Friday 31st December 2004 Deal Pier (11.15 -
13.30 hrs)
Breakfast - cum - lunch in the Cafe on Deal Pier
allowed me to get a couple of hours sea watching, whilst Bev went for a
bout of retail therapy! A handful of Kittiwakes were mixed amongst
the Black-headed Gulls feeding around the pier. I saw my first Gannet
for several weeks along with 50+ Red-throated Diver, 3 Guillemot
and 2 Eiders. 5 Great Created Grebes drifted north on
the rising tide and about sums up the excitement for the day. A quick
check of the gulls along the beach revealed 7+ Black-headed Gulls
to be wearing BTO-type metal rings. I attempted to read one particularly discolored
ring (assuming it to be older than the shiny ones?) and got the
sequence EP 103...9. I have no idea if there is another figure's) between
the 3 & 9. I am going to contact Sandwich Obs to enquire if the EP 103
part fits any of their previously used ring codes. The trouble is that I
couldn't see if it was a BTO ring or not as it was so dirty. (Dylan)
Friday 31st December 2004 Grove Ferry (07.10 -
09.30hrs)
I arrived before sunrise in the hope of watching the
roosting swans fly off, thus have an idea where to start my search.
Even though it was still dark, the swans had already left the
reserve and I had to content myself with a stroll around to Harrison's
Drove. 2 Goldcrests were calling from the conifers by the Grove
Ferry Inn and large numbers of Fieldfare & Redwing were leaving
their roost site, in the paddock, headed for the orchards over by
Stodmarsh. Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler, Water Pipit
and Bearded Tit were all recorded as I slowly walked across to
Harrison's Drove. A distant Sparrowhawk was enough to cause panic
amongst the Lapwings and a view from the ramp, on my return walk
allowed me to add 19 Ruff and an imm Goldeneye to the
day-list. (Dylan)
Friday 31st December 2004 French
Trip Report
December
24th – 29th 2004.French
Trip
French
Trip
Friday
31st December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Arrived
about 12.00pm - Slim was already in position near
the hide and had already seen the c20 Twite flock, a Ruff
and a Spotted Redshank. I didn’t believe either sighting and
continued to humor him throughout the rest of the session. I also thought
his c80+ Teal count was probably naff - but again kept quite about
it, I got a tick today - Andy Lawson ... an ugly brute to be honest. He
turned up with King Dullard in tow - poor old Andy. Oh yeah - what did we
see bird wise? 7-8000 Lapwing, 3000+ Golden Plover, 1 Spot
shank, 2 Black-T Godwit, 1 Merlin, 1 adult Yellow-L Gull, c500 Wigeon,
1 Gadwall, c1000+ Oystercatcher and the Sandwich Tern
flew in and landed on Shellness at high tide. Well that's 2004 over and
done with and apparently I've got to put up with Slim all next year? I
dunno. (Phil M)
Thursday
30th December 2004 Grove Ferry (12.30 - 16.40)
I have had an excellent afternoon's birding at Grove
Ferry. From the ramp there were at least 4000 Lapwing and 1200 Teal
with lesser numbers of Golden Plover, Mallard, Gadwall, Shelduck
and Pintail. Two Peregrines were hunting over the reserve
creating mayhem every time they appeared, the swirling masses of Lapwings
providing a wonderful spectacle. 11 Ruff, 3 Water Pipit and
a few Common Snipe were also noted as I made my way around to
Harrison's Drove. A pair of Stonechat were perched in a Hawthorn
and a few Bearded Tits "pinged" from the reeds as I
passed. As I arrived at the Hide, a small gathering of birders told me
about a Penduline Tit that had been seen earlier in the day. I
stayed around the area until 16.30hrs and my time was not wasted. A
flock of 68 Mute Swans had 2 Whoopers for company and
another group of swans flew by containing 3 Mute and a Bewick's.
One ring-tailed Hen and 3 Marsh Harriers were seen during the
afternoon and a Little Egret flew over heading west. I got some
great views of a perched male Sparrowhawk and subsequently got a
few pics! Simon, Mark and Micky (Teen Birders inc.) said their farewells
and I remained with Ian H. in the hope that we would hear the Penduline
Tit calling prior to it going to roost. We didn't but, at 16.25hrs,
just as we were getting ready to leave a Great White Egret (or an
albino Purple Heron!) flew over. I was on it with my scope, Ian just with
his bins, and we watched the bird flying towards Seaton. The light was
horrible and I was unable to gauge the leg or bill colouration, but I am
confident that, on general appearance, it was a Great White Egret.
Ian is hedging his bets by using the word "probable". It will be
nice to have this confirmed by a sighting of Great White Egret
in the Stour Valley tomorrow. Either way, I had a great afternoon, in good
company - very much in contrast from my usual, lonely slog around Thanet!
(Dylan)
Thursday
30th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
I'm back! I popped down for the incoming tide arriving about 11.30am or
thereabouts? There was lots of Lapwing out on the mudflat - 1
counted (roughly) 13,600 birds when they flew off after getting spooked by
2 Jet-Skis with still quite a few birds still uncounted. There were
definitely in excess of 15,000 Lapwings today - with the 4400 Golden
Plovers making
quite a spectacle when they all flew. There were also c20 Twite bumming
around in front of the hide before eventually flying off and landing
across on
Shellness. Other stuff/bits: 1 Little Grebe, 7 Great Crested
Grebe, 1 Heron, 1 Little Egret, 81 Shelduck, 360 Mallard,
620 Wigeon, 15 Teal, 410 Oystercatcher, 70 Curlew,
214 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 310 Grey
Plover, 64 Ringed Plover, 70 Redshank, 248 Knot,
1190 Dunlin, 63 Sanderling and 1 Adult Yellow-Legged
Gull. (Phil M)
Thursday
30th December 2004 Seaton
GP
A change
in the weather as the temp rose to some 10oc & skies full of grey
cloud without actually raining. We decided to go to Seaton GP, arriving at
9:15am. & were afforded good views of 2 drake Smew with up to 6
Redheads in tow. The remaining birds on the Pit were dominated by Tufted
Ducks, with supporting role from Mallards, Wigeon, Shoveler,
& Coot, with a couple of Great Crested Grebe. Spotted a Goldeneye
& heard a Cetti's. A noisy gaggle of some 50 Canada
Geese flew in & probably an equal no of Mute Swan arrived a
few minutes later.
