Wednesday 31st October 2007 North Foreland and
Foreness
A trip round North Foreland and Foreness this morning,
a steady small passage of birds heading west overhead but there were fewer
Siskins today and very few Goldfinches but more Chaffinches.
The totals were 9 Skylarks, 4 Tree Sparrows, 3 Redpolls,
15 Brambling and 2 Swallows. Also there were flocks of 20-60
Starlings regularly coming off the sea and heading SW inland. The
bushes only held 3 Stonechats and 20 Goldcrests. (Simon Mount)
Wednesday 31st October 2007 Southwall marshes
(Deal)
I walked around the marsh from 13hrs to 15-30hrs.not
much about today. 6 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Blue Tit, 3 Song
Thrushes, 1Robin, 8 Fieldfare, 2 Moorhen, 4cock
Pheasants, small flock of Chaffinches, 10 Blackbirds male
& female feeding on sloe berrys,1 Kestrel, lose flocks of
Woodpigeons & Carrion Crows 300 + Starling perched on
overhead power lines, & 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker showing well in
the afternoon sun. (Mike D)
Tuesday 30th October 2007 Fayreness & Kingsgate
Area
I took my new scope out for some fresh air in the
afternoon. I left it late to catch high tide, though of course darkness was
setting in at the end. A Green Woodpecker was the only real bird of
note through the park. A Fieldfare was on the putting green and not
much else was seen until I got to the beach below the Fayreness.
Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Sanderling and also assorted gulls were all
roosting. The best birds of the walk were a pair of Stonechats that
were near the Captain Digby. They were showing well and I spent a
considerable time watching them. The male in particular was a stunning
looking bird. Back home up Elmwood Avenue and another Fieldfare was
the last bird of note as it was chilly and dark by then. (Simon Piggott)
Tuesday 30th October
2007 Pegwell Bay
Called in at Pegwell this
afternoon, an hour or so after high tide & was treated to a spectacular
display by flocks of Golden Plover-combined total in excess of 1000
birds-which looked fantastic in the autumnal sunshine. Reasons known only to
myself, I'd left my scope behind so did not pick my way through the rafts of
Gulls on the water for any 'out of the ordinaries'. The expected other
species were all present; Curlew, Dunlin, Oystercatcher (large
numbers could be seen at Shellness Point), Lapwing, Redshank, Little
Egret (1), a Little Grebe on one of the pools near the Garage &
assorted common ducks. A couple of Pied Wagtail called as they flew
overhead. Sadly, I had to leave but it had been a very invigorating 20
minutes or so. (Ben Ring)
Monday 29th
October 2007 Pegwell Bay
A great visit to Pegwell in rather
breezy conditions on the 28th, Bait-diggers just off the
saltmarsh, Kite-boarders and Wind-surfers - an absolute (Mecca) for
everything except wildlife, its not part of a National Nature Reserve
for nothing you know - sorry, misleading you there, it seemingly is! (F
Solly)
Sunday
28th October 2007 Joss Bay to Foreness
Leaving Bev to enjoy the extra hour of slumber I headed
off, to Elmwood Avenue, just after dawn. Grey skies and a brisk southerly
wind meant that birds would always be at a premium. A lone Redpoll
called as it passed overhead and there were still a few Goldfinches
moving along the coast. A few Pied Wagtail
and Meadow Pipit were at scattered locations along the
clifftop. I found 3 Stonechat by the Fayreness and a
Sky Lark over Botany Bay was the only one of the morning.
There was a large group of hirundines feeding over the rough ground at
Foreness. I estimated 130 Swallows and 50 House
Martins to be involved, although the majority had left the area
before 08.30hrs - just a few stragglers remaining. The highlight of the
morning was the arrival of a splendid male Hen Harrier
in/off. It appeared over the clifftop before drifting off west over the
"pitch & putt" and Cliftonville beyond. I had a frustrating encounter with a
large Pipit sp. I flushed the bird twice, yet it
steadfastly refused to call and I didn't see the bird on the ground. A
Richard's Pipit is my best guess - it just has to go down as one that got
away! Three Sparrowhawk and a handful of Goldcrest
about concludes the birding for the morning. Back home before 09.30hrs - Bev
suitably impressed. (Dylan)
Saturday 27th October 2007 Garden Thanet
I didn’t get out of the garden today due to
decorating but there seemed to be a few finches moving overhead again,
mainly Siskins and Goldfinches. I did see a Chiffchaff
and a Coal Tit but while failing to get a flyover Rough-legged
Buzzard, I saw 11 House Martins and a Swallow heading S.
(Simon Mount)
Saturday 27th October
2007 St Margaret’s to Langdon
A bracing (very) walk from
the Coastguard car park over to Langdon this morning produced little
unexpected - one Peregrine, 6 Kestrel sightings, umpteen
Jackdaw & common Gulls. A very active group of 30 or so Goldfinch
seemingly followed us as far as the South Foreland Lighthouse. Up to 10
Goldcrest in the trees before said lighthouse were just that,
Goldcrests, try as I might to see a Pallas's or Yellow-Brow! Doh! Our
return from Langdon, slightly inland, produced Skylark (approx 10) &
6 late Swallows heading NE (!?!) .Did make a nice change to walk
somewhere different though. (Ben Ring)
Saturday 27th
October 2007 Garden Dumpton Thanet
Looking out of the
window this morning I couldn't see any birds on the feeders or the lawn, on
a closer observation I noted this fantastic (male)
Sparrowhawk perched in one of the
trees, taking photos from the window I disturb him and he flew off
over field the small bird were back on the feeders within 15 minutes.
(Gadget
Saturday 27th
October 2007 Shuart to Chamber's Wall
Almost a repeat of yesterday as Frank & I walked the
same route, Goldcrest numbers had noticeably decreased, yet
Blackbird, Redwing and Song Thrush
remained numerous all along the hedgerows. Visible migration was a steady
trickle of Redpoll, Goldfinch,
Chaffinch and a couple of Siskin, whilst
Reed Bunting, Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit,
Stonechat and Robin filled a few more
lines in the note book. The Great Grey Shrike was seen
briefly as it suddenly appeared on a small bush, quite close to the Shuart
railway crossing. As quick it came, it went and was not seen again, although
several birders were looking for it. A Water Rail
"squealed" from the reeds by a small flight pond and a Merlin
was seen dashing across the fields before disappearing over the seawall. We
saw at least 4 different Marsh Harriers, but failed to
locate the Rough-legged Buzzard. (Dylan)
Friday 26th October
2007 Chamber's Wall
Out looking for the Great Grey Shrike
that Dylan and Frank found this morning, I met up with Scott who had
seen the Shrike and told me about the Rough-Legged Buzzard out
in the fields, we were joined by Tim & Co and the four of us enjoyed
fantastic views of the Rough-Legged Buzzard and eventually the Great Grey Shrike.
