Monday 6th September 2008 Pegwell Bay

I went down after dinner and after a quick scout about ended up watching the mud until 5.15pm.My counts turned up: 24 Little Egret,4 Brent,43 Shelduck,61 Mallard,1 Gadwall,2 Pintail,2 Teal, 52 Wigeon,330 Golden Plover, 370 Lapwing, 35 Grey Plover,100+ Dunlin, 2 Ruff,5 Knot, 380 Curlew,9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 590 Oystercatcher, 2 Peregrine, 170 Common Gull, 1 Mediterranean Gull,1 Little Gull,4 Sandwich Tern etc. Overhead on the move 'bits' included: 60 Swallow, 18 Skylark, 4 Siskin, 160 Goldfinch (also 50 present) and 1 Grey Wagtail. There were at least 4 Stonechat around the Country Park. There was also a juvenile Dotterel seen at some time during the afternoon. Best sighting of the day was the rare an elusive 'man in shorts' only my third ever sighting and first for 2008! (Phil M)

Monday 6th October 2008 Margate Cemetery

Spent 2 hours at midday having a mooch round. Very evident were Goldcrest in several areas total 50+ and Firecrest 2. In the west of the area nearer to the tip I noticed a stone birdbath on the left side of the path at the base of a small copse. This proved to be a magnet for the small wandering parties of crests and during a 45 minute spell attracted Blackcap 5, Great Tit 7, Blue Tit 6, Robin 3, Goldcrest 21 as well as a Yellow-browed Warbler. Overhead House Martin 27, Chaffinch 34. (Chris Solly)

Monday 6th October 2008 Margate Road Thanet

Driving to work this morning at about 10 o'clock, there was a Grey Heron standing on a TV aerial on one of the houses just up the road from The Orb. Bit unusual I thought. (Mick S)

Sunday 5th October 2008 Pegwell Bay

Did the rising tide at Pegwell again today and general numbers were very similar to yesterday with the addition of Curlew sandpiper, 2 and Little Stint, 2. The Avocets were again on the riverbank and everything was disturbed on the point - No not by kite-boarders - but a large female Peregrine showing an impressive turn of speed. (Chris Solly)

Sunday 5th October 2008 Westgate Thanet

After wasting several hours in the rain at Reculver this afternoon waiting for the wind to switch to the north I headed off to Gadget’s to pick up a tripod he had kindly fixed for me. Upon my return to Westgate at 1730 it was obvious that the wind had turned, and an hour’s seawatch until darkness at 1830 revealed an easterly movement of seabirds including 1 Leach’s Petrel, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Pomarine Skua, 24 Bonxies, 13 Arctic Skuas, 4 Little Gulls, 9 Kittiwakes and 8 Gannets. Derek Smith was watching from Reculver at this time and had, amongst other things, a Storm Petrel and a Leach’s Petrel head west off the Towers. (Tim H)

Sunday 5th October 2008 Joss Bay Thanet

Nothing much on the sea at Joss, a Long-eared Owl chased in off. (John C)

Saturday 4th October 2008 Palm Bay

Paid a very brief visit this afternoon and was surprised by the numbers of House Martins still lurking. Highlight though was an, Albino Starling mixed with the flock of usual ones. (Mick S)

Saturday 4th October 2008 Ramsgate Cemetery & Pegwell Bay

An impressive flock of 17 Jays were in the cemetery supported by a dozen each of Chiffchaff & Goldcrest with singles of Pied Flycatcher, Sparrowhawk & Redwing. The threatened gales forecasted didn't occur on the rising tide at Pegwell but the Gull roost at the point had 173 Greater Black Backs and further down the river 2 Avocet appeared. Golden Plover have risen to 280 whereas Common & Sandwich Tern has reduced to singles. Counts of the following Mallard 23, Shelduck 64, Wigeon 81, Pintail 3, Teal 2, Brent 4, Turnstone 4, Dunlin 75, Sanderling 7, Knot 35, Bar-tailed Godwits 9, Redshank 82, Oystercatcher 680, Curlew 252, Grey Plover 21, Little Egret 15, Cormorant 15, Lesser Black-backed Gulls 7, Herring Gull 24, Common Gull 1, Black-headed Gulls 41, Red- Throated Diver 1 north and half dozen of Swallow & House Martin. Lastly a Marsh Harrier flew downriver. (Chris Solly, Bob, Louise & Man - In – Shorts)