Raptor-wise, just a single Kestrel & a Sparrowhawk. A
distant drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard now & again
& some of the Ducks displayed courtship rituals – not quite Spring
yet methinks! Back at the car for11: 10am & 46 Species. (Ben
Ring)
Wednesday
29th December 2004 Oare Marshes & Grove Ferry
Another
sunny crisp day, with temps struggling above 5oC. No breeze to speak of as
we started at Oare Marshes at 10am, doing the usual East flood circuit
before nipping across the road to the West Flood Hide. Again I manage to
pick an am with the tide well down & as a result birds were well away
from us but could easily pick out numerous Redshank, Ringed Plover,
Lapwing, 5 Black Tailed Godwit, a Curlew, a Rock
Pipit, & a scattering of Dunlin. Reaching the Creek side
hide, a flock of 40 Avocet were
resting near a GBB Gull & a single Grey Plover was also
seen. A male Kingfisher hovered at several spots along the way
toward the East Flood hide. The resident flock of Twite frequently
flew around the site. East Flood had no great surprises, with Teal,
Lapwing, Wigeon, in large numbers, with a few Tufted Duck
& 6 Pintail also present. West
Flood path produced a pair of Stonechat & a flyover male Marsh
Harrier. The Hide produced a ‘gang’ of Greylag & 2 or 3
darting Water Pipit as the only ‘new’ species for the day so
far. Leaving the Marshes at 12:45, we took a haphazard route towards Grove
Ferry, trying to avoid the shopping masses & stopping for lunch,
Arriving there at 2:35pm, the light was already fading & we searched
the fields & from the hides hopeful for a reported Barn Owl which had
showed itself recently, with no success. The Ramp revealed several hundred
Lapwing, & a smattering of Teal & Wigeon. The Turf Hide had a fly past
Kingfisher as the hi-light, otherwise very few birds. Nothing from pool in
front of Harrison’s Hide! Walking back toward the car park along the
river, a flock of 50 or so Fieldfare headed toward Stodmarsh &
a Little Grebe was ‘surprised’ on the river. Finished at 4:15pm
& 54 Species. (Ben
Ring)
Wednesday 29th December 2004 Dumpton Gap to the
Western Undercliff
Our first wedding anniversary, so I could only manage
4 hours birding today. I had promised Luke, my nephew, that I would get
him a few bits from the beach to take back for his school "nature
table" hence, I did the Dumpton Gap to the Western Undercliff, via
the Harbour, walk just to make a change! A male Sparrowhawk was
hunting along West Dumpton Lane as I made my way to the beach. 2 Great
Crested Grebes were off of Dumpton Gap and I saw the first, of 7, Rock
Pipit feeding along the chalk cliffs. Small numbers of Divers were
moving south, far out at sea and there was a nice mix of common waders
along the tide line. An adult
Shag was on the pontoons in the Marina, whilst good
numbers of Herring, Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls had
been joined by 3 Lesser Black-backs and a Common Gull. A kingfisher
was perched on a mooring rope by the Seaman's Chapel. Walking along to the
Port I came across a Black-headed Gull, tangled in fishing line,
with a Stockholm ring. 2 Linnets were feeding on seed heads up on
the cliffs and I saw 2 Eiders, adult & 1st yr males feeding on
the mussel beds by the Undercliff. I returned to the Harbour in the hope
that the rising tide would bring a few more gulls in, but the only
addition was the Red-throated Diver feeding in the deep water by
the Harbour Lights Cafe. (Dylan)
Tuesday 28th December 2004 North Foreland (08.30
- 10.15hrs)
Heavy overnight rain, borne on a strong NW
wind, meant that I couldn't be bothered to kick around the bushes today.
Instead, I drove across to North Foreland for a seawatch - not the best
place on Thanet but, it does have one major advantage, I can park the car
on the cliff-top and watch through the open windows! The local Fulmars
put on a spectacular display, cruising the cliffs, soaring on the updrafts
or simply shearing over the waves. Further out at sea small numbers of Kittiwake
made light work of the conditions. Divers moved south in dribs
and drabs, 57 counted and all identifiable birds were Red-throats.
The Auks were a little more erratic with 52 birds counted, but no
particular pattern to the movement. Of those birds close enough to
allow me to identify, Guillemots predominated, just 1 Razorbill
making it into my note book. Common Scoter ( 9S + 1N), Eider
( 2F on), Shelduck ( 2N) and Great Crested Grebe ( 2N +
3 on) made up the bulk of the supporting cast. Common Gulls were
quite numerous, although I made no conscious effort to count them, as the
coasted north and several large flocks of mixed waders flew into the North
Foreland roost site as the tide started to cover their rocky feeding areas.
Mainly Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Ringed Plover; Grey
Plover, Curlew and Redshank were also recorded and
I am sure that I would have noted Purple Sandpiper if I'd paid
closer attention. A couple of Rock Pipits were around the pumping
station and a very confiding Turnstone fed on the cropped turf
in the shelter of the car. (Dylan)
Monday 27th December 2004 Pegwell & Seaton
Pegwell
1 Jack Snipe, 70 Snipe, 2 Spotted Redshank, 18 Twite,
Seaton
Pits 7
White-Fronted Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 7 Smew, 1 Goldeneye,
1 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Grey Wagtail, 1 Kingfisher, Green
Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, (Francis
Solly)
Monday 27th December 2004 Ash Levels
With
the temp struggling to go above freezing we enjoyed another very cold but
sunny walk 9am – 1:30pm. A good deal of frost remained on the road &
in the fields as we took a rather haphazard route down Goldstone Drove
towards the Stour then cut back across very ploughed fields (the footpath
obliterated) on the Ash Levels to Goldstone. Many of the streams &
dykes remained frozen over. We then headed to Brooke St & our usual
Patch.
Large numbers of Thrushes throughout the walk, predominately Fieldfares,
& numerous Blackbirds, with much lesser Song & Mistle
Thrushes. Spotted only one Redwing. A single Green
Sandpiper shot along a dyke at our arrival near Lower Goldstone
orchards. Raptors numbered 5 Kestrel & a fem Sparrowhawk.
Many hundreds of Lapwings, in flocks of 50 or so spread in fields
around the Levels & over toward Richborough. A group of 4 Curlew
were seen with one of the flocks on a flooded field. In spite
of the cold there were still insects around & good that this natural
food was evident – many of the berry trees looked to have taken a caning
from the Thrush fraternity. A Green Woodpecker flew along the edge of Ash Rec, as
we turned toward home with 46 Species –nothing special but a
smashing winter’s day walk. (Ben Ring)
Monday
27th December 2004 Reculver & Marshside
A wonderfully crisp, clear, winters' morning, we drove
across to Chamber's Wall to have a walk around the area. A female Marsh
Harrier was spotted, as soon as we parked the car, with a 2nd bird
noted later. Fieldfare, Redwing and Blackbirds were
very conspicuous along the track that leads to the railway line. Good
numbers of Skylark and Meadow Pipit were noted as we made
our way across to the seawall at Coldharbour Lagoon, where a pair of Stonechats
were feeding in the shelter of a Hawthorn. We also flushed 4 Red-legged
Partridges from the side of the path! A fantastic flock of 450+ Brent
Geese were present on the fields with several large groups of Lapwings
overhead. The walk to the Oyster Farm revealed very little, just 6 Shelduck
and a few Cormorants, moving westwards, out at sea. Bumping into
Chris Gibbard, we then continued our circuit. A Lapland Bunting was
heard when a Sparrowhawk flushed the large numbers of Meadow
Pipits, Skylarks, Starlings and Reed Buntings from the
rough area at the western end of the complex. Our walk back to the car
allowed us to note a great many more winter Thrushes, feeding on
the berries along the railway line, plus a nice flock of 50+ Linnets.
On our way back home, 61 Mute Swans were counted at Marshside
and a Peregrine was being mobbed by 2 Lapwings as we drove
past Manston airport. (Gadget & Dylan)
Sunday 26th December 2004
Stodmarsh at Dusk
6 Marsh Harrier, 3 Hen Harrier, 2 Bittern,
3 Water Pipit, 1 Barn Owl, also observed Cetti's, Bearded
Tits, Water Rail, Kingfisher etc, (Francis Solly)
Sunday 26th December 2004 Ebbsfleet &
Minster Marshes
Could not locate the Geese this morning at
Ebbsfleet but did observe good numbers of Lapwings, Golden
Plover also a few Black-headed Gulls, I counted 18 Skylarks
on the old potato field, Onward to Minster once over the railway crossing
and down to the Sewage works,
the numbers were down on Fieldfares & Redwings, but up on
Blackbirds, 20 + Long-tailed Tits, 3 Blue Tits,2 Chiffchaff,
3 Robins, 5 Pied Wagtails, 1 Cetti's Warbler on the
way back 2 Yellow Hammers, 2 Redshank, 2 Little Grebes, 8 Moorhens, and
1 Hen Harrier, a very nice Morning. (Gadget)
Sunday 26th December 2004 Pyson's Road
A bright, crisp day and a quiet stroll over the
fields to Pyson's Road was about all I could manage. 86 Lapwings
were sheltering from the icy wind in the furrows of the recently ploughed
field. A couple of Redwings were new arrivals by the farm as
were the 3 Meadow Pipits I flushed from the cabbages near the Old
Rose Garden. Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes remain the only
species taking advantage of the berry-fest at Pyson's Road and just 5 Goldfinches
today, feeding under the alders. Plenty of common species scratching
about the gardens and hedgerows, but nothing much to get excited about!