If anyone is in the area tomorrow please keep to the paths in this area as
the Buzzard can be easily viewed from the track. It was still there at 5.30
this evening.
(Gadget)
Friday 26th October
2007 Stodmarsh NNR
Concentrating on the
Stodmarsh end this morning between 7:30 & 10:15 produced Kingfisher,
Water Rail, 2 Little Grebes, Great Crested Grebe (Reedbed
Hide),4-5 Siskins (Marsh Hide Trail) 3 Goldcrests near start
of the nature trail from the car park. Otherwise, plenty of vocal Wrens &
Robins in & around the alder wood. Bullfinch heard but not
located. Common Tit species very evident, as were Fieldfare & Redwing.
(Ben Ring)
Friday 26th October
2007 Shuart to Chamber's Wall
Frank & I spent a very
pleasant 2 1/2 hours walking around this morning. Parking the car, just
before 09.00hrs, we made our way along the farm track to the railway
embankment before turning left and heading towards the Wantsum. Conditions
were overcast and dank, but there seemed to be a few birds around.
Blackbirds, Redwings and Song Thrushes were present in good
numbers in the bushes along the Shuart track with several small flocks of
Goldcrests noted. A Kestrel hunted by the stables and we found
the first, of seven, Stonechat in the small reedbed besides the
railway crossing. A Fieldfare called as it passed overhead and we
noted several large flocks of Goldfinches as we made our way slowly
towards Chamber's Wall. Sky Larks, Meadow Pipits and
Starlings were obviously moving along the embankment. As we reached the
Wantsum sluice a Spotted Redshank flew over, heading south, calling
loudly in the gloom. Retracing our steps we flushed a Green Woodpecker.
While we stopped to take a better look, a scan of the surrounding farmland
allowed me to pick out a distant Great Grey Shrike perched in the top
of an isolated Oak tree. Focussing my scope, I managed to get a couple of
record images before it flew off. I relocated it a little further along the
hedgerow and hoped that we might get better views as we made our way back
towards the car. A group of five Goldcrests were feeding in a small
hawthorn. As we watched them through our bins, the Shrike suddenly
appeared and attempted to catch one, settling for a large bumble-bee after
it's attempts were thwarted by the nimble crests. We were then treated to a
spectacular display by the Great Grey Shrike, as it showed down to
20m. My digi-scoping gear was pushed to the limit by the poor light
conditions, but I managed to get a couple of pics that do justice to a
really smart bird! (Dylan)
Thursday 25th October 2007 Foreness area
A couple of free hours allowed the opportunity to
savour just some of the wonderful bird-rich habitat of the Foreness area.
Things got off to a cracking start as I relished the superb company of Simon
Mount in the scrubby patch. He'd just scored heavily with a Coal Tit,
while our sharp banter was interrupted only by a wandering flock of some 15
Redwings, a handful of Goldcrests and what was either one or
many Sparrowhawks almost constantly in view. A Woodcock
flashed over to keep up the pace, but soon it was time to move on. Sadly,
Simon had to leave the area so I went down to the golf course on my own and
reflected on our conversation. It had been that kind of morning! The mood of
gentle reflection was maintained as I took in the spectacle of the
smouldering remnants of the bushes and trees that had once comprised
something resembling habitat behind the school. We are certainly blessed to
have so many conservation-minded people in the area. A couple of
Chiffchaffs were a thrilling reminder of the extraordinary phenomenon of
migration, but even these belters paled into insignificance when a juvenile
Rough-legged Buzzard flew low across the golf course with a couple of
Crows (or maybe they were Gulls, I can't remember) in attendance.
Buzzy loitered around the Whiteness trees for a minute or two and then went
back much the way it had come. It didn't seem in a great hurry to move on
(why would it want to leave Foreness?) and indeed the Gulls went up again
half an hour or so later but I couldn't see the cause of their panic.
Whatever, happy days, and I see what a fool I've been not to have got up to
the old place for so long. Foreness, Still No1 (Dave Mairs)
Thursday 25th October 2007 North Foreland
North Foreland this morning, only 2 Red-Throated
Divers and a Guillemot over the sea, and In the bushes 1
Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, 1 Coal Tit, 20 Redwing and
a Woodcock. (Simon Mount)
Thursday 25th October
2007 Botany Bay and Foreness
I walked between Botany
Bay and Foreness looking for anything that might have been blown in on the
keen easterly wind. The only displaced migrant was a tired juvenile
Yellowhammer, sheltering on the steps to the bay. The high tide
wader roosts held 6 Purple Sandpipers,
60+ Turnstones, 27 Ringed Plovers, 21
Curlews, 93 Oystercatchers, 28
Redshanks and 234 Sanderlings. There were also
three Stonechats and a Rock Pipit on the
clifftop. (Steve Coates)
Wednesday
24th October 2007 North Foreland Area
North Foreland this morning nothing moving over the sea
other than 1 Red-throated Diver, 48 Brent Geese and 1 Teal.
In the bushes:- 2 Stonechats, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, and a
Pallas`
Warbler at the top of Convent Road which is presumably the 4th for the area
this Autumn, movement overhead much quieter than the last few days with just
a few Siskins and Meadow Pipits. (Simon Mount)
Wednesday
24th October 2007 Dumpton to King George VI Park
Grey skies and a brisk NE wind meant that conditions
were less than ideal. I walked over to the park noting a few
Redwings and 3 Goldfinches passing overhead. An
adult Grey Heron appeared to land in a back garden of a
house, opposite the shops, along West Dumpton, Lane. I would imagine that
there is a pond involved - let's hope it is covered by netting. The park was
windswept and desolate. I found 25+ Goldcrests in various
parts of the venue, but wind noise meant I couldn't hear much, so certainly
missed a few bits. Falling leaves just added to the problems. 2 Grey
Wagtails went south & 2 Rock Pipits north, whilst
a quick scan of the sea revealed nothing more than 7 Brent Geese
& 4 Common Scoter. (Dylan)
Monday 22nd October
2007 Kingsgate Area
Noted this morning in
rather indifferent light was a good movement of Blackbirds and
Thrushes overhead along with light trickle of mainly Redpolls and
Chaffinch. Very little in the bushes other than a Yellow Browed
Warbler which showed itself briefly at the Paddock in the dim light,
(Rae Boulden)
Monday 22nd October 2007 Kingsgate &
Pegwell Bay
22/10 Kingsgate. Not much pre-work light at the moment - less today with
the cloud. Lots of Goldfinches and Redpolls moving this
morning and a Richard's Pipit 'schreeped' its way along the
cliff-top. 2 Pink-footed Geese circled the area before continuing
west. Little obvious in the bushes but they were rather gloomy. A lunchtime
visit to Pegwell Cliff-top produced a Great Grey Shrike just past the
moth garden which eventually ended up in the trees around Little Cliffsend
Farm having been disturbed by Joe Public - whoever he is. (F Solly)
Monday
22nd October 2007 Newland's Farm & Dumpton garden
First the rugby, then F1, it couldn't get more
disappointing? Unless, of course, you are a Thanet birder hoping for KWT to
work their magic! Yep, you've got it. Wildfowling along the perimeter wall
of Oare Marshes & a Kite boarding, Bait-digging Fest accompanied by a
Dog-a-thon (any slant you wish to interpret) at Pegwell Bay. SSSI, Ramsar -
EU conservation initiatives, International Treaties - who cares, we've got
the Thanet Coastal Project and their Voluntary Codes. KWT need your money
and support to continue their valuable conservation work - "Kiss Mine!"