Saturday 4th October 2008 Larkey Valley Woods

For many years now the general consensus of opinion locally has been that I have long been in need of some psychiatric help? I have fought vehemently against such conjecture but as I sit here writing this twaddle I think my birding colleagues might indeed have been right all along? My change of mind in no small part was brought on by today’s decision to choose Larkey Valley as my chosen birding venue. A mid afternoon visit in gale force winds in an area famed locally as an area almost devoid of birds was surely at best misguided if not foolhardy? Perhaps even bordering on the insane? Mind you I did get a new bird for my 'year list' in the form of horribly naff views of a Treecreeper getting blown hither and thither by the minstraal force winds. 'Year list' - surely the most sacastic thing I've ever written for this website. There's more chance of me taking up bottle top collecting than keeping a year list these days - but anyway. A few Chiffchaffs plus a Coal Tit amongst a roving Tit flock was the best I got from an hours endevour in the field. On a more serious note - there was a Common Buzzard flying low over the fields opposite the Manston aerodrome just past the Manor Hutte garage near Jentex. It was more than likely to be the resident Buzzard that’s been hanging around the roundabouts up the road. It appeared as if it was going to land in the ploughed field there? (Phil M)

Saturday 4th September 2008 Minster Marshes

The first frost of the autumn greeted me as I parked the car down at the Water Treatment Works. No wind and a bright dawn was my reward for the early start and I spent a couple of hours wandering around the fishermen's carpark and the set-a-side. Quite a few Redwings were feeding on the hawthorn berries along the riverbank and a few groups of Swallows were feeding over the meadows on the Ash Levels. I counted 11 Stonechat in the riverside vegetation, as I walked towards Pluck's Gutter, and a Grey Wagtail flew overhead. Reed Bunting and Goldfinch numbers were unexpectedly high, much to my surprise. Lots of common species were recorded as I walked the circuit, always nice to see numbers of Skylark, Song Thrush, corvids and Starlings. As I returned to the car a pair of Cetti's Warbler were chasing about in the vegetation beside the track. I paused, camera at the ready, awaiting developments only to have a Reed Warbler pop up into the sallows. I have to admit that I couldn't id the bird at first glance and am very glad that I secured a few pics before it disappeared, just as quickly as it came. Other migrants noted were 1 Wheatear, 50+ Chiffchaff and 2 Blackcap. (Dylan)

Friday 3rd October 2008 Ramsgate Harbour

A pleasant afternoon stroll down to the harbour was fairly uneventful. King George VI Park was sheltering a large gathering of House Martin that were feeding in the lea of the mature trees by the cafe. The walk along the seawall was only notable because there were no birds! The harbour was more interesting, due mainly to the large numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls that were present. I located Blue C-R JH3P, a bird that has only ever been reported from Ramsgate Harbour since it was ringed in Norway (June 2005). The only adult Lesser Black-backed Gull also had a Red C-R LBZ, although I've not got the info back yet, it is most likely to come from the Orfordness, Suffolk colony. A Kingfisher, 3 Shag, 19 Cormorant, 11 Rock Pipit and a few Turnstone were almost predictable, as were the large numbers of Herring Gulls. (Dylan)

Friday 3rd October 2008 Pegwell Bay

I'd arranged to meet Barry Childs at Pegwell for the incoming tide today (I'd probably have had a look at the sea off Minnis otherwise?) and we spent about two hours in the hide watching what turned out to be very little. On the way down the resident Buzzard was showing well as it hunted off the side of the road near the Lord of the Manor roundabouts. We met a chap in the hide who said there were 4 birds hanging around at Acol (where he lives) also reporting the birds up near Margate Cemetery too which were definitely separate birds to the Acol ones. An unprecedented amount of resident birds for Thanet - certainly within living memory anyway unless your names Johnny 'Methusela' Websper - who has birds such as Great Auk and vagrant Passenger Pigeon on his Thanet list. Anyway back to Pegwell - the most surprising bird of our little vigil was a juvenile Brambling which landed on the sea wall rocks ten feet off our assembled noses! There were very few Duck (3 Pintail, 7 Teal and about 10 Wigeon) and the wader counts showed 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, 52 Grey Plover, c70 Golden Plover, 100+ Lapwing, 5 Ringed Plover, c20 Sanderling, 120 Dunlin and a single Little Stint. Other 'bits' included 2 Sandwich Tern and about 50 Goldfinch in two flocks flying north. Another bit of local birder news is that I received a post card off Peter Laslett yesterday (Oooo Arrr!) who is in the States at the moment and seems to having a lovely time across the pond by all accounts. Surely he's not taken his combine harvester with him has he? Over and out – (Phil M)