(Dylan)
Saturday 25th December 2004 Fields behind my
house Dumpton Thanet
In need of some fresh air, I decided to have a walk
over the fields behind my house in Dumpton, there was not much going on
bird wise just a few bit around the farm, 1 Kestrel, 8 Parakeets,
2 Mistle Thrushes, 5 Blackbirds, 1 Jay, 2 Blue Tits,
7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Goldcrest, 80+ mixed flock of Pigeons,
30 Crows, walking back over the field towards home a Peregrine
overhead heading west, a nice walk on a beautiful day. (Gadget)
Saturday 25th December 2004 Pegwell &
Ebbsfleet
4 Whooper Swan west through Pegwell, 1 Slavonian
Grebe, 2 Jack Snipe,1 Woodcock, 3 Bullfinch, 1 Chiffchaff.
Also the Geese are still at Ebbsfleet Sevenscore Thanet, (Francis
Solly)
Saturday 25th December 2004 Pyson's Road Ramsgate
I had a quick drive around to Pyson's Road early this
morning in another failed attempt at getting a Waxwing pic. No Waxwings,
hence no Christmas Day picture! A few bits around the fields included 53 Lapwings
and a nice group of 14 Goldfinches. Still the only birds munching
the berries were Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes. I did try
but, in truth, it was little more than a token gesture before the serious
stuff kicks off at mid-day - opening time at The Racing Greyhound! (Dylan)
Friday 24th
December 2004 Pyson's Road Ramsgate
There were two Waxwings in Pyson’s Road,
Broadstairs this afternoon (ca.1300) but I could not find them later. (Martin
Sutherland)
Friday 24th
December 2004 Pyson's Road Ramsgate
2 Waxwings, Pyson's Road in the ‘Bookers’ area. (F Solly)
Friday
24th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Stayed between 10.00 and 12.15pm.A few bits included 1 adult Yellow-Legged
Gull,3 Ruff, c4000 Golden Plover,c5000 Lapwing, 4
Black-T Godwit, The Sandwich Tern, 2 Eider,
500+ Wigeon,1 Gadwall, 6 Teal plus there was a Little
Grebe offshore. A trickle of Divers offshore (37 south 2 north)
plus 6 Great Crested Grebes south. (Phil M)
Friday 24th December 2004 Dumpton to Ramsgate Harbour
The sun is shining and just a
few hours until the majority of the Thanet populous submerge
themselves in another Festive Season, masquerading as a Christian
celebration. Don't worry - I'll be doing my bit to uphold this annual
madness! Not much to report today, as I've got my instructions to make
sure the bungalow is spotless ahead of the invasion by the Bunclark clan
(Bev's mob!). Two Sparrowhawks have been causing a stir over West
Dumpton Lane and I saw the tattiest Waxwing ever, when I flushed it
from a pyracantha bush along Montifiore Avenue. Ramsgate was absolute
mayhem but enlivened by a flyover Grey Wagtail. A quick peruse of
the Harbour resulted in a Herring Gull attempting to amputate a
finger as I fed it with a bit of my pasty - so much for goodwill to all at
Christmas! Nice group of Long-tailed Tits by the entrance to King
George VI Park and the usual mix of Parakeets, Starlings and
Blackbirds also present. I would like to personally thank all the
visitors to www.planetthanet.org.
We will have passed ONE MILLION hits
by the time you read this, so once again many thanks for your support and,
on behalf of Gadget and myself, would like to wish you al that you wish
yourselves over the festive period and hope that you have a prosperous and
bird filled 2005. Happy Christmas! (Dylan)
Thursday
23rd December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour
Had to do a spot of Chrissie Shopping so, like all good birders, I took
my bins, scope and camera, just in case! Ramsgate was horrendous but,
thankfully, the harbour was excellent. Plenty of gulls to scrutinise,
sadly none with colored rings. 2 adult Shags (1 with a metal
ring!) were on the pontoons with 7 Cormorants and a Kingfisher perched
on the centre wall allowing me to get a couple of images before whizzing
off towards the Lifeboat station. Stuart Cotton had twice e-mailed me
about a diver sp. he had seen in the Harbour. Today I found
it, a smart winter plumaged Red-throated Diver and another addition
to the photo-challenge, cheers mate. A couple of Rock Pipits,
plus the usual mix of Turnstones and Sanderlings, were
scratching about the tide line. I was just pleased to be out in the
sunshine. As for Christmas shopping - Bah - Humbug!! (Dylan)
Thursday
23rd December 2004 Pegwell Bay
I didn’t fancy going out today but after a couple of hours boredom set
in so I popped down for an hour. The sun was shining and it turned out to
be a really good little session. I arrived about 10.15am and after a few
scans back and forwards along the tide line on the dropping tide I picked
up a stunning Caspian Gull which showed well for over half an hour.
At 11.00am I found another - I at first thought it was a sub adult as it
had a sub terminal band on its rather substantial bill (this bird was much
bigger than the first bird) but after watching it flap a few times I was
sure it didn’t have any juvenile wing coverts - so it was probably a 4th
year bird. Apart from the bill the bird was in otherwise adult plumage
with flesh/pink legs rather than the obvious lemon yellow legs the first
bird was showing. The second bird was
still present in front of the bird hide when I left about 11.25am.I still
find Caspian Gulls exciting for some reason - the make me laugh
with their
restless, ungainly wandering around pecking at everything behavior -
fantastic birds. There were quite a lot of large Gulls in the Bay today
for a non evening tide. I found at least 3 Yellow-Legged Gulls in
amongst the throng - 2 stunning adults and a 1st winter which showed
really well in the stunning light we had this morning. A single Snow
Bunting flew into the Bay from Shellness plus to cap off a good
morning there was a Slavonian Grebe in the river mouth at 11.10am -
a good bird for Pegwell and easily rarity of
the day. The Duck/Wader counts turned up1 Brent, 46 Shelduck,
130 Mallard, 840 Wigeon, 10 Teal, 1075 Oystercatcher,
5 Black-T Godwit, 181 Bar-T Godwit, 5940 Golden Plover,
286 Grey Plover, 6300 Lapwing, 260 Knot, 56 Sanderling,
950 Dunlin etc. (Phil M)
Wednesday 22nd December 2004 Ebbsfleet &
Sandwich Bay
On a day when only an idiot would go birding, I was
that Muppet! My travels started with a brief pause at Ebbsfleet, but no
sign of any geese today. I then drove over to Sandwich Bay and spent a
very damp, yet surprisingly enjoyable couple of hours wandering about the
Estate. I popped my head inside the SBBOT to wish the staff seasons
greetings, then on with my walk. There was a nice mixed flock of 35+ Redwing,
14 Blackbird and a lone Fieldfare feasting on the Hawthorns
by the "Toll Gate" and sitting out the driving rain was a large group
of Lapwing and Golden Plover (450+ birds) looking very
miserable amidst the sheep by the Royal St. George's Club House. The
Restharrow Scrape was almost deserted, but 3 Teal were sheltering
in the lea of an island and were just what I had hoped for. We still
needed a picture for the photo challenge! I duly obliged. An Oystercatcher,
2 Redshank and a Spotted Redshank were also seen from the
small hide. The Spotted Redshank stayed just long enough to
allow me to focus my scope before flying off back towards Worth
Marshes, calling loudly as it went. I continued across to the Yacht
Club and the sea. Skylarks were quite numerous, as were Starlings,
but Meadow Pipits numbered just 3. Not much to look at out at sea,
just a single adult male Eider flying north into the gloom. I did
get a, most unexpected, year tick when I found a Slavonian Grebe
amongst the small group of Great Crested Grebes just off shore from
the Estate. I completed my circular stroll, noting 2 Little Grebes
and 2 Coots on the North Stream and a rather bedraggled Kestrel
perched on a telegraph pole by the Green Wall footpath. 2 Great
Spotted Woodpeckers were calling to each other from either side
of the road as I arrived back at my car.