Pissed off? - Me? Never! I've I had a wonderful weekend. Up early, it was
soon clear that there were a few birds on the move. A Green
Woodpecker, on a roof, along Vine
Close was a surprise and it continued when I found a covey of 13 Grey
Partridge on a newly sown field of winter wheat. Redwing,
Redpoll and Siskin were passing overhead
in small groups, as I did my regular walk. Getting back home, a Grey
Wagtail headed south followed by 2 Pied Wagtails
moving in the opposite direction. A large flock of Starlings
(2,500+) were feeding on the stubble - a mumuration? I'm not sure, but I did
so want to use this collective noun for a bunch of Starlings! Plenty of
activity around the garden with flocks of Redpoll,
Siskin, Goldfinch, Linnet, 17
Brambling, 35+ Skylark, 11 Meadow
Pipit, 3 Fieldfare and numerous Redwings
passing overhead whilst the pick of the bunch were 2 Tree
Sparrows that perched, very briefly, in the garden hedgerow before
continuing on their way north. (Dylan)
Sunday 21st October
2007 at Foreness
A single Lapland
Bunting feeding along the cliff tops between Botany Bay and Foreness
Point this morning before moving west. (Rae Boulden)
Sunday 21st October 2007 Northdown Park &
Kingsgate Area
Another day, another Pallas's Warbler, or as it
happened 2, both of which were different to yesterday's bird. A very showy
but slightly scabby bird in a virtually leafless Sycamore at Joss Bay before
moving up the Elmwood Ave hedgerow where I gather it continued to show well
and a less co-operative bird in the SW corner of Northdown Park. Pretty
quiet otherwise with not much to break the tedium. 5 Firecrests, a
flyover Woodlark and 5 Crossbills were the only other things
of note. Light Vis mig of mainly Siskin and Redpolls with a
few Rooks and Jackdaws (F Solly)
Saturday 20th
October 2007 Kingsgate & Pegwell
A couple of birds at Kingsgate today - I had to pinch
myself to make sure I was dreaming! Nothing particularly remarkable and
rather predictable, they were a Yellow-browed Warbler and a
Pallas's Warbler. Not much else in the bushes and nothing much on the
devastation that is now the Cliff-top and Golf Course. A few Stonechats
and Fieldfares and a single Black Redstart. A steady but light
Vis mig mostly mixed Finches and a few Reed Buntings.
Bait-digging at Pegwell was even worse today, with diggers just off the
saltmarsh from the north side of the Hoverpad to the river - the whole bay!
A great National Nature Reserve. If you want to bait dig and scare all the
birds, kite board and scare all the birds, have a dog that constantly barks
- at which you then shout as loud as you can, and boost your cholesterol
levels whilst treading in dogs muck its the place for you. If on the other
hand you wanted to visit the NNR to see what was there, don't bother. (F
Solly)
Saturday 20th
October 2007 Stodmarsh NNR & Grove Ferry
I walked the complete circuit this morning. Parking at
Grove Ferry, I joined Martyn, Marc & Pete on the ramp for half an hour, or
so. No sign of yesterday's Cattle Egrets, but still plenty to see. A late
Swallow headed north, 3 Redpoll and a
Brambling flew over, but the morning really belonged to the
winter thrushes. Redwings and Fieldfares
were moving on a large scale with a noticeable increase in the numbers of
Blackbirds and Song Thrushes around the
hawthorns of the paddock, riverbank & Lampern Wall. My walk around the
reserve allowed me to note 3 Kingfisher, 3
Sparrowhawk, 13 (more) Redpoll, 2 Siskin,
9 Stonechat, 4(more) Brambling, 7
Goldcrest, 5 Bullfinch, 1 Treecreeper,
1 Green Sandpiper and 4 Marsh Harrier
amongst the other regular species. I was very fortunate to witness some
spectacular behaviour by a flock of Bearded Tits. The reeds
by the Boat House, on the Lampern Wall, were alive with Beardies
with large flocks on either side of the path. They seemed very excitable as
the noisily flicked around the reedbed. As I started to walk back towards
the Marsh Hide from the alder wood, I found another group (3rd flock) of
Beardies very close to the
path. I estimated 200+ birds to be present in the reedbeds around the Boat
House. I stopped to get some pics, when the whole flock, at least 87
birds! flew up into the air (100m +) did a couple of circuits then headed
off SW. I lost them behind the alders, so have no idea whether they moved
along to Collard's or actually left the Stour Valley all together? (Dylan)
Friday 19th October 2007
Old Hoverpad Pegwell
I am visiting my sister in Ramsgate for
the w/e (I live at Musselburgh in Scotland). Thought I should pass on that a
saw a Yellow-browed Warbler at the old Pegwell Bay hoverport this am
at 10.00.It was in the trees just south of the steps going up to the Viking
boat. It called loudly for a while, I saw it well but briefly and then it
appear to move on - I think south or maybe inland. I didn't see it again
over the next hour. (Ian Andrews)
Friday 19th October 2007 Deal seafront
A look along the promenade 10 Lesser Black Backed
Gulls, mature & juv 30 Herring Gull all stages of plumage, most
at sea today .one juv Herring Gull with a white ring A4 BD. 20
Brent Geese, flying south. (Mike D)
Friday 19th
October 2007 Pegwell Bay & Cliff-top
Those who had the
misfortune to visit Pegwell today would have been greeted by bait-diggers
just off the edge of the saltmarsh from the Hoverport up to the location of
the old hide. The bay was of course devoid of viewable birds. Despite the
presence of KWT, there was no sign of any intervention. The Golden Plover
flock, now building up (disturbance permitting) to what will be
numbers of international importance was totally displaced. Thank god that
the site has wardens and we have Thanet Coastal Projects ridiculous 'Coastal
Code' to prevent such things from happening. What would the site be like
without them? Better presumably! A Little Owl along Pegwell
Cliff-top hunting along the edge of the farm yesterday lunchtime is the
first that I have seen along there for some years - very nice (being
positive). (F Solly)
Thursday 18th October 2007 Southwall Mashes
(Deal)
I walked along the Southwall bridle path 5pm to 6.30pm
and a crisp evening. 100+Lapwing, 200+ Starling, a large flock
Chaffinch 2 Mistle Thrush, 1Song Thrush, 4 Robin,
