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)
Monday 29th November 2004 Ramsgate Harbour
What a relief to get back to reality today. I only
managed to get a short session around the Harbour, as my body required
sleep! The walk from the Winterstoke Steps was fairly quiet, not even a Fulmar
along the undercliff! Once at the Harbour, it was obvious that there
had been an increase in the numbers of gulls present, probably due to the
onset of the brisk North-westerly winds and the cooler conditions. There
were at least 100 Great Black-backs around the pontoons and
slipway, with a high proportion of 1st year birds confirming the
observations of a good breeding season (Nils Helge Lorentzen -
Colour-ringing project co-ordinator, Norway). I spent a good while
scanning for ringed individuals but was unsuccessful today. 17 Cormorants
were either fishing around, or loafing on, the pontoons and there was also
a very noticeable rise in the numbers of Black-headed Gulls
present, 70-ish being a fair guesstimate. Good numbers of Turnstones
and a single Sanderling foraged along the tide lines whilst a Rock
Pipit was feeding around the stowed nets on the old slipway. My walk
back allowed me to note several small parties of Pied Wagtails flying
back into Ramsgate Town Centre, presumably going to roost? Nothing much
really, but better fun than being a detective! (Dylan)
Monday
November 29th 2004 Ramsgate Harbour/Pegwell Bay
Watched the sea for 1 hour 45 mins off the East Pier prior to watching the
incoming tide off Pegwell. Just after I set up a group of 3 Black-Throated
Divers flew north reasonably close in - a good start! All downhill
from that moment on though with - another 26 Diver species, 1 Great-crested
Grebe, 4 Little Gulls, 16 Kittiwake, 14 Gannets,
large Auks, 8 Common Scoter and 2 Brent Geese. Yet
another disappointing northerly. Nothing much in the Harbour though there
was a nice adult Mediterranean Gull in the ferry terminal car park
on the way back into Pegwell. On the tide good
numbers of Knot (230) plus 910 Dunlin, 177 Bar-T Godwit,
1 Black-T Godwit etc plus 320 Wigeon and 3 nice Yellow-Legged
Gulls were pushed in by the tide. Ive had worse days. (Phil M)
Sunday 28th November no news sorry
Saturday
27th November 2004 Pegwell Bay
Watched the outgoing tide this afternoon. LOTS of Plovers as I
arrived with the tide still in - LOTS! A huge flock of mixed Golden
Plover and Lapwing across the river near the Sampher getting
spooked by 2 berks on Jet-Ski's. As the tide dropped the counts turned up
5760 Golden Plover and 9100 Lapwing but I think there were
many more lapwing on view today. Many of them flew off after all
the disturbance I think? Spectacular stuff anyway. The rest of the counts
were: 2+ Little Egrets, 25 Brent, 45 Shelduck, 74 Teal, 510 Wigeon, 780
Oystercatcher, 103 Curlew, 168 Bar-T Godwit, 8 Black-T Godwit, 180+ Grey
Plover, 13 Ringed Plover, 147 Knot, 980 Dunlin, 91 Sanderling and 30+
Snipe. The Sandwich Tern sat the high tide out on Shellness
point plus heard Twite at one point near the hide but may not have
got on them? (Phil)
Saturday 27th November 2004 Sense out of
madness?
I didn't get out birding today, instead, I followed
up a few snippets to attempt to get to the bottom of the Steppe Grey
Shrike saga. The finder,
Chester Barnes, & Dave Dowell, the original photographer, were worried
that they might have a juvenile Lesser Grey Shrike, thus alerted
KOS on the 25th November 18 Day’s after
the Bird was last seen. If it had just been a Great Grey Shrike, they wouldn't have
bothered. The subsequent events have become very distorted, but
basically, Chester found the bird (Near Westmarsh) on 5th November and
phoned Dave. Gadget & I went to Chester's house this morning, where we
saw some great images of the Shrike and heard another version of
events. Dave got some dodgy images on 6th, then returned on 7th when he
got some excellent pictures. The bird has not been seen since. That a
third party became involved, has distorted the story beyond reality.