(Dylan)
Tuesday 21st December 2004 Dumpton to
Broadstairs
I walked from Dumpton to Broadstairs in another
unsuccessful attempt at finding some Waxwings. Plenty of other bits to see
as I wandered around and it's surprising just how many gardens have well
stocked feeding stations at this time of year. Very good news for the
common species that make up 95% of the Thanet birdlife. My walk
then continued along the beach to Ramsgate Harbour and the Western
Undercliff beyond. The tide was falling and good numbers of gulls
and common waders were noted. A flock of 9 Linnets were feeding on
the chalk cliffs at Dumpton Gap with another group of 11 seen by the Port
entrance. 2 Great Crested Grebes were on the glassy sea off of
Winterstoke with another seen, flying north, earlier. Fulmar
activity was very noticeable around their main nesting sites, high up on
the chalk ledges. 3 Rock and a single Meadow Pipit were
along the seawall near Dumpton with 20+ Pied Wagtails spread about
the various beaches and car parks. The Harbour contained nothing
unexpected, so I continued on past the Port and gave the waders a scan
from the undercliff walk-way. One, of the two, Grey Plover had a
BTO-type metal ring, as did a Black-headed Gull near the Casino! A Purple
Sandpiper fed on the edge of the mussel bed amongst a nice mix of Turnstone,
Curlew and Oystercatcher. An immature male Eider was on
the sea and caused a little confusion in the rapidly increasing gloom.
Only when I viewed it through my scope was its' true id revealed. Nothing
much else to report. A small group of Goldcrests were in the park
besides Madeira Walk, but the most notable occurrence of the day was
a dead Great Black-backed Gull with a Norwegian ring. I've
sent the details to Nils Lorentzen, so expect to get the information back
quite quickly. (Dylan)
Monday 20th December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour
& Seaton Gravel Pits
What joy to be out and about in the sunshine! A
leisurely day started with a check of Ramsgate Harbour for a
diver sp. that had been reported to me on Sunday evening. Hoping that it
was going to be the Great Northern, returning for a second year, I
gave the Marina and pontoons about half an hour but met with no success.
All the usual suspects were on display, but the tide was wrong for big
numbers of gulls, so I admitted defeat and headed off to Ebsfleet.
The goose flock was still present on the old potato field. 39 Pink-feet,
2 adult Whitefronts and the 3 "rossicus" Bean Geese
all present and correct. As the sun was shining, I attempted to get some
pics of the two rarer species and got some half decent record shots. The
photo shoot came to an abrupt end when the geese were flushed by a Marsh
Harrier at 10.50hrs. I had promised Bev that I wouldn't be out
all day, but as the weather was so fantastic; I drove across to Seaton
Gravel Pits. The road from Preston to Grove was alive with Fieldfares
and Redwings feeding on the vast berry crop of the roadside
Hawthorns. Parking by the gate, I walked across the field to the main pit.
Masses of common ducks were dominated by Wigeon, yet I also noted
good numbers of Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck
alongside 3 Smew (1 male & 2 redheads) and a solitary female Goldeneye.
Surprisingly, there were no Ruddy Ducks! Great Spotted
Woodpeckers called from the woods and I saw/heard 5 Chiffchaffs
as I walked around. A Cetti's Warbler "ticked" from the
dense vegetation whilst a Kingfisher flashed past closely followed
by a Sparrowhawk! A superb adult Peregrine caused havoc as
it chased a Wigeon over the North Pit and I was pleased to find 6 Whitefronts
amongst the 300+ Greylags grazing on the water meadows. A Green
Sandpiper and 3 Redshanks were flushed by a couple of walkers,
affording me great views as they flew along the Little Stour. There were
at least 6 Little Egrets around the complex, with several Goldfinches,
a pair of Stonechats and a confiding Grey Wagtail all-adding
to my enjoyment. It's great to get back to normal. (Dylan)
Monday 20th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
A short early afternoon session turned up: 3 Divers north, 1 Little
Egret, 12 Brent, 73 Shelduck, 560 Wigeon, 1 Eider
sth, 1 Peregrine, 610 Oystercatcher, 1 Black-Tailed
Godwit, 810 Lapwing, 3460 Golden Plover, 1060 Dunlin,
1330 Herring gulls plus the Ebbsfleet Geese flock (39 Pink-feet,
2 White Front, 3 Tundra Beans) flew west over the bird hide
at 2.10pm. (Phil M)
Sunday
19th December 2004 Ramsgate & Pegwell
I tried valiantly to set up on the East Pier at 7.30am but after getting
hit by many waves gave up without having a single scan over the sea. I
started to move north to find some shelter out of the stiff n/easterly.
First stop - too windy so I moved on. Second stop - a whirlwind of sand!!
Third stop - too windy and a whirlwind of sand with the odd beer can (I'm
not joking) and bits of rubbish. I trod on the beer-can as I so wrongly
thought if it was squashed flat the wind might not blow it around.
Didn’t make a happence worth of difference!! Forth stop - not too windy
and no whirlwind of sand or rubbish to contend with - though I did push my
bike wheels through a rather impressive doggy dooh at this site!! Anyway -
I hadn’t thought about the lack of overhead shelter at the forth
attempted watching point and hey presto no sooner had I got settled in -
the heavens opened - so I thought to myself "Stuff this" packed
away my gear and cycled to Pegwell!! Well let’s face it I gave it a good
go! I had tried 4 spots within a quarter of a mile of the east Pier by the
time I had packed it in. Anyway in the time I had spent there I saw: 2 Brent,
7 Eider, 138 large Auks, 14 Divers and circa 50 Kittiwake
all flying south. That said there didn’t seem to be much going on
when I left though there were bits and pieces offshore at long range. It
was 'horrible at Pegwell too - every slot in the hide had a freezing cold
gale blowing into it. I endured about an hour of freezing cold boredom
there
seeing 5 Brent, 650 Wigeon, 1 Diver south, 5 Black-Tailed
Godwit, 4100 Golden Plover, 3600 Lapwing, 1 Peregrine,
610 Great BB Gull, 20 Lesser BB Gull and there were 3 Snow
Bunting across on Shellness Point - the first Ive seen all month.
