 Gannets amongst the gulls. Two
'batches' of Brents flew west (numbering 21 & 10) & the
shoreline birds were almost exclusively Sanderling & Turnstones
but did spot a few Ringed Plovers & 2 Purple Sandpipers.
A solitary Great Crested Grebe was fishing in Botany Bay & raptor-wise only
a Kestrel to report although, as it was hovering only a few yards
away from me as I sat on the cliff at Foreness point, it afforded great
views. (Ben Ring)
Thursday 2nd November 2006 Ramsgate
Harbour to Pegwell Bay
What with birds being all over the place today I
thought I'd give my 'local patch big day' a try at long last. I was going
to attempt this in mid September...but as we all know mid September just
didn't work out! Anyway, I had a great day out and had the birds all to
myself - not another birder to be seen.
I started off with a bit of visible migration along the clifftop near
Little Cliffsend Farm. Mostly thrushes with 200 Redwing,
160 Blackbird and 61 Fieldfare. Very few
finches though 20 Brambling and a couple of Redpolls.
A walk through the old Hoverport area produced Chiffchaff,
Blackcap and a lovely Firecrest. Also, I flushed
the first of five Woodcocks for the day. On the return
walk to Westcliff I spotted a Little Auk really close off
the Sunken Garden...so I thought I'd give Ramsgate Harbour a try. Nothing
much in the harbour itself - sorry, didn't look for colour-ringed Gulls
Dylan! There was quite a lot of migration overhead though with flocks of Blackbirds
coming in off the sea and hundreds of Starlings moving
west offshore. Of note were three Short-eared owls in off
and three Woodcocks in off too. The highlight was at
least 10 Little Auks in the general area. There could
have been more but they were moving in both directions. Mostly singles but
also a group of three twice. Some gave great views as they lingered on the
sea just off the beach. Also here was a great rarity these days - a Yellowhammer!
So, onward to Pegwell and the final push. Sadly it was low tide and I
missed a whole bunch of easy bankers. Oh well. Best here was a flock of 7
Bewick's Swans resting on the mud; they later flew inland up the
Stour Valley. Otherwise a Stonechat, two Bullfinches
(hard to get of late) and a Peregrine rounded things off.
Wildfowl was restricted to Brent and Shelducks
really and I logged about 600 and 200 respectively. Anyway I trudged home
at dusk with 83 species - all on foot and all on my local patch. A great
way to spend a blustery November day. (Dave B)
Wednesday 1st November 2006 Whiteness
Point Late News
The conditions looked great for a major seawatch so I
gave the old shelter in front of the Fairness Hotel a try between 0815 and
1100 hrs. To be honest it was slow with an easterly trickle of 40 Gannet,
11 Common Scoter, 80 Kittiwake and 30 large
Auks (mostly Guillemots). Hardly any waterfowl
with the odd small flock of Brent and Shelduck
heading west. 3 Common Eider flew east. I saw just one
Little Auk flying west. However the real highlight was a superb
pale juvenile Long-tailed Skua heading east very close to
shore - very satisfying! Otherwise a couple of Bonxies
rounded things off. (Dave B)
Thursday 2nd November 2006 Ramsgate
/ Margate
I managed almost 6 hours in the field today which was very unusual for me
and very enjoyable. I started off with a bit of visible migration in
the garden, Duncan Rd, Ramsgate from 6.10 to 7am. Birds heading West
were 276 Redwing, 51 Fieldfare, 11 Blackbird, 27 Skylark,
6 Brambling, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Siskin, 9 Goldfinch
and 2 Pied Wagtail. I also heard a Green Woodpecker calling
from the direction of Ellington Park. After reading about some good
seabirds seen off Reculver yesterday I decided to have a seawatch and
plumped for Margate Lido carpark where I found a fairly sheltered spot and
watched from 9.10 to 12.30. After 15 minutes I saw my first Little
Auk. It was heading East then abruptly landed about 200m away
and showed for 10 seconds before it dived and disappeared. I was
feeling very pleased with myself and it soon got even better. At
9.40 a Little Auk fluttered by just beyond the sea wall and was
joined by another and they landed about 5m off the sea wall and about 60m
from me. As I watched a third bird appeared and they spent the next
5 minutes on the surface, preening and fluttering about before they headed
off West. A group of 3 (possibly the same birds) flew East and kept
going at 10am. I had heard of Little Auks joining flocks of Starlings
and sure enough I saw 2 singles with flocks of Starlings heading
West offshore. In addition I recorded 6 birds flying West, 2 East
and 3 that landed on the sea. I estimated a minimum of 15 birds in
total. There were plenty of other birds heading West. 638 Starling,
18 Skylark, 3 Chaffinch, 5 Blackbird, 5 Red-throated
Diver, 235 Brents, 56 Shelduck, 14 Common Scoter,
4 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 3 Pochard, a splendid adult male Eider
1 small Grebe sp., 2 Great Crested Grebe, 7 Auk sp.,
161 Sanderling in 15 flocks, 40+ Common Gulls, 1 Kittiwake
and a Skua sp. (Arctic or Pom.). There was also a Guillemot
on the sea, plenty of Gannets in the distance and a few waders
roosting on the Lido Sands...40 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin and 3 Ringed
Plover. I also noticed that the Comorant that was sitting
on the nearest post had a plastic ring on its left leg. It was
a black ring with a white letter B visible from my angle. I went to
Foreness but only recorded 1 male Stonechat, a Sparrowhawk
and a Kestrel. On to Margate Cemetery which was full of Blackbirds.