Planetthanet.org are not about politics, so we will stay out of this. The
guy involved knows who he is! We hope he is happy with himself - can't
have many friends? There was a "pallidostoris"
Steppe Grey Shrike in Kent between 5th & 7th November 2004. It was
on private land near Westmarsh - nothing else to add. (Dylan & Gadget
- the chauffeur)
Friday
26th November 2004 Harty Ferry
It's a long story but I ended up going on yet another field trip today
somehow? We popped out to Harty Ferry - somewhere I haven’t been for 7-8
years?? Mind you nothings changed much of course. Lots of Marsh Harriers
(10+) a Hen Harrier, 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine and the Rough-Legged
Buzzard was showing virtually the whole time we were there.2 Green
Sandpiper still kicking about plus the first Red-Legged partridges
ive seen
since the ones climbed into Pegwell many years back. No Geese other than a
few Greylag and pure white farmyard things unfortunately. Thought
there might have been a few White-Fronts about by this time of the year?
(Josh 'n' Phil)
Friday 26th
November 2004 Minster Sewage W-Pluck's Gutter Abbot's Wall
We have had a fabulous mornings birding and our
thanks to Andy & Marcus Lawson and Tim Hodge for the info on a Steppe
Grey Shrike, it being the catalyst to get us in the area in the
first place. Due to the rather puzzling delay in making this occurrence
public, we didn't hold out much hope of re-locating it, but we did give it
our best shot. Once across the railway track, the lane to Minster Sewage
Farm was alive with Redwings and Fieldfares. Parking the
car, we checked the immediate area around the Sewage Farm and scanned
across the River Stour to survey the Ash Levels. A singing Cetti's
Warbler, a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, a male Stonechat
and a Curlew were all we managed. It was difficult to gauge the
numbers of thrushes, but by the time we had done the complete trip 5000+
Redwing and 700 Fieldfare would be a fair estimate. The
Hawthorn bushes are loaded with berries! The Abbot's Wall runs east -
west, following the route of the river, yet slightly inland, thus
providing a storage space for excess water during periods of flooding. The
habitat on the Minster side is mainly arable crops and contrasts with the
rough grazing and water meadows of the Ash Levels. Having said that, it is
still a wonderful place to go birding. A small patch of set-a-side
produced a nice mix of Skylarks, Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits
with two nice bonus species in the form of Jack Snipe and Short-eared
Owl. Continuing onwards towards Pluck's Gutter, an onion dump provided
feeding for a group of 14 Meadow Pipits and a splendid Grey
Wagtail. Odd Cormorants flew west towards the lakes at
Stodmarsh and Westbere, whilst a steady movement of Rooks and Jackdaws
went south. 29 Mute Swans were feeding on some fields to the north
and a Sparrowhawk made a fleeting appearance before dashing off
across the fields. We found the remains of Blackbird and, more
surprisingly, Water Rail along the track. 3 Yellowhammers
and a calling Redshank is about it for the highlights, but the day
belonged to the thrushes. It didn't matter where you looked, groups of Redwings
and Fieldfares were moving around the bushes - fabulous birds!
(Gadget & Dylan)
Thursday 25th November 2004 Harbour
I went down to the Harbour, arriving about 09.40hrs, to check the
gulls over the high tide. Shouldn't have bothered! 81 Great
Black-backs, the vast majority loafing on the outer wall of the ferry touring
circle, 100-ish Herring, 1 Lesser Black-back, 17 Common and about
30 Black-headed Gulls were scattered around the pontoons and
buildings, whilst a lone adult Kittiwake was on the posts by the
A&P Shipyard. 2 Rock Pipits, 21 Cormorants and a
few Turnstones account for the rest of the notables! At least 7 Fulmars
were back along the chalk cliffs below the Granville Hotel, providing
fabulous views from the cliff-top path. I have no idea how many miles I
walked after leaving the Harbour, but I went in search of a mythical
creature around the various berry sources in the St Lawrence area of
Ramsgate. I got a neck ache from raising my binoculars to the never ending
parade of Starlings. Waxwings? You must be joking, yet another dismal
failure on my part. It was surprising how many Sparrowhawks were
about. I noted 5 at various points along my route and had seen another
circling high over Ramsgate Cemetery as I made my way to the Harbour
earlier. (Dylan)
Thursday 25th November 2004 Ashford countryside
Had a look around the Ashford countryside today not
much about but managed one or two photos, There were Plenty of Pheasants
about plus Red legged partridge. Graylag geese numbering 30+
seemed to be a few Blackbirds about. A Peregrine sit in a
tree being pestered by Crows, only bonus was a Buzzard
flying in the distance which I watched for about 5 minutes.2 Pheasants
were having a set to which was fun to watch see photo's attached. The Peregrine
is a poor shot but it's ok for I’d. Purpose.