(Phil M)
Saturday
18th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Spent the afternoon viewing the local birdlife. Yawn! Anyway - a flock of
45 or 46 Pink-footed Geese flew n/west at 2.00pm - perhaps we
miscounted
and it was the Ebbsfleet group of 39 Pink-Feet, 3 Beans and
2 White Fronts? That said they all looked like Pink-Feet to
me? The only other bit of interest was one of those "Omissus"
Herring Gulls (yellow-legged Argentatus), which showed
well on the incoming tide. Other bits included: 1 Little Egret, 50+
Divers flew north, 1 Brent Goose, 35 Shelduck, c220 Mallard,
1180 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1+ Merlin,
1 Peregrine, 1060 Oystercatcher, 160 Curlew, 232 Bar-T
Godwit, 3 Black-T Godwit, c3000 Lapwing, 3200 Golden
Plover, 360 Grey Plover, 200 Knot, 1050 Dunlin,
31 Sanderling, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Goldcrest plus
roosting movement contained 100+ Meadow Pipits, 30 Pied wagtail and
3 Grey wagtail. (Phil M)
Friday 17th December 2004 Garden Dumpton Thanet
Just a few bits from the kitchen window today. Single
Kestrel, Merlin and Sparrowhawk over the fields towards
Newland's Farm whilst a Starling with a BTO-type ring has visited
our bird table for the 2nd day running. A note from yesterday - I saw a
small flock (6 ish) of Waxwings in a tree along Ramsgate Road at
13.55hrs as I was taking Bev into Broadstairs. Unfortunately, I was unable
to relocate them some 15 minutes later when I returned, with Gadget, to
attempt to get some pics! (Dylan)
Thursday 16th December 2004 Whiteness &
Foreness
2 Slavonian Grebes on the sea off Whiteness
this morning plus 30 Great Crested Grebe. The usual 3 adult Med
Gulls and 4 Stonechats at Foreness and the daily tricle of Divers
moving east continues. (F Solly)
Thursday 16th December 2004 Ebbsfleet &
Minster Marshes Thanet
We had
arranged to meet up and go across to Seaton Gravel Pits, however, the
weather was awful so we ended up back down at Ebbsfleet looking at the
geese. Despite the lousy light and the flock being right on the horizon,
we managed to pick out the 3 "rossicus"
(Tundra) Bean and 2 adult White-fronted from amongst
the 30+ Pink-footed Geese present this morning. Noting that large
numbers of Skylarks were also present on the field, we then decided
to drive over to Minster and walk the track from the Railway Station to
the Sewage Farm. Berry laden Hawthorns lined the route and had attracted
large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare. These winter
thrushes put on a spectacular display as we walked along the lane. One Fieldfare
was even heard singing - a very unusual occurrence in the UK. We
noted 3 parties of Long-tailed Tits around the area with Chaffinches,
Greenfinches, Meadow Pipits and a few Goldcrests
keeping the interest going as we arrived at the fishermen's carpark.
Plenty of Moorhens around the dykes with 3 Cormorant and 1 Little
Grebe along the River Stour. A Sparrowhawk flushed from the
hedge where a single Chiffchaff was sheltering from the steady
drizzle. Pied Wagtails could be heard calling from within the
fenced section of the Sewage Farm and a Cetti's Warbler sang from
dense cover nearby. Plenty of Blackbirds skulked in the bushes and
a small flock of Mute Swans were feeding out on the fields. A lone Redshank
flew over as we made our way back towards the car and we were treated to
another display by the Redwings and Fieldfares as we
disturbed them from their chosen Hawthorn bushes. The sight and sound of
swirling masses of these winter visitors is wonderful, if they were rare
I'm sure birders would make more of an effort to look at them.
They really are handsome birds and always worth a second glance. Large
numbers of Jackdaws were flying around Minster Church as we got
back to the car and, in spite of the rain, we had enjoyed a very pleasant
morning.(Gadget & Dylan)
Wednesday
15th December 2004
ROOSTING
WADERS
HIGH
TIDE COUNTS OF ROOSTING WADERS AROUND THE THANET COAST
Wednesday
15th December 2004 Pegwell & Ebbsfleet
Popped down Pegwell in the morning for the incoming tide. Lots of birds
but nothing too exciting though the Sandwich Tern showed up for the
first time in over 2 weeks. Otherwise we had to make do with 4-5000 Golden
Plover, c2000 Lapwing, 2 Avocet, and 2 Black-T
Godwit etc. There were also 6-700 Wigeon offshore and 3 Shoveler
on the garage pools as I left. I went down to Ebbsfleet in the early
afternoon (1.30pm) to meet Dullard who had kindly offered to meet me there
with a book I had ordered from SBBOT headquarters. He's still a Dullard
but nowadays I like to think of him as a "useful Dullard".
It’s better and far more complimentary than just plain old
"Dullard" if you think about it? The 39 Pink-Footed Geese
were on the grassy field where they were the other day plus a bonus 3 Rossicus
Bean Geese plus 2 White-Fronted Geese on the muddy field
opposite. The Beans flew across the road and joined the White-fronts
at 2.00pm.Good numbers of Fieldfare in the hawthorns beyond the Pink-Feet
plus quite a few Skylarks and Stock Doves in the muddy
field. I did pop back into Pegwell on the way home and stayed until
3.15pm.Little other than 6000+ Lapwing across on the sampher though
the tide was still high at that time. (Phil M)
Wednesday 15th December 2004 Oare Marshes
A
day off so headed for Oare Marshes for a rare excursion, arriving at
7:45am just at daybreak. Very overcast, with the odd spot of rain. Feeling
a lot colder than the 9oC quoted by the car temp gauge, due to an icy
breeze. The tide was at its lowest point so a lot of the birds were at
some distance. Numerous Redshanks probing
the mud, & the odd Curlew (aren’t
they all!) in between. Several hundred Lapwings lined the water’s
edge. A single Common Snipe haphazardly flew overhead as I arrived
at the end of the ‘wall’ walk. Scanning the mouth of the estuary by
the first hide I was ‘treated’ to some 40 Avocet – this flock
was at least doubled in size shortly after as a similar size flock flew up
the creek to join them. Who needs to go to Minsmere! Aside from them,
there were the usual Shelduck & assorted common Gulls
(BH, Common, Herring) & the occasional Cormorant
flying over. A small party of a dozen Brent Geese also present. I
disturbed a Kingfisher by the sluice gate.
Spotted
4 Little Egret on my walk around, these being given plenty of
exercise by, firstly, 2 ‘Action Men’ presumably after Wildfowl &
their gundog (if you want to shoot stuff, go to Iraq!!) – the latter
having great fun diving in & out of the reeds, somewhat alarming the
Little E. 3 ‘Henrietta’s’ swiftly followed Rambo accompanied
by their equally obnoxious pooches. Aah, the joy of the countryside &
nature’s peace – no chance. Make’s you wonder what damage is done by
these ‘hounds of hell’ during the breeding season – why aren’t
they kept on leads? Stodmarsh & Grove similarly.
The
‘second’ hide by the East Flood produced large numbers of Teal,
Wigeon, the odd Tufted & 2
Bar Tailed Godwits. The nearby excavation work seemingly forcing
the birds into a smaller area as the roadside waters were deserted, save
for a couple of hardy (deaf?) Moorhens.
The West Flood was much quieter with a few Wigeon, Greylags,
& Rooks. There was however, a nice m & f Stonechat by
the path to the hide. Back along the road to the car park & the
aforesaid excavation work had churned up a large slick of black mud, much
to the obvious delight of 10 or so Pied Wagtails, a foraging group
of Twite & Greenfinch, & a solitary Goldfinch.