6 Swallow, 2 Cock Pheasant 6 hens, flyover of 5 Mute Swan
and 16 Mallard, 4 Black Bird, 1 Green Woodpecker, large
flock of Rooks & Carrion Crows, 20 Magpie, 4 Moorhen,
3 Stonechat, 2 Blue Tit, on the 15th Oct 6 Fieldfare
not bad for an after tea walk. (Mike D)
Wednesday 17th October
2007 Reculver Seawatch
Four of us (Rob Clements, Derek Smith, Ian Harding and
me) watched from the Towers this morning for 3 hours from 0830, but the sea
was totally dead, the “highlights” being 1 large auk, 4
Red-throated Divers, 4 Gannets, 1 Sandwich Tern and a few
Brent Geese. (Tim H)
Wednesday 17th October
2007 Reculver & Grove Ferry
I certainly didn't have
anything like the sightings that Martyn had further along the coast at Herne
Bay as I stood at the Reculver Towers between 12:15 & 1pm today! Three
separate flocks of Brent Geese flying east, Black-headed Gulls
& Herring Gulls in dribs & drabs going west, & a solitary
Cormorant west was all I could muster! Still, it gave me a chance to
eat my sarnies in relative shelter from the, at times, quite forceful
northerly blowing. Undeterred, I dropped in at Grove on my way home & was
rewarded with a Water Pipit in front of Harrisons Hide at around
2:30.Also present there was a large flock of Lapwing & singles of
Green Sandpiper & Mute Swan. (Ben Ring)
Wednesday 17th October 2007 Herne
Bay 9.30am-midday
I did my first proper Seawatch in about four years
today and, all seemed at bit quiet to start with but the first 18 of 53
Little Gulls flew west so i stuck it out. All birds seen were flying
west unless otherwise stated. There were 5 Red-throated Divers (3E),
53 Little Gulls, 3 Gannets (1E) and 3 Sabine's Gulls
the first, a juvenile, at 10.10 then and adult still in summer plumage with
another juvenile at 10.55. Surprisingly there was only 1 Arctic Skua
and 1 Great Skua. An Auk sp landed on the sea and 4 Common Scoters
passed close in as did a single Velvet Scoter flying east. A total of
129 Brent Geese passed with 4 W, 16 N and 109 E. Larger Gulls
included both Great & Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring
Gulls and several Black-headed Gulls, biggest surprise was not a
single Kittiwake was noted while I was there Five Turnstone
were on the beach giving excellent photo opportunities and a Kestrel
was hunting the bank behind me. (Martyn Wilson)
Wednesday 17th October 2007 Dumpton Thanet
The field behind my house this morning held 189
Herring Gulls, 7 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, 43 Black-headed Gulls all of which had no
colour rings, 49 Carrion Crows, with 270 Woodpigeons, 86
Collard Doves, 2 Sparrowhawks 1 over the fields and 1 hunting
along the hedgerow and back gardens, Goldfinches are still visiting
my feeders up to 17 today with 14 Greenfinches, 2 Great Tits,
4 Blue Tits, 1 Robin, 2 Dunnocks, 8 House Sparrows,
7 Starlings, 9 Collard Doves, 1 wren, with a nice
surprise visitor a Male Blackcap the number of Rose Ringed
Parakeets flying to and from there roost Morning and Dusk is between 470
to 645. (Gadget)
Tuesday
16th October 2007 Ramsgate Harbour
Another session of ring reading produced yet 3 more
Norwegian C-R Great Black-backed Gulls
(Black/White JM 51 & Blue/White
J 4 UE + JH 3 P,
returning for its 3rd winter!) Nothing else to report that is any different
to yesterday. (Dylan)
Tuesday 16th October
2007 Westgate Thanet
Only a Robin in the Garden but a nice photo.
(Tim H)
Monday 15th October 2007 Ramsgate Harbour
An early shift meant that I was able to get down to the
harbour just after high water. Inspired by Jerry's effort yesterday, I
concentrated on the gulls around the outer pontoons and slipway. First
bird
I found was an old acquaintance, Herring Gull (White A3GX) quickly
followed by another Herring Gull, this one with a Belgian metal ring. I
think I have the complete code. A scan from the sluice failed to find
anything else, so I walked around to the Lifeboat Station, in order to get a
different angle on the outermost pontoon. Large numbers of Great
Black-backed Gulls were resting on the boards, however, many of which
were sitting down. A metal ringed 1st winter was located, but no chance of
reading the code at 100m! I walked on to the old harbour entrance light,
seeing a juvenile Kingfisher as I went. Another scan of the pontoon
revealed 3 C-R Great Black-backed Gulls. I quickly retraced my steps
and got record pics of all three birds (Black/White J54Z & J29X - Blue/White
JC2Z), surprisingly none of which were recorded yesterday by Jerry. A metal
ringed Cormorant, 5 Rock Pipit, 30+ Turnstone and a 1st
winter Lesser Black-backed Gull was about the only other bits of any
note. (Dylan)
Sunday 14th October
2007 Grove Ferry
I woke with a bit of a headache this morning. The
England Football team did just enough, our Rugby team, on the other
hand, were awesome - not particularly pretty, but heroes - to a man! So in
order to clear a few cobwebs I decided to drive to Grove for a saunter
around the reserve. Thick fog soon put pay to that idea and I spent the
entire session on the ramp. Norman McCanch, Martyn, Pete & Steve provided
the company and associated banter. Birds were at a premium. I noted a few
Goldcrest calling from the trees by the carpark. Norman was
already on the ramp and had been sketching the Reed Buntings
that were feeding there. Bearded Tits & Cetti's
Warblers were very vocal around the site. As the sun began to burn
through Lapwing, Golden Plover,
Common Snipe, a Dunlin and a Black-tailed
Godwit were picked out on the main pool. Kingfisher,
3 Little Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2
Stonechat and a few Redwing were as good as it
got. A pair of Mute Swans did a fly past, allowing me to
grab a couple of pics and as I walked back to my car I heard a
Brambling calling from the paddocks. (Dylan)
Sunday 14th October
2007 Ash Levels
A very enjoyable walk
around the Patch this morning provided some 'notables' (for it anyway!) in
the form of a Stonechat pair & a fem Ring Ouzel at Lower
Goldstone. A single Tree Sparrow (yep, just the one) was seen along
Goldstone Drove. (Ben Ring)
Sunday 14th October 2007
Ramsgate Harbour
In what proved to be very
pleasant autumnal weather I spent an hour down at the harbour this morning.