(Pete Young part time birder)
Thursday 25th November 2004 Manston Court Rd
& Flete Farm
Went out with the wife to see friends at Manston
Court Rd, the wife was chatting with her friend about knitting while they
had a cup of tea. So I decided to take a look around the fields, Flete
Farm and the horse paddocks, Birds seen on the walk about were, 7
Robins, 14 Skylarks, 37 Meadow Pipits, 27 Pied Wagtails, 38 House
Sparrows, 5 Great Tits, 2 Blue Tits, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 13 Blackbirds, 5
Magpies, 60+ Carrion Crows, 120 Woodpigeons, 4 Collard Doves, 150+
Starlings, 2 Rose Ringed Parakeets, and 1 Sparrow Hawk, (Gadget)
Wednesday
24th November 2004 Pegwell and another place
Did 2 sessions at Pegwell today. After a continuous stream of Thrushes
going over all night and a bad night sleep I went down first thing in the
vain hope
something might be happening? A remnant of Thrush's - 1 Fieldfare
and c25 Redwing west plus a flock of about 20 Redwings north
when I went back down about 11.30am - plus at least 2 Grey Wagtails
and a few Chaffinch
etc flying over.10,000+ Plovers flying about in the Bay plus 6 Avocets,
the Bar-T Godwit flocks up to 188 birds now, the Sandwich Tern
and 3 Yellow-Legged Gulls - 2 adult birds and a single sub adult
that was possibly yesterdays bird? Very similar plumage anyway. I came
home at 9.00am and went back down one and a half hours later for the
dropping tide. The 6 Avocets were sitting 200 yards out on the sea
on arrival plus another flock of 8 turned up as the mud started to show.2 rarities
today - 2 Tufted Duck flew west inland and I saw a Jack Snipe
fly 100+ yards over the salt marsh! Now that is rare! The duck/wader
counts turned up:1 Brent,59 Shelduck,12 Scoter
(south),5 Eider,3 Pintail,27 Teal,1 Gadwall,430
Wigeon,910
Oystercatcher,135 Curlew,5 Black-T Godwit,71 Sanderling,170
Knot plus - 2 Hen Harriers,1 Peregrine,1 Merlin,2+
Sparrowhawk,4+ Egrets etc showed before I left. At least 60
Twite kicking about in 3 flocks too. Then I did an extremely funny
thing - an every two year trip somewhere else! I shot off out to Oare
Marsh (bizzare behavior for me!) A Pegwell years supply of Marsh
harriers within 20 minutes of arrival - scanning across to Sheppy (at
least 2 nice males) and a couple of Hen Harriers, Short-Eared
Owl and the Rough-Legged Buzzard showed over near the prison
about 2.30ish? Also about 10+ Little Egrets,200 Blackwits,2 Ruff
and a few Mergs etc. Unfortunately no Water Pipits. Mind you
I did see my first Coot in over a year! That’s it for field trips
until 2006. (Phil M)
Wednesday
24th November 2004 St Peter’s Cemetery and St P/Footpath
I walked around the
churchyard and cemetery then, down the St Peter’s Footpath, over the
fields towards Margate. On the way back I dropped into a small wooded
area, just right of the church. It must be 10years since I have been over
to this part of Thanet! 27
Blackbird, 7 Mistle Thrush, 3 Song Thrush, 30+ Redwing, 15 Fieldfare, 5
Robin, 2 Jay, 12 Great Tit, 13 Long-tailed Tit, 5 Blue Tit, 1 Chiffchaff,
7 Dunnock, 22 House Sparrow, 1 Wren, 5 Goldcrest, 3 Greenfinch, 5
Chaffinch, 2 Green Woodpecker, 25 Meadow Pipit, 7 Linnet, 4 Skylark, 31
Pied Wagtail, 80 Woodpigeon, 70 Carrion Crow, 7 Rose-ringed Parakeets,
200+ Lapwing, 300+ Black-headed Gull, 120+ Golden Plover, and a
Woodcock were what I recorded. Not one bird of prey was seen
over the fields, or on the fence posts. I will be retuning to this area
again, as its very accommodating for my “Power Bike”, owing to the
paths that cross the fields. (Gadget)
Wednesday 24th November 2004 Newland's Farm area
A gentle stroll across the fields to Pyson's Road, in
another futile bid to find Waxwing! The ploughing operation is now
completed at this end of the farm so, not surprisingly, very little to
report. 3 Redwing and a Skylark flew over, heading SW,