A nice way to finish the walk & back in the car at 10:45am.47 Species
(Ben Ring
Tuesday 14th December 2004 Old Park
Canterbury
Went out a second time this evening to try and find
and photograph the albino grey squirrel I'd seen earlier. Didn't find
it this time, but a Peregrine over the city was nice as I
climbed up the hill. The roost of Magpies in the
woods had increased (or my vantage point was better), with 81
counted. Other usual suspects (Great Spotted
and Green Woodpecker, two flocks of c. 30 Woodpigeon
and Redwing and Blackbird etc)
Finally 1 Woodcock flying around at dusk on the
hilltop (Dan Chaney)
Tuesday
14th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Watched the incoming tide today. Lots of waders included 8 Avocet,
245 Bar-T Godwit, 2 Black-T Godwit, 285 Knot, 4000+ Lapwing
and 5200 Golden Plover plus there was another Caspian Gull
today - probably an advanced 2nd year bird that was showing well for half
an hour or so before moving off onto the Gull roost at Shellness at high
tide around 11.00am.1 adult Yellow-Legged Gull showed amongst the
loafing Gulls on the mud. I spent most of the session yakking so didn’t
see or take notice of anything else. The Pink-feet are still at
ebbsfleet apparently - also 2 White-Fronted Geese there too. (Phil
M)
Monday
13th December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour & Pegwell Bay
I started off on the east pier at 7.50am.It was gloomy with no wind though
visibility wasn’t as bad as I thought it might have been. Mind numbingly
slow with only 12 Divers and a single Auk before I left at
8.35.There was an adult Shag in the outer harbour, which flew over
the harbour wall onto the sea soon after I arrived. On the way down I saw
a huge flock of Parakeets flying west over Manston bridge - 200+
birds or thereabouts? By 9.00am I was setting up at Pegwell for the
incoming tide. No sign of yesterdays Glauc but there was an adult Yellow-Legged
Gull and an adult Caspian Gull, which was present and showing
well for the last hour of the session. A nice flock of 31 Avocets
too - a big group for Pegwell. Other bits included: 1 Little Egret,
1 Mute Swan, 710 Wigeon, 1 Pintail, 197 Bar-T
Godwit, 7 Black-T Godwit, 1520 Lapwing, 4340 Golden
Plover, 224 Grey Plover, 233 Knot and 1120 Dunlin.
(Phil M)
Monday 13th December 2004 Sevenscore
09-00hrs
44 Pink-Footed Geese
@ Sevenscore includes at least 2 White-fronted Geese, now
on opposite side of road (ploughed field) nearer to railway line. No
sign of Waxwings at Callis Court
(John W)
Sunday
12th December 2004 Waxwings
Have
only just returned from a jaunt to Wiltshire to be told that there was apathy
of at least 10 Waxwings
in
Callis Court rd yesterday (sat) close to the Rugby Club. In addition a few
? have been in Old Crossing Rd, Westbrook for several days ??
Wiltshire is
quite interesting, from the hide I had excellent views of 11 plus Great
Bustards Peregrine, Merlin, Hen Harrier,
Sparrowhawk,
Raven, Yellowhammer & Tree Sparrow.
(John W)
Sunday
12th December 2004 oiled
Gannet Please Keep you eyes open
I Know that
this is quite late but I saw an oiled Gannet
between Stone Bay and Joss bay today, just before dusk if you could
possibly report this for me, or at least tell people to look out for it in
the next few days, this would be much appreciated. I know it may be too
late but circumstances could not allow me to do anything about this
sooner. (Craig Jones)
Sunday
12th December 2004 Pegwell Bay & Ebbsfleet
I arrived on the high tide (about 12.15pm) it was quite cold with a slight
east wind blowing in off the sea with poorish visibility. Not too many
Duck offshore 64 Shelduck, c100 Mallard, 570 Wigeon a
Teal and a Gadwall though there was a 1st/2nd year Glaucous
Gull sitting in amongst 500 large Gulls across on Shellness
point. It sat out there for well over an hour before
being lost to view behind the point or on Sandwich beach? We didn’t see
it fly off anyway. As the tide dropped there were 1 Mute Swan, 740 Oystercatcher,
3500 Lapwing, 2700 Golden Plover, 240 Bar-T Godwit, 7
Black-T Godwit etc plus a large Peregrine showed up later
on. Ian Harding arrived saying he had seen a decent sized flock of Geese
off the side of the road between Sevenscore and Ebbsfleet so after we had
got bored and
cold we went and had a quick look to find 39 Pink-Footed Geese
feeding in one of the fields 200 yards off the side of the road. (Phil M)
Saturday
11th December 2004 Ash Levels
The
temperatures have been yo-yoing up & down and this morning was the
first real frost we’ve had here. It coincided with last night’s Xmas
dinner at the Smugglers at Birchington so it was a rather slow start to
the day, leaving the house at 9:15am for some much needed fresh air.
Typically, it was overcast & grey as we took a slight detour off to
Weddington rather than go through to Goldstone.
A ‘party’ of 11 Red Legged Partridge pecked around the
ploughed field near the Armstrong place & a mixed sex group of some
dozen or so Pheasants did a similar thing just off the Cop St road.
A family of Long Tailed Tits (again, about a dozen) ‘sneezed’
through the trees nearby. Both Great & Blue Tits were
also present through our walk as we proceeded towards Brooke St. A pair of
Green Woodpeckers created
at the presence of some lively dogs & their ‘vocal’ owners. Nearby
fields had large numbers of Corvids, Gulls, both Black Headed
& Common, & Moorhens. Also regular flyovers from
small groups of Mallards, heading
in no particular direction. A lone male Kestrel observed from a
leafless tree as we approached the Brooke St farmhouse & a Yellowhammer
was also seen here.
A single Little
Egret stood in the middle of the field amongst the Gulls just after
the farm. Or return to Ash was similarly uneventful aside a Great
Spotted Woodpecker & a view of 4 common species that were as close
together as you felt you could throw a net over them a Blackbird,
Song Thrush, Wren & Robin. Home by 11am.
(Ben Ring)
Saturday 11th December 2004
Pegwell Bay
Popped down for an hour in the afternoon seeing: 1 Little Egret,2 Brent,38
Shelduck,180 Malllard,790 Wigeon,2 Teal,2 Avocet,217
Bar-T Godwit,2380 Lapwing,2490 Golden Plover,179 Grey
Plover, c150 Knot, 880 Dunlin and a Stonechat.
Francis saw 2 drake Scaup offshore on the high tide - also 12 Black-T
Godwit and 24 Corn Bunting. (Phil M)
Friday
10th December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour & Pegwell
Didn’t fancy it today - and didn’t arrive at the east Pier until
10.25am!Staggeringly late! I stayed until only 11.15 seeing: 77 Diver
sp. south and 3 north, 1 Black-Throated Diver south, 20 Auks
south plus 2 Eider and 2 Mallard south. Mallards a
big gee around here on a seawatch. Into Pegwell until 1.00pmish - 1 Marsh
Harrier, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk
plus about 4000 of both Golden Plover and Lapwing on the mud
and 3 Black-T Godwit. Offshore - 710 Wigeon, 3 Pintail,
22 Teal the odd Grebe but no Sea Ostrich today. (Phil M)
Friday 10th December 2004 Viking Bay -
Broadstairs
At 13.53hrs, just as I was dropping Bev off at her
office, a skein of 39 White-fronted Geese arrived in/off at Viking
Bay. I followed them all the way to Pyson's Road before they drifted off
towards Richborough. I defy anyone to ignore a flock of wild geese, as
they pass overhead. Their calls are amongst the most evocative bird-sounds
on this planet! Otherwise it was a very grey day. (Dylan)
Thursday
9th December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour/Pegwell Bay
Started off first thing on the east Pier hoping for some Diver passage.