I estimated at least 300 and probably many more. I flushed a Woodcock
by the South wall and also recorded 6 Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing,
3 Goldcrest and 6 Long-tailed Tits. (Nick Lever)
Thursday 2nd November 2006 Oare Marshes &
Grove Ferry
Inspired by Dylan's excellent pictures of the LB
Dowitcher, & having a chore-less morning, I arrived at Oare at 7:30am
in brilliant sunshine (too bright!) and only a light breeze. With temps
having dropped considerably overnight, I stupidly seemed dressed more for
early summer than winter & soon got very cold! This, & the poor
light, did not help me try to pick through the hordes of waders in the
hope of spotting my quarry! Amongst the hundreds of Black-tail Gods
& Redshank on the East Flood, I spotted a Ringed Plover, 2 Brent
Geese, & 4 Avocet. A group of a dozen Snipe seemed
to be of the common variety although another birder advised of seeing a
distant Jack earlier. A pair of Marsh Harrier made a brief
appearance to alarm the Teal for a while & I spotted at least 2
juvenile Grey Heron in the margins by the road. My walk back along
the seawall to the car was boosted by a small group of 6 Bearded Tit. Leaving at around 9:45 I diverted to Grove Ferry
from 10:30 - 12. A flock of 10 Fieldfare flew silently NW as I
walked along the entrance path, my first of the winter, & I made my
way along the river. This proved to be the liveliest area with a m Bullfinch,
& 2 Goldcrest flitting around the trees with the inevitable Great,
Blue & Long Tailed Tits, Harrisons Drove & Hide was devoid of
any life & even the platform in front of the Turf Hide was bird-less
(not even a Mallard or Cormorant!) the few Teal present
were pinned against the distant reeds, sheltering from the stiffening
breeze. The Ramp produced the usual Lapwings, only a handful of Golden
Plover today, & a single Brent amongst the common ducks.
Not a good day for adding to the annual bird list. (Ben
Ring)
Thursday 2nd November 2006 North Foreland &
Ramsgate
At North Foreland this morning, a seawatch between
07:45 and 08:15 produced highlights of following heading West: - 6 Little
Auks, 1 Goldeneye, 100 Brent, 1 Red-throated Diver
and 19 Skylarks in off the sea.
At Ramsgate during the morning and early afternoon, I saw a
few Blackbirds, Redwings and Skylarks coming in off
the sea. (Simon Mount)
Thursday 2nd November 2006 Foreness Point
(07.30 - 09.00hrs)
An early morning seawatch, inspired by the report from Reculver
yesterday. The wind had subsided, but still had a bite to it. I recorded
430 Brent Geese, 6 Little Auk, 1 female Mallard, 7 Wigeon,
130+ Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 2 Eider, 2 Razorbill,
7 Guillemot/Auk sp, 1 Red-throated Diver, 23 Skylark
and a Short-eared Owl - in/off over Cliftonville.
Kittiwakes and Gannets were constantly moving way out at
sea and I recorded my first Fulmar for a few weeks as it passed the
point, giving superb views in the early morning sunshine. Plenty of wader
activity, as birds were moving between the Foreness roost and Palm Bay.
120+ Turnstone, 45+ Sanderling & 7 Purple Sandpiper
were the pick of the bunch, but Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin
and Ringed Plover were also seen. (Dylan)
Wednesday 1st November 2006 Reculver
An excellent seawatch at Reculver today included 1 Black Guillemot,
2 Grey Phalaropes, 49 Little Auks, 239 Gannets mainly
west, 286 Brent Geese, 30 Shelduck, 6 Teal, 1 Wigeon,
9 Eider, 115 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 12 Red-breasted
Mergansers, 1 Merlin west, 5 Snipe, 32 Knot, 81 Dunlin,
7 Arctic Skuas, 27 Great Skuas, 190 Little Gulls,
1222 Kittiwakes, 1 Sandwich Tern, 28 Large Auks and 2
Short-eared Owls in off.
Wednesday 1st November 2006 Oare Marshes KWT
Reserve
I must admit to a change of hats today. I didn't go birding, but instead
became a photographer for a couple of hours - well almost! News that,
yesterday morning, the Long-billed Dowitcher had been feeding
close to the road, on the East Flood, was enough to see me make my fourth
trip in an attempt to get some decent images. Luck was with me and the
bird was feeding in the same area. Although the angle of the early morning
sun is not particularly helpful when looking east, I did manage to get
some really nice pics of this "Yank" visitor. It was also high
tide so I did have a quick scan through the roosting waders, recording 11
Avocet, 35+ Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 3 Ruff,
85+ Redshank and 400+ Black-tailed Godwit - including 2
C-R birds. Well pleased with my efforts I was on my way home before
09.40hrs. (Dylan)