whilst a flock of 84 Lapwings huddled in the furrows of a small
field alongside the cycle track. Several small groups of Greenfinches
were feeding on Rosehips around the hedgerows and totaled 29 birds. Blackbirds
seem to be stabilizing now with a count of 37 being my best shot. Along
the approach track to the farm a nice mixed flock of Blue, Great &
Long-tailed Tits had a lone Goldcrest for company and the
commotion caused by 2 each Magpies & Jays allowed me to
locate a small male Sparrowhawk perched in the tall Poplars beside
the playing fields. Apart from a few Chaffinches, the only other
birds to make it into my notebook were 3 Kestrels, all immature,
perched at various points between the Old Rose Garden and the railway
line. (Dylan)
Tuesday 23rd November 2004 Grove Ferry
A short trip over to Grove Ferry, just to see what's
happening with the reserve. Large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfares
could be seen around the various hedgerows and orchards, whilst the large
flock of Greylags contained a single Barnacle Goose.
Presumably the same individual as was present last year? A rough estimate
of the Lapwings gave a figure of 4,500 with 100+ Golden Plover and
1,500 Teal. Cetti's Warblers and Bearded Tits made
their presence known by their frequent calls and a Water Rail
squealed its' welcome from deep within the reeds. A Bittern
conducted a brief fly-about before dropping back into the reeds and a
distant Sparrowhawk cause absolute panic amongst the skittish Lapwing
flock. The walk around to Harrison's Drove hide was a complete waste of
effort. Apart from a Stonechat sat high on an exposed perch,
the pool was deserted, "not even a Moorhen" (quote Gadget) From
the Turf Field hide a Common Snipe, female Pochard, several Teal
& Mallard, plus a nice Kingfisher, were all we could
muster. A Water Pipit was seen and heard as it flew over the main
pathway and a Green Woodpecker uttered a few phrases as we made our
way back to the carpark. Not much but, unless there is some remedial
action taken shortly, a sign of things to come? (Gadget & Dylan)
Tuesday 23rd November 2004 Pegwell Bay
Watched the dropping tide only today. Lots of birds but nothing that’s
not always on the cards during a mid/late November session at Pegwell.
Quite a few raptors showing with 4-5 Sparrowhawks, 1 Peregrine,
a scruffy male Merlin and a RT Hen Harrier on show today.
The wader/wildfowl counts turned up: 6 Brent, 32 Shelduck,
255 Mallard, 2 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 30 Teal,
820 Wigeon, 850 Oystercatcher, 126 Curlew, 120+ Bar-T
Godwit, 5 Black-T Godwit, 5000 Lapwing, 4240 Golden
Plover, 310 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, 1 Spotted
Redshank, 170 Knot, 1120 Dunlin, 35 Sanderling
and 40 Snipe. Other bits included - a Little Grebe on the
garage pools, 2 Little Egrets, a sub adult Yellow-Legged Gull,
2 Stonechat and a flock of 25 Twite flew south over the
Country Park and out over the salt marsh. At least 16 Corn Buntings
perched across in the 100-acre field. (Phil M)
Tuesday 23rd November 2004 Ramsgate Harbour
An early morning visit to Ramsgate Harbour to check
the gulls at high tide resulted in the normal 70+ Herring Gulls
loafing about on the ramp where the fishing nets are stored and 43 Great
Black-backs on the pontoons and a further 14 on the outer wall of the
Port entrance. Not a single ringed bird was noted, prompting the question
of how many Great Black-backs pass through the harbour
during the course of a year? 13 Cormorants were spread around the
area, a bird with a red darvic (presumably T/O)
fishing in the Marina and another with a single BTO - type metal
ring on the pontoons. A few Black-headed and Common Gulls were
noted along with 3 Sanderling, 33 Turnstones, 2 Rock
Pipits and a Kingfisher. A quick scan of the sea from below the
Harbour Lights Cafe resulted in zilch'o !