Conditions looked good with a nice easterly breeze coming in off the sea. I
stayed for nearly 2 hours seeing: 117 Diver sp south - 6 north, 1 Great
Northern Diver south, 1+ Black-Throated Diver south, 832 Auk
species south - 11 north, 10+ Razorbill, 9 White-Fronted
Geese south, 2 Eider south, 2 Velvet Scoter north, 56 Common
Scoter south - 2 north, (the odd Wigeon / Shelduck south) 1 Gannet
south and 5 Kittiwakes south. Most of the Auks and Divers
were seen during the first hour of decent daylight - virtually dead by the
time I left about 9.30-9.45am.I checked the west cliff before going down
to Pegwell for the dropping tide. I counted a few bits and pieces which
included: 43 Shelduck, 160 Mallard, 470 Wigeon, 3 Teal,
2 Pintail, 1 f/juv Goldeneye, 2 Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawk,
950 Oystercatcher, 153 Curlew, 223 Bar-T Godwit, 5 Black-T
Godwit, 4680 Lapwing, 3460 Golden Plover, 140 Grey
Plover, 1 Spotted Redshank, 75 Redshank, 216 Knot,
55 Sanderling, 60+ Skylark, 1 Stonechat and 12+ Rock
Pipit. (Phil M)
Wednesday 8th December 2004 King George VI Park,
Harbour
My first day out since Friday, Old St. Nick has a lot
to answer for. I left home at 08.30hrs, but it might just as well have
been mid-night! Gloomy, grey skies, with the ever present threat of
drizzle meant that there was little light and absolutely no chance of
digi-scoping! My walk to King George VI Park was none the less
enjoyable, as a chorus of bird song provided the soundtrack. Song
Thrushes were on top form, with a single Mistle Thrush adding
its' two - pence worth along Montifiore Avenue. I was far more surprised
that there were 2 Great Tits "tee-choosing" away
accompanied by Dunnocks and Robins. Apart from the
Parakeets careering across the skies like green "Exorcets",
there was very little of note around the Park. My walk along the coastal
path to the Harbour allowed me to note the increased Fulmar
activity by the Granville Hotel and also a handful of Chaffinches
coasting westwards. Ramsgate Harbour on a grey December morning, it don't
get much worse than that! 6 Rock Pipits along with the usual array
of Herring, Black-headed, Great & Lesser Black-backed Gulls were
joined by 3 Cormorants, fishing around the pontoons. Bumping into
Phil M., we exchanged news, views and pleasantries before heading off in
our separate directions. Three Kittiwakes, 2 ads & a 1st
year, were seen in the harbour directly after the Ferry docked! My route
then took me back along the beach to Dumpton Gap. A steady procession of Oystercatchers
moved along the coast towards Broadstairs and beyond, having roosted in
Pegwell Bay over the high tide. Small numbers of Turnstone, Sanderling
and Curlew were also noted along with several small groups of Pied
Wagtails. I got home around mid-day, then spent a short while
wandering around the fields towards Pyson's Road. A flock of 78 Lapwings
were gathered on a ploughed field and a small flock of Skylarks
were flying about over the cabbages. I checked the Old Rose Garden, but
there was no sign of a grey-looking Chiffchaff that I had seen
there yesterday. I am fairly sure that it was of the race
"abientinus" and nothing more. (Dylan)
Wednesday 8th December 2004 Ramsgate &
Dungeness
I went down to the East Pier in the morning - spent an hour watching the
little bit of Diver passage and another half hour chatting to the local
Hippy who came in search of Gull rings. Between 8.40 and 9.45am I saw 123
Diver species, 3 Large Auk species, 1 Razorbill, 2 Brent,
1 Gannet, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Wigeon, 6 Teal all
flying south plus 3 Purple Sandpipers north toward Ramsgate main
beach. I checked the west cliff on the way down towards Pegwell where I
saw 15 Meadow Pipits plus there were 21 Great Crested Grebes,
an Eider and 400 Wigeon offshore. We
(Josh and I) went for our normal Wednesday winter drive - ending up at
Dungeness of all places. I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go? I
can’t have been to Dunge since about 1996/7? After a quick look on the
ARC pit where there were a few Goldeneye and 45 Ruddy Duck
(Plus 2 Goldeneye, 24 more Ruddy Duck and 2 nice Long-Tailed
Duck on the pit across the road) I noticed a group of Swans off
the side of the road. In amongst 80 Mute Swans were 7 Whooper's
(4 ads and 3 juv) the first decked Whooper’s ive seen in about 10
years. I was hoping for some Berwick's/Geese but couldn’t find any but
would have swapped them all for the Whooper’s. There was also a
Male Hen Harrier hunting over the fields where the Swans were. We
stopped off at Lade on the way home. There were 29 more Ruddy Duck,
5 Goldeneye and 2 Smew - one of which was a nice Drake.
(Phil M)
Tuesday
7th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Popped down for and hour and a half in the afternoon. Very quiet - a
single Little Grebe on the Garage pools and only 2460 Golden
Plover and 1100
Lapwing sitting out on the mudflat. Quite a few Ducks
loitering (good word eh?) on the Mud that included 560+ Wigeon, 15 Teal
and 2 Gadwall. Other bits: 420 Great Black-Backed Gull, 2 Little
Egrets, 5 Brent, 6 Black-t Godwit, 940 Dunlin
and a single Hen Harrier. The Crows were feasting on the
dead Sheep that’s been washed up a couple of days ago. Gruesome stuff!
Yuk! (Phil M)
Monday
6th December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour/Pegwell bay
Popped down for a look for some Divers off the east pier in the
morning. I stayed for an hour seeing: 74 Divers south plus 5
north,25 large Auk sp south,3 Great-crested Grebe south,16
Scoter south,1 Gannet south,8 Kittiwake south plus there
was an adult Shag sitting amongst the Cormorants on the
furthermost sea wall of the ferry terminal during the whole of the
session. I came home via the west cliff where there were a few Pied
wags and a dozen or so Meadow Pipits on the grass verges. In
the afternoon I went to Pegwell. At least 3 Merlin's (1 male) a Ringtail
Hen
Harrier, Peregrine, 5 Corn Bunting,14 Black-Tailed Godwit,1
Spotted Redshank, 4490 Golden Plover and 5000 Lapwing
kept me amused for an hour or two. (Phil M)
Sunday
5th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Spent the entire afternoon (till dusk) at Pegwell seeing the following:2+ Little
Egrets,4 Brent,5 White-Fronted Geese (n/west) 2 Peregrine,1+
Merlin,1 Hen Harrier,2 Black-T Godwit,7000+ Lapwing,c5000
Golden Plover,2000 Black-H Gull,1340 Common Gull,2440
Herring Gull,2 adult Yellow-L Gull,1st w Mediterranean
Gull,1 Grey Wagtail,82 Meadow Pipit (roost) and 3+ Corn
Bunting. (Phil M)
Saturday
4th December 2004 Pegwell Bay
Stayed between 1.00pm and 4.00pm seeing: 2+ Little Egrets, 8 Brent,
16 Shelduck, 320 Mallard, 530 Wigeon, 18 Teal,
1 Pintail, 1 Hen Harrier, 3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Merlin's,
680 Oystercatcher, 121 Curlew, 10 Black-T Godwit,
c7000+ Lapwing, c4000+ Golden Plover, 1180 Dunlin,
1500 Black-h Gull, 770 Common Gull, 1060 Herring Gull,
370 Great BB Gull etc plus a few passerines included 9 Twite,
4 Corn Bunting and in amongst the southward moving evening roost
125 Meadow Pipit, 20+ Rock Pipit, 35 Pied Wagtail and
2 Grey Wagtail. (Phil M)
Friday 3rd December 2004 Pegwell bay
A generally normal day until the last hour when a few
Geese started to show plus an extremely late Richards Pipit flew
west inland with a flock of 20+
Skylarks. The Geese were - 2 Greylag present eventually off
south, then 2 Pink-Feet west followed by 4 Tundra Bean Geese
flew north at dusk. Other bits were: 1 Brent, 24 Shelduck,184
Mallard, 2 Gadwall, 720 Wigeon, 3
Shoveler, 8 Teal, 21 Pintail, 1 Pochard,1 Hen
Harrier, 2 Merlin's, 3 Black-T Godwit,190 Bar-T
Godwit, 4900 Golden Plover, 9000+ Lapwing etc. (Phil M)
Friday 3rd December 2004 Walk about
I walked across to Pyson's Road, then on to
Ramsgate/Hereson Road, hoping to find a Waxwing on the Rowan trees.