Thursday 2nd October 2008 Pegwell Bay area

The first really chilly morning of the autumn. The wind had dropped quiet a bit but the clear overhead conditions and wind direction did little to enthuse me about the chances of getting any decent birds today. I spent from 7.00ish till 9.00 dithering about the cliff, farm and hover port. I couldn't be bothered to take on the Country Park. There were a few little bits of westward migration with the emphasis on the word 'few'! Overhead stuff included 24 Meadow Pipit, 1Tree Pipit, 10+ Alba Wagtail, 65 Goldfinch,11 Redpoll, 2 Tree Sparrow and 2 Coal Tits which bunny hopped along the stunted cliff top bushes before dropping in on the farm. In the bushes I came across 5 Chiffchaff and 4 Blackcap. As I left the hover port to collect my bike for the rather lovely peddle home a Common Buzzard flew at very low level and continued south east over the hover pad and off across the mud flat. It definitely wasn't the bird that has been hanging around near the Lord of the Manor roundabout as today’s bird was much paler. (Phil M)

Thursday 2nd October 2008 Sandwich Bay area & Dumpton

I had arranged to meet up with Steve Ashton this morning at the SBBOT Field Study Centre, we had a look down the Worth track and around the estate recording area, birds noted: Bullfinch along the Worth track 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Kestrels, 5 Skylarks out over the marsh, around the estate Goldfinches, Linnets, Meadow Pipits, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, down on the beach there was a lone Common Gull, and around the farm Swallows were still feeding juveniles, on my arrival home a Robin was perched on the old spade handle at the back of the garden. (Steve Ashton & Gadget)

Wednesday 1st October 2008 Pegwell Bay

A fairly horrible day with gale force westerlys and showers. Birding was at best average other than for 3000+ House Martins which were coming in from the north of the hover pad, flying west into the wind along the cliff top and dispersing inland. The bulk of the Pegwell Hirundine movements often see birds arriving from the south and flying N/west through the bay - it's not all that often I see them moving in numbers along the cliff top anyway. Other bits included 35 Meadow Pipits west, 7 Rock Pipits,1 Wheatear,1 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 26 Alba Wagtail north,32 Siskin north and 1 Hobby. There were also lots of Goldcrests all over the place. I also watched the incoming tide seeing 10+ Little Egret, 63 Shelduck, 3 Pintail, 4 Teal, 53 Wigeon,1 Greenshank, 250 Lapwing, 200 Golden Plover, 58 Grey Plover, 160 Dunlin,15 Sanderling, 62 Turnstone and 1 Greenshank. I did have a 45 minute walk around a blown out Margate Cemetery this afternoon seeing very little except for very high numbers of Goldcrest which seemed to be everywhere. (Phil M)

Wednesday 1st October 2008 Grove Ferry

I enjoyed a wander around the Grove end of the reserve this am in blustery & sometimes wet conditions between 8 - 10:45.Some 20 Meadow Pipit were present in the paddocks to the left of the entrance track & large numbers of Teal were congregated in front of the Ramp. I didn't delay there because of the ominously approaching black clouds & sat in the David Feast Hide watching the assembled common ducks as the heavens opened for a while, 3 Spotted Redshank were amongst the throng & I remembered I had my compact digital in my bag to take a couple of hand-held 'snaps' my DSLR badly in need of a sensor clean after my recent holiday! A lone Garganey was also present. Moving on to Harrison's Hide, some 20 Common Snipe were disturbed by an unseen force, leaving the pools largely devoid of bird life. I was full of admiration for a lone White sp butterfly which battled against the elements. My return along the river produced a lone Kestrel & frequent small pockets of House Martins zipping through. (Ben Ring)

Wednesday 1st October 2008 North Foreland Area

The most common bird seen this morning was House Martins Thousands of them, most of which were heading around the coast south, where 140+ Goldfinches were heading West overland, other birds of note were 4 Wheatear, around the pumping station 40+ Meadow Pipits, 7 Pied Wagtails, 2 Grey Wagtails flying overhead going north, nothing much out at sea, and only a fewer Goldcrest noted around the area. (Gadget)