The tide was quite low and the gull population was dispersed across the
mud with about 40 each of Great black-backed
and Herring Gull. In addition I spotted just 1 Cormorant,
about 5 Turnstone, 1 Rock Pipit, 1
Pied Wagtail, 1 Carrion Crow and 10 Brent
geese flying north over the harbour. Perhaps most interesting was
the presence of 2 colour-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls,
JA4L and
J18Z, pictures
of which fell to my new Fuji camera which seems able to capture reasonable
images even at the high scope magnifications needed to see the gulls on the
pontoon. My previous efforts at imaging at such long range had been poor,
to say the least, so I'm quite happy with my purchase. (Jerry Lanfear)
Saturday 13th
October 2007 Budgens
Not much free time today, but during a
trip to Budgens I wandered across the road to have a brief look around the
church grounds. A tiny place but packed with birds. There was about 4 very
vocal Firecrests, 3 Goldcrests, with many Redwings
feeding on the berries and also flying over, plus a nice assortment of
commoner stuff. (Scott)
Saturday 13th October 2007 North Foreland
At North Foreland to day a Woodcock flushed from
gardens and heading towards the farm. (Simon Mount)
Saturday 13th
October 2007 Shuart to Chamber's Wall
I spent a couple of hours wandering around the eastern
end of the Reculver marshes. Parking at Shuart, straight away it was obvious
that there were good numbers of Redwings present in the
area. Walking past the farm buildings I came across a group of 3
Firecrest, feeding in the trackside sycamores. Goldcrests
were present all along the Shuart track, small pockets of birds in the
company of Blue & Long-tailed Tits. On
reaching the railway embankment, it was clear that small groups of finches
were using the landmark as a flyway. Chaffinch,
Green & Gold Finch, 9 Redpoll, 2
Siskin plus Meadow Pipit, Skylark
and Reed Bunting all recorded as I walked towards Chamber's
Wall. Redwing and Song Thrushes each
numbered 120+ whilst I only managed to find 7 Fieldfare.
Robin numbers suggested some migrants had boosted the local
population and I watched a Great Spotted Woodpecker arrive
in/off. Calling loudly as it flew from the seawall, it landed in the first
tree it came to. I reckon I'd be a bit weary if I'd just flown from Holland,
or further! Raptors were restricted to just 1 Sparrowhawk
and 2 Kestrel. (Dylan)
Margate
Cemetery records 1st to 12th October 2007 Late News
Monday 1st October 2007
The day started of with a Ring Ouzel in the
garden of rest followed by a movement of 300, Swallows heading north.
It was generally quiet up to 11:00am, apart from a total of 14
Chiffchaffs, 50 Redwings and 4 Goldcrest. Thinking about
going home Dave Gilbert and I decided to go back into the allotments for one
last bash and at 11:20am, to our delight, a stunning Great Grey Shrike
flew straight across the path in front of us and landed in some dense scrub
in one of the allotments. After a long search this was the only sighting it
was going to give us today and was the bird originally found on the 29th
September. (Steve Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Tuesday 2nd October
2007
The Great Grey Shrike
was still present in the allotments at 8:50am, and showed on and off
although distant till 9:15am, and once more at 2:45pm. Today was also good
for other migrants with an excellent movement of 7,000+ Swallows, 2
Tree Pipits, 7 Bramblings, 2 Firecrest, 1 Stonechat,
1 Wheatear, 1 Grey Wagtail, 200 Redwings, 1 Redpoll,
5 Siskin, 20 Chaffinches, 50 House Martins and 25
Meadow Pipits. (Steve Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Wednesday 3rd October
2007
Present for its 5th
day the Great Grey Shrike was extremely elusive today and only seen
at 7:10am, and 10:30am. The bird is presently covering a large area (as they
can tend to), between the allotments/cemetery and the old railway line at
Nash Road. Other birds of note included 14 Pink-footed Geese
(north at 9:00am), 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Whinchat,
2 Firecrest, 1 Redpoll, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Grey
Wagtail, 5 Siskin, 70 Swallows, 1 Reed Bunting, 100
Redwings, 2 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrest. (Steve
Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Thursday 4th October
2007
The Great Grey Shrike
was still present but again only seen very briefly on two occasions, once in
the allotments and the other sitting on top of a pine tree in the cemetery.
Also today 1 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 2 Siskin, 7
Chiffchaff, 50 Redwings, 2 Goldcrest, 10 Chaffinches,
20 Swallows and 35 Meadow Pipits. (Steve Tomlinson & Dave
Gilbert)
Friday 5th October
2007
No sign of the shrike today,
but my first ever record of Common Crane headed west over the garden
of rest at 10:45am, being chassed off by a Merlin. This was the main
highlight today with very little else to report. (Steve Tomlinson & Dave
Gilbert)
Saturday 6th October
2007
Birds today included 1
Ring Ouzel, 3 Bramblings, 1 Wheatear and 30 Redwings.
(Steve Tomlinson)
Sunday 7th October
2007
A very strange record of
Shelduck was briefly seen in the garden of rest, joined by a
Firecrest and a passing Grey Wagtail. 9 Fieldfares, 2
Redpolls, 2 Siskins and 7 Chiffchaffs were also present.
(Steve Tomlinson)
Monday 8th October
2007
I was a little bit later
over the cemetery this morning, but had a phone call from Dave Gilbert at
9:15am, and to my amazement he was once again watching the Great Grey
Shrike. By the time I had arrived some 10 minutes after, the bird was
showing well sitting on a allotment fence post right out in the open. Due to
it being mostly elusive and mobile in its 10 day stay it has not given any
opportunity for a photo session but now was my chance. It moved onto a blue
barrel where it sat for a good 5 minutes falling asleep. It had certainly
fed well as it was a lot fatter than previous days, probably feeding on the
local Goldcrest population, due to a pellet it coughed up. The bird soon
headed off and was showing well although mobile around the allotments for a
good 1 hour. Also today a total of at least 7,000+ Redwings moved
through, 1 Stonechat, 10 Fieldfares, 4 Redpolls, 45
Chaffinches, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaffs
and 30 Goldfinches. (Steve Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Tuesday 9th October 2007
My first ever record of
Twite was found with 2 Linnets but did not stay around to long.
No sign of the shrike but a total of 43 Redpolls was worthy of note.
(Steve Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Wednesday 10th October
2007
Birds seen today included 1
Crossbill, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Brambling, 1 Ring Ouzel,
1 Tree Pipit, 2 Blackcap, 10 Redpolls, 10 Siskins,
3 Fieldfares, 40 Redwings and 25 Goldfinches. (Steve
Tomlinson)
Thursday 11th October
2007
Birds today included a
single Firecrest, Stonechat, 4 Siskins, 4 Redpolls, 15
Fieldfares, 20 Redwings and 5 Swallows. (Steve
Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Friday 12th October
2007
A Woodlark headed
west early morning and a Firecrest was in the garden of rest.