Once again, a dismal failure, just a few Blackbirds and Mistle
Thrushes for my trouble. The weather was gloomy as I made my way down
to Dumpton Gap. 3 Red-throated Divers flew south as I arrived and,
by walking along the beach, I recorded 7 Curlew, 14 Oystercatchers,
8 Turnstone, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Plover and 2 Rock
Pipits. A female/imm Black Redstart was by the base of
Winterstoke Steps, but the constant procession of dog-walkers made any
attempt a picture a complete waste of time. A mixed flock of Blue,
Great and Long-tailed Tits was by the Ramsgate Synagogue and a Sparrowhawk
circled in the gloom, high above the radio mast near West Dumpton
Lane. (Dylan)
Thursday 2nd December 2004 Foreness Point
After dropping Bev at work I headed over to Foreness
to scan through the gulls. The Belgian colour-ringed Mediterranean
(Green 3EV0) was present amongst a small group of Common &
Black-headed Gulls, but proved to be the I only one I could find. Fulmars
were patrolling the cliffs and back on their ledges whilst good numbers of
Sanderlings fed along the tide line. 3 Purple Sandpipers
were noted below the pumping station, whilst a steady stream of Red-throated
Divers moved in both directions offshore. A single Guillemot
and a few Great Crested Grebes were bout all else that was moving
so, after giving the gulls another grilling I headed home. (Dylan)
Thursday 2nd December 2004 Minster Marshes
Having enjoyed the last trip to Minster Marshes,
albeit on a "fools errand", I parked my car near the Fisherman's
carpark and walked along the Abbot's Wall. Hundreds of Redwings and
Fieldfares were in the berry laden hedgerows and a male Sparrowhawk
caused panic as it dashed across the fields from the Ash Levels. 3 Little
Egrets were seen along with 8 Stonechat and a nice assortment
of Meadow Pipits, Greenfinches, Reed Buntings and Skylarks.
I hung on until dusk, ever hopeful of an owl or two, yet nothing doing. 2 Cetti's
Warblers and 4 Goldcrests, by the Sewage Works, joined the Thrushes
and Pheasants going to roost in the dense scrub. (Dylan)
Thursday
2nd December 2004 Ramsgate Harbour/Pegwell
Popped down the east pier this morning in the hope of seeing some Diver
passage which as it happened was a complete waste of time. I stayed for
about 15 minutes seeing only one single Diver on its own with no others
with it flying north. I checked the harbour (nothing) before coming home
via the west cliff. (even more nothing!) In the afternoon I went to
Pegwell to watch the incoming tide. A female Marsh Harrier, the
male Merlin and a Spotted Redshank amongst the regular stuff
which included 6500 Golden Plover, 10520 Lapwing, 190 Grey
Plover, 205 Bar-T Godwit, 2 Black-T
Godwit and 220 Mallard, 630 Wigeon, 25 Teal
and 13 Eider offshore. At least 3 Goldcrest still in the Car
Park. (Phil M)
Wednesday 1st December 2004 Newland's
Farm & Pegwell Bay
I had arranged to meet Ray Baker, a South London
birder, in the Pegwell Bay carpark at 11.30hrs. I decided to walk from my
place, via Newland's Farm and Ramsgate Station - day listing as I went.
Hunting Sparrowhawk, allowed fantastic views by Newland's Farm and
a flyover Fieldfare and a family party of Long-tailed Tits
were noted as I walked up the footpath towards the Station. A smart adult Mistle
Thrush was on the football pitch behind Ramsgate swimming bath and
there were good numbers of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks
in the stubble as I approached Little Cliffsend Farm. Continuing on
towards the Hoverpad, all the common waders were noted with a nice flock
of Reed Buntings and a male Stonechat on the saltmarsh.
Arriving at the carpark early, I scanned the bay to see a "grey"
goose flying up from the south. It did a circuit, twice attempting to
land, but flew back in the direction it had come from. Through my scope, I
could see it was a Bean Goose showing the characteristics of the "fabalis"
or Taiga Bean Goose sub-species. Ray arrived and we spent a very
pleasant and productive couple of hours, in the company of Phil Milton.
The massed ranks of Lapwing and Golden Plover put on a marvelous
display, being constantly harried by the attention of a superb adult Peregrine.
Merlin, Black & Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Twite and 3 Little
Egret all added to my day list. We left Phil and went across to the
Western undercliff. A 1st yr male Eider was showing well and the
walk across to the Harbour allowed Ray to tick Red-throated Diver
from under the Harbour Lights Cafe. A Rock Pipit gave excellent
views as it foraged in the old dry dock. Sanderling and Turnstones
mingled with the usual array of Gulls and Cormorants, so
with the light rapidly fading, I said my farewells to Ray and went for a
pint, my day list totaled 58 species without a Song Thrush! (Dylan)
Wednesday 1st December 04 2004 Pegwell Bay
A quick session between 11.30 and 1.00pm turned up: 7 Diver sp. (5 north 2
south) 3 Little Egret, 1 imm Mute Swan, 3 Brent, 41
Shelduck, 174 Mallard,
213 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1
Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 120 Bar-T Godwit, 5 Black-T
Godwit, c5000 Lapwing, c4000 Golden Plover, 50 Redshank, 200+
Knot, 710 Dunlin, 1 Auk sp (south) and 12 Twite.
(Phil M)
Tuesday 30th November 2004 King George VI Park
& R/Gate Harbour
If only the birding could match the weather! A
"great to be alive day" today. The sun shone and the vast
majority of the Thanet populous were smiling. I walked my usual route,
noting a Sparrowhawk over Vine Close as soon as I walked out of the
door. A trickle of Meadow Pipits & Linnets moved south and King
George VI Park held the usual mix of Parakeets, Green Woodpeckers,
Blackbirds and 4 Goldcrests! I realised why I had not recorded
any Fulmars yesterday when scanning the cliffs, 12 birds were
present on the nest ledges, and 2 others were patrolling the cliff-face.
The Harbour was almost devoid of birdlife. The tide had yet to come in and
most of the gulls and cormorants were still out in the bay.
5 Rock Pipits and a Kingfisher provided the bulk of the
entertainment, with a few Turnstones, Sanderling & Pied
Wagtails for support. I continued on past the Port entrance but,
despite giving the Black-headed Gull flock a good grilling, I
failed to locate the Med Gull Phil had seen yesterday. The coastal
footpath allowed me to watch good numbers of Oystercatcher, Curlew,
Turnstone, Redshank and Grey Plover, feeding along the mussel
beds beside the approach road to the Port. By walking up the Chine, I made
my return journey along the cliff-top. Lots more Pied Wagtails but
precious little else. Another Sparrowhawk, high over Winterstoke,
looked like it was headed for France, but changed its' mind and dived back
towards Ramsgate Cemetery. A few Chaffinches around the Italian
Garden about sums up the day -just great to be out in the sunshine.
(Dylan)