(Oh yeah, I heard a Chiffchaff calling from a garden by Newlands
School as I walked to the harbour at 07.50hrs) (Dylan)
Monday 22nd
November 2004 Red Kite Report
Red Kite Private Estate - nr Ashford Monday 15th November 2004
Report
Monday 22nd
November 2004 Pegwell Bay
Spent a couple of hours in the early afternoon.4 Peregrines today -
the normal 2 near the cooling towers when I left plus a juvenile and a
tiny little
adult male bird. A White Fronted Goose was kicking about - plus a
single Greylag and 47 Brent’s were present. One of the Brent’s
had a big white patch on the back of its head making it very noticeable.
Also 2 Merlin’s, a Sparrowhawk, 300 Wigeon, 2 Black-T
Godwit and 1070 Dunlin showed. Big Plover numbers
present today with c5000 Lapwing and a peak of the autumn/winter Golden
Plover so far - 6450 birds. A Chiffchaff was
"hueeting" in the car park when I left. (Phil M)
Monday 22nd November 2004 Newland's Farm area
Only had the energy to have a sojourn across the fields to Pyson's Road
to check the Rowanberries, ever hopeful of a Waxwing! Apart from
the usual mix of Carrion Crows, Stock Doves and Feral
Pigeons, there was a nice group of 27+ Pied Wagtails feeding on
the newly ploughed field and my first Meadow Pipit for a while
amongst the cauliflowers. A covey of 15 Grey Partridge flushed as I
walked back across to the rear of Prestedge Avenue, where a male Sparrowhawk
was hunting the gardens. A Kestrel hovered over the gardens near
Broadstairs Cricket Ground (hasn't quite got the same ring as the MCG) and
I made a few notes on the behavior of the remaining Blackbirds.
Having now regained some fat reserves, they are far more timid and fly off
as I approach. Where they have come from? Your guess is as good as mine!
(Dylan)
Sunday 21st November 2004 Pegwell bay
Spent an hour and a half in the Bay this afternoon - leaving at 2.30pm
when the weather completely closed in. Many of the waders were either too
distant or being flushed by 2 Kite-Boarders using the west cliff
tide-line. Anyway - only 170 Lapwing and 1390 Golden Plover
remained plus there were a few more Brent's today (58) with 28 Shelduck,
390 Wigeon,150 + Mallard and 21 Gadwall sitting out
on the mud or in the salt marsh upriver. Lots of Gulls were
"loafing" offshore - though very distant - I counted 1000 Common
Gull, 2210 Herring Gull, 73 Lesser BB Gull and 240 Great
BB Gull. Good numbers of Twite today - with flocks of 40+ and
18 south over the salt marsh in front of the hide.2 Corn Bunting
and 4 Stonechats were on the
Country Park plus a Sparrowhawk flushed a flock of 40 Snow
Bunting into view off the beach over at Sandwich. (Phil M)
Sunday 21st November 2004 Newlands Farm &
Fields
Another quick sortie around the Newland's Farm area,
due to the sleep requirements for night shifts. The first, of 6, Pied
Wagtail flew over Vine Close as I walked towards the fields. The Lapwing
flock numbered 78 this morning with a smattering of Black-headed &
Common Gulls amidst their ranks. 2 Sparrowhawks, an immature and an adult,
both females, were actively hunting over the area, causing great commotion
amongst the 350+ Feral Pigeons and associated Starling flock. 16
Stock
Doves and 2 Jackdaws were also feeding on the small strip of unploughed
field with 31 Carrion Crows and 3 Magpies. I walked across to Pyson's
Road, purely on the off chance of a Waxwing or two on the magnificent
berry crop on the roadside Rowans. Nothing doing, I'm afraid, but the walk
did have some reward as I flushed a Woodcock from under some brambles in
the old rose garden. A Redwing flew over south and I counted 37 Blackbirds, 4
Chaffinches and a lone Greenfinch as I made my way around. A
pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets, feeding on ivy berries, provided a surreal
splash of exotic colour on this gloomy late-autumnal morning. (Dylan)
Saturday 20th November 2004 Newlands Farm &
Fields
Having finished with picking "Hogwarts
Express", I did the full shift at Campbell's - digging for minestrone
Slim-a-soup! My journey home was struggle, but a Barn Owl, on a roadside
post near Bilting, made it less of a chore! Bev had to be in Herne Bay for
mid-day, so I had a walk around Newlands Farm, whilst she was getting
ready ( I could have been gone a week! - J for "joke" Bev!