(Steve Tomlinson & Dave Gilbert)
Friday 12th
October 2007 Westgate Thanet
Sanderling along the
shoreline at Westgate today, (Tim H)
Friday 12th
October 2007 King Gorge VI Park Ramsgate
A quick look at the
park this morning (8:15 - 9:45) gave me the impression that Goldcrests
numbers were up, particularly around the middle plantation by the cycle
track. I didn't see anything more exciting among them. Only 1
Chiffchaff was seen but several Swallows were passing over.
(Scott)
Thursday 11th October
2007 North Foreland
At North Foreland this lunchtime:- 20 Swallows,
7 Stonechats, 2 Fieldfares, 1 Firecrest and 2
Chiffchaffs. (Simon Mount)
Thursday 11th October
2007 Fayreness area
After yesterday's count at
the Fayreness, I checked the other roost a few hundred yards north below the
waterworks today - there were 132 Sanderlings, 54 Ringed Plovers,
49 Turnstones, 12 Knot and 4 Purple Sandpipers.
Assuming no double-counting, that's 378 waders in total, with marked
social divisions - only turnstones and purple sandpipers were present at
both sites. Also present, there were 5 Stonechats and a
Wheatear on the cliff-top. (Steve Coates)
Thursday 11th October
2007 Grove Ferry & Pegwell Country Park
A quick trip along the
Stour river path this morning at 7am in very misty conditions a 'mercy
mission' to check on the condition of a Mute Swan that I had found yesterday
with an apparent broken wing - produced a piping Kingfisher, a male
Kestrel & 20 Fieldfare in the paddock near the Ramp. Whilst
working at Pegwell Country Park later in the morning, noted 4 Stonechat
in the same small apple tree near the seawall (2m, 2f).Six Bearded Tit
flew over, pinging loudly & heading inland as we took a break around noon,
otherwise, plenty of small flocks of Linnet & Goldfinches. (Ben Ring)
Thursday
11th October 2007 King George VI Park & Dumpton
As I walked home from work, last night, the calls of
migrating Redwings could be heard, as they passed overhead.
A check at first light revealed a few stragglers, plus Song Thrush
and Blackbird, still moving south. Clear skies meant that
there was little point hanging around the garden, so I had a walk across to
King George VI Park. 5 Goldcrest, 13 Chiffchaff
and 3 Firecrest were concentrated in the S/E
corner with a few Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch
and Goldfinch moving overhead. My walk back allowed me to
add Grey Wagtail (over Montefiorre Avenue) and a 4th
Firecrest (Dumpton Railway Bridge) before I bumped into
Gadget. A quick chat then onward. A Black Redstart was on a
rooftop along Vine Close. I rushed home to get my digi-scoping gear. The
bird must have followed me long the bungalows as I managed to get pics of it
on our roof before it moved further north and was lost (Dylan)
Wednesday 10th October 2007 Fayreness
The high tide roost below the Fayreness today was 20
Curlews, 25 Redshanks, 62
Oystercatchers, 11 Grey Plovers, 1 Purple
Sandpiper and a Little Egret, along with around
50 gulls (mostly immature but with some adult Great Black-Backs). A pair of
Stonechats was in the bushes on the cliff above, and a
Common Redstart was here last week. The clifftop vegetation
has been cut and baled, giving us the chance of seeing birds again. (Steve
Coates)
Wednesday 10th October 2007
King George VI Park
08.45hrs to 09.45hrs
produced 2 Firecrest, 9+ Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 1
Fieldfare and a few Redwings (Nick Lever)
Wednesday
10th October 2007 Dumpton garden
Intrigued by Don Taylor's recent "Big Sit" at Boughton
Park (see his excellent postings on the KOS website - latest sightings) I
thought it might be interesting to see how many species I could record from
the garden. Alas, I only had 2 1/2 hours, but it still proved to be very
worth while. Starting at 06.45hrs I recorded Wren,
Dunnock, Jay, Herring Gull,
Starling, Blackbird, Jackdaw,
Carrion Crow, Rose-ringed Parakeet,
Collared Dove, Redwing, Fieldfare,
Woodpigeon, House Sparrow,
Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Greenfinch,
Black-headed Gull, Robin and Song
Thrush in the first hour. Obviously the law of diminishing returns
had to come into play. The next 90 minutes produced Stock Dove,
Pied Wagtail, Northern Wheatear - a 1st
winter perched on a neighbours roof!, Kestrel,
Chaffinch, Magpie, Greylag Goose
(garden tick no. 105) and Sparrowhawk. 28 species, not bad
for a grey autumn morning plus the added bonus of shelter from the elements,
toilet & cooking facilities to hand! (Dylan)
Tuesday 9th October 2007 Chislet Marshes /
Sandwich to Pegwell
I was out surveying out on Chislet Marshes again this
morning, and came across another Great Grey Shrike, which was nice.
Two Peregrine Falcons were seen very well including one which
clattered out from a hedge about 5 yards away from me. There were also seven
Pink-footed Geese present near the Gilling Drove yesterday morning. A
boat trip from Sandwich to Pegwell followed, and this included nice views of
a Mediterranean Gull, about 10 Common Seals, plus several
Greenshank, Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpipers, Kingfishers and
all the usual suspects. (Tim H)
Monday 8th October 2007
Dumpton garden & Newland's Farm
Up early to go through the
tedium of another wasted night of running a garden moth-trap! A cup of
coffee in hand, it was pretty obvious that there were a few birds passing
overhead. 5 Lapwing were quickly followed by the first Meadow
Pipit. The totals for the morning 06.45 - 0915hrs were 63
Goldfinch, 12 Skylark, 140+ Chaffinch, 31 Linnet, 1
Redpoll, 1 Ring Ouzel, 34 Redwing, 100+ Song Thrush,
28 Wigeon, 220+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, 1
Sparrowhawk and a Common Snipe. A quick check around Newland's
Farm revealed 7 Chiffchaff plus many more Redwing and Song
Thrush, especially around the paddocks behind the farm. (Dylan)
Sunday 7th October 2007 North Foreland
North Foreland today, a steady movement of
Goldfinches all day heading north along the coast. Even at 17:30 a flock
of 70+ heading over, also a few Chaffinches and small numbers of
Siskins, Redpolls, Bramblings. Redwings and Song Thrushes
were moving overnight with a few settled during the day along with a single
Fieldfare, one Yellow-browed Warbler present, over the sea a
few Gannets heading South plus a single Mute Swan. On the
rocks at Joss Bay, a striking black-plumaged adult Lesser Black-backed
Gull presumably showed the characteristics of the `fuscus` race.
(Simon Mount)
Sunday 7th
October 2007 Oare Marshes KWT Reserve
A nice early morning session today. Plenty of waders on
display, as expected this time of the year. Black-tailed
Godwit, Avocet, Redshank,
Lapwing and Golden Plover were well
represented and I added 1 Ruff, 2 Little Stint,
4 Dunlin and a Curlew to the pages of my
notebook. An immature Marsh Harrier patrolled the floods on
the western side of the road, flushing 3 Little Egret as it
passed overhead. I noted my first Wigeon of the autumn, a
party of 14 on the East Flood and later joined by 2 Pintail.
An immature Swallow hawked insects over the reeds and 2
Stonechats were along the entrance track. A cock
Pheasant strutted past, completely oblivious to my presence and
I spent a little while watching the antics of a juvenile Grey Heron
as it attempted to subdue a small eel. (Dylan)
Saturday 6th
October 2007 Shuart to Coldharbour Lagoon
Up to switch off the moth-trap, just after 06.00hrs. A
quick cup of coffee and I was on my way to Shuart. It was just before
07.00hrs as I made my way along the track that leads across the marsh to the
railway embankment and Minnis Bay beyond. Pheasants
regularly uttered their raucous chatter as they left their overnight roost
sites. In the mature trees around the farm buildings I flushed good numbers
of Redwings, as I passed, and also noted several
Goldcrests as they called, unseen, from the dense foliage. Overhead
there was a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits and
Chaffinches. A lone Redpoll, 13 Siskin,
1 Yellowhammer, 1 Fieldfare and a few
Greenfinches made it into the notebook as I walked along
the railway embankment. 2 Ring Ouzel were flushed from the
dense bushes, probably feeding on the abundant berry crop. 7
Stonechat, an imm Marsh Harrier and a Grey
Wagtail were about the only other birds of any note.
Blackbird, Song Thrush and
Robin numbers appear to be up - migrants joining the
resident birds? Back home for 10.30hrs, I had a very lucky experience when I
was in the garden. A Chiffchaff was feeding in the
buddleia, within a few feet of where I stood. I grabbed my camera from
indoors and went back in the hope that I might get a pic. Just after
12.05hrs I heard the sound of wild geese and watched in amazement as 4
Pink-footed Geese (garden tick no.104) did a circuit of the
stubble behind my garden hedge. Fumbling with the camera - I had it set on
macro! - I managed to grab four pics before the geese headed off back
towards Pegwell. (Dylan)
Friday 5th October 2007
Broadstairs garden
I spent an hour this morning
checking out the usual garden birds, including 13 parakeets
over early on, 1 Great Tit, 2 Magpie, 1
Robin, 4 Greenfinch (including 1 with a
BTO style ring), and 1 Jay over. A Wood Pigeon
and 3 Collared Dove added to the expected mix... I was
somewhat surprised, however, when this Moorhen hopped onto
the fence. It sat on there for perhaps 10 minutes allowing me to capture a
few nice shots. It then jumped down to the lawn and made its way to our
small pond where it disappeared into the undergrowth. I didn't see it
again, but it seemed quite confident so I'm wondering if it's been here
before, unseen by me. Given that ours is a small suburban garden, bounded
on all sides by other small gardens I'm quite pleased with this addition to
my garden list. (Jerry Lanfear)
Friday 5th October 2007
Pegwell Bay
I checked the hoverport
and the incoming tide this afternoon/evening. There wasn't anything of any
note on the hoverpad and the incoming tide turned up: 4 Grey Heron,
c10 Little Egret, 65 Brent, 30 Wigeon, 2 Peregrine, 1
Sparrowhawk, 350 Lapwing,150 Golden Plover,1
Greenshank, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, c200 Great BB Gull, c30
Lesser BB Gull, 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull, 540 Common Gull,1
adult Mediterranean Gull, c350 Herring Gull, 2000+
Black-headed Gull and 3 Sandwich Terns. One of the Peregrines was
a huge juvenile female bird which took a Bar-tailed Godwit and
carried it about 300 yards along the salt marsh before landing on the mud to
kill the Godwit. When it landed it let go for a second and the Godwit flew
off - quite a lucky escape. No sign of the Crane this evening though I did
leave at 5.40pm so it still had time to come in - it didn't turn up until
6.00pm the evening prior. (Phil M)
Friday 5th October 2007
Grove Ferry
Spent the best part of 5
hours on or near the Ramp this morning - highlights were 3 Little Stint
& 2 Arctic Terns on the right-hand pool; lengthy flight view of a
Bittern flying over the same pool at approx 10:15am;one Little Gull
on the 'spit' on the main pool. Also seen were plenty of Snipe as
well as numerous Lapwings & Black-headed Gulls from the Ramp;
a Kingfisher from the Turf Hide, and several small 'parties' of
Bearded Tits 'pinging' noisily literally on or around Harrisons Drove.
(Ben Ring)
Friday 5th October 2007
Foreness area
I checked a few of the
main areas (other than the Park which I just couldn't face today) from
07.15hrs. A lovely day but very few birds. Migrants I did see included: 44
Greenfinch, 5 Redpoll, 120 Goldfinch, 13 Siskin,
c30 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2
Wheatear, 3 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, c10 Goldcrest,
1 Firecrest and 3 Tree Sparrows. Highlight of the morning came
at 09.35 when after a little bit of a reaction from about 20 Herring
Gulls I assumed there was a raptor about but being in an area surrounded
by trees I concluded that even 'if' it was indeed a raptor my chances of
getting on it would be very slim - me being in the overgrown paddock west of
'Dead Man's Gulch' where visibility was only what was passing pretty much
overhead. Then I thought I heard a Crane in the distance and within
30 seconds an adult Crane - obviously yesterdays Pegwell bird -
passed right over the spot where I was standing, which was indeed very
fortunate. It headed off towards North Foreland but a couple of minutes
later I could hear it calling as it went back the way it came, although this
time I couldn't see it at all. (Phil M)
Friday 5th
October 2007 King Gorge VI Park Ramsgate
An 8 am visit this
morning delivered a couple of Firecrests along with a few
Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests. (Scott)
Thursday 4th October
2007 at North Foreland
At North Foreland this morning: - a Marsh Harrier
arrived in off the sea from the NE at 08:05, a Greylag Goose headed S
offshore. Overhead a few Swallows, Reed Buntings, Siskin
and a couple of Skylarks, and in the bushes a few Chiffchaffs.
(Simon Mount)
Thursday 4th October
2007 at North Foreland
An early morning stroll
around the area produced 2 Marsh Harriers moving North and a steady
trickle off Swallows south.10 Siskin and a few Chiffchaffs
around Port Regis were the only other birds worth mentioning. (Rae Boulden)
Thursday 4th
October 2007 Newland's Farm area
Work has played havoc with my birding since I returned
from Corfu. I've recorded a few bits in the last couple of weeks, yet missed
out on any decent local birding. A Yellow-browed Warbler
was heard calling from the gardens by Broadstairs Cricket Ground (26th Sept)
and good numbers of Fieldfare & Redwing
have been noted on a couple of dates. I disturbed a roosting Ring
Ouzel on Monday, 1st Oct, as I walked across to Sericol in the
darkness of a 06.00 hrs start. Chaffinch, Reed
Bunting and Swallows have also been present in
decent numbers over and around the fields and hedgerows. My walk home,
today, resulted in me finding another Ring Ouzel. I rushed
home for my digi-scoping gear and met up with Frank. Together we returned to
get a few flight views and some distant perched sightings, but pics were not
possible. A Redwing posed atop of a hawthorn by way of
compensation. (Dylan)
Thursday 4th October
2007 Pegwell Bay
It was a nice afternoon so
I decided to pop down for the incoming tide in the evening. I had a quick
look around the hoverpad where there was a Wheatear, 2
Chiffchaffs, and 2 Goldcrests. There was also an adult
Mediterranean Gull and a Little Gull amongst the Gull flock in
the ploughed field on the Farm. Afterwards I set up on the country park to
wait for the tide to come in. At about 4.30 I was told there had been a
Crane hanging about all day but it had flown off a hour or two before.
There were lots of birds on the tide so I took a few counts of the Gulls,
waders and wildfowl etc which were: 15 Cormorant, 6 Grey Heron,
10+ Little Egret, 21 Brent, 41 Shelduck, c50 Mallard,
2 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 2 Pintail, 29 Wigeon, 720
Oystercatcher, 7 Bar-tailed Godwit, c60 Snipe, 17
Sanderling, 100+ Dunlin, 20+ Knot, 4 Curlew Sandpiper,
1 Little Stint, 280 Curlew,1 Spotted Redshank, 2
Greenshank, 310 Golden Plover, 180 Lapwing, 90 Grey
Plover, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 200+ Common Gull, 30
Lesser BB Gull, 6 Sandwich Tern etc. I also saw Kingfisher
on quite a few occasions - I seem to see Kingfisher every time I go down
recently so presumably there are 1 - 2 hanging around? They are usually
quite scarce away from the Hoverport and Harbour and in the days when I used
to watch the Bay area regularly I would only see Kingfisher on only a
handful of occasions in a whole year. There were 150+ Linnets and a
couple of Chiffchaff on the country park plus the evening pre roost
flyover stuff included 20+ Meadow Pipits, a few Pied Wagtails,
1 Grey Wagtail and a record area count of Ring-necked Parakeets
with 99 north over the Country Park and another flock of 30 over Cliffsend
when I left at 6.20. At 5.50 the Crane appeared from the n/west flew
around for about 3 - 4 minutes calling its head off before landing across on
the point. It was an adult bird. Just before I left it flew across the river
(it was high tide at the time) and landed in the close saltmarsh just south
of the car park. This was a bit annoying as I had tried to take some photos
of it at long range across the river but had packed all my gear away by
then. I would have got some half decent images had it landed there first
when the light was better. (Phil M)
Thursday 4th October
2007 Ramsgate to Dumpton Gap
A quick look at King
George VI Park (8.45 to 9.15) produced very little on the deck but a few
birds moving South overhead; 70 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 15
Goldfinch, c20 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling and a couple of
Skylarks. At Dumpton Gap there were 2 or 3 Pied Flycatchers in
the school grounds plus 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2
Goldcrest, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over heading
north. (Nick Lever)
Thursday 4th October
2007 Ramsgate Cemetery & Dumpton
A quick look around the
Cemetery after lunch I was rewarded with a flock of mixed Tits including
1 Coal Tit all
down in the
South/West corner amounts them was 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest
and 1
Firecrest, as I moving on round the west side 3 Siskin drop in
the top of the trees then few west, as I continued my walk I observed
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, and good numbers of Jay's
and Ring-necked Parakeets one Sparrowhawk few over heading west, on my return
home I noticed a small flock of Goldfinches with the Greenfinches,
Blue Tits and Great Tits in my trees (Gadget)
Wednesday 3rd October
2007 Ramsgate / Pegwell
I cycled along the West
Cliff to Little Cliff's End Farm between 8.45 and 10.15. c450 Swallows,
5+ House Martin, 3+ Sand Martin, 1 Brambling, 3 Reed
Bunting, 1 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrest, 1
Stonechat, c40 Redwing, 14 Brent Geese flying North and
an adult Little Gull feeding on a ploughed field at the Farm. (Nick
Lever)
Wednesday 3rd October
2007 Minnis Bay
Derek and I had a walk
from Shuart down to the Stables and part-way along the railway embankment.
Whilst watching a Yellow-browed Warbler along the railway embankment
we had a Long-billed Dowitcher fly over to the north-west calling
persistently, but without stopping, which rather distracted our attention!
Other bits included 1 Hobby, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 10
Blackcaps, c100 Siskin, W, 2 Redpolls W, 12
Brambling, 30 Chiffchaffs, 1 Shoveler, 12 Wigeon, 8
Gadwall, 3 Fieldfares, 20 Redwings, 3 Snipe, 1
Wheatear, 12 Golden Plovers, 1 Kingfisher, and 8
Stonechats. (Tim H)
Wednesday 3rd October 2007 Foreness area
Foreness, North Foreland and Northdown Park between
07.15 and 11.30 today turned up: 2 Grey Heron, 3+ Sparrowhawk,
c500 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin, 150+ Redwing, 2 Ring
Ouzel, 1 Fieldfare, 10 Grey Wagtail, 1 Whinchat,1
Stonechat, 4 Wheatear, 120 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark,
3 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler, 18 Chiffchaff, c10+
Goldcrest, 4 Firecrest, c80 Chaffinch, 8 Brambling,
c90 Linnet, 220 Goldfinch, 34 Redpoll, 55 Siskin,
19 Greenfinch and c20 Reed Bunting. (Phil M)
Tuesday 2nd October
2007 Foreness area
Lots of birds about today
- mainly Hirundines and Thrushes but it was nice to be out amongst a bit of
proper migration at long last. The weather looked near perfect today and it
seemed like the sort of day when something good might have showed. I gave it
good go and although I didn't come across any proper rarities I did get a
nice mixed bag of common migrants. I arrived in the drizzle at 07.30 and
'stuff' included 6 probable Pink-footed Geese which flew south - seen
distantly in bad light at about 9.30,1 Pintail south, 1 Grey Heron
south, 1 Woodcock,1000+ Swallow, 2 Sand Martin east,
200+ Meadow Pipit, 20 Skylark, 1 Crossbill east, 200+
Chaffinch, a few Brambling and Redpoll, 30+ Siskin
east, 1 Grey Wagtail west, 3 Common Redstart, 1 Pied
Flycatcher, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 11 Wheatear, 40+
Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1
Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5+ Firecrest
and c12+ Goldcrest. There were also 7 Little Gulls in the
muddy field on Elmwood Farm. I left at 12.20 and there were quite a few
little flocks of birds on the move but I'd had enough by then. (Phil M)
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