) resulted in a few bits The fields were fairly quiet although the Lapwing
flock had risen to 91 and 7 Long-tailed Tits were in the hedgerow at the
end of Vine Close. 14 Skylarks were the highlight, with 4 Grey
Partridge, 6 Stock Dove,1 Mistle Thrush, 35+ Blackbirds and a single
Grey
Heron the best of the rest around the area. A female Sparrowhawk
was hunting over the north end of Pyson's Road, where the berry crop must
be like a McDonald's sign for any over flying Waxwings (or Pine Grosbeaks
for that matter!) No takers so far! (Dylan)
Saturday 20th November 2004 Pegwell Bay
Most of today’s action took place across the river - either in 100 acre
field or on the beach/point area. A group of 27 Snow Buntings on the point
plus a huge flock of 100+ birds further down the beach about 2.00pm. 41
Corn Buntings in 100 acre the most ive seen from Pegwell in years (only 2
on the pegwell side today) plus 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Merlin (1 male) and a
Short-Eared Owl - again all in the 100 acre. On the mud - a rather
paultry 790 Golden Plover and only 220 Lapwing! Also 3 Black-T Godwit, 150
Bar-T Godwit,1000 Dunlin etc plus 15 Brent, 65 Teal
and 670 Wigeon, 1500-2000+ Golden Plovers
flushed from the fields near the roundabouts by an airplane on the way home. (Phil M)
Friday 19th November 2004 K-G- VI Park &
R/Gate Harbour
A glorious morning, but only a fool would have
ventured forth without thermal underwear! I had a stroll across to the
park where the Parakeets were deafening and, if not for 2 Great Spotted
and a single Green Woodpecker, the walk would have been a waste of time!
Approaching Winterstoke Steps a Snow Bunting flew eastwards along the
cliff-top, calling as it went. A trickle of Goldfinch and Chaffinch
coasted westwards, but never amounted to much. The Harbour was quite busy,
bird numbers obviously increased due to the threat of colder weather from
the north. Apart from the usual Herring Gulls, Turnstones and
Rock Pipits,
the Great Black-backed Gull numbers had risen to 59 (exceptional considering
the tide was falling) and after a sustained search, I located a
colour-ringed bird that turns out to be the first colour-ringed GBBG I
ever found in the harbour. J9G6 (White digits on Blue Darvic ring)
ringed in Norway on 22.06.2002 - see the colour-ringed bird section.
Just goes to demonstrate the level of site fidelity exhibited by certain
individuals. Cormorants numbered 11 and a Kingfisher was by the Lifeboat
Station, apart from that I saw nothing? Away from birding, I had a couple
of encounters which raised my spirits. Firstly a guy, who I know, but
can't name, came up to me and said how much he enjoyed the website -
brilliant feedback, then, as I arrived at Winterstoke Steps, there was a
young guy doing some beach art out on the sand, using the natural pools
and rocks to create some rather eye-catching designs. What a difference a
day makes! (Dylan)
Friday
19th November 2004 Harbour to Pegwell
Thought I'd better have a look at the sea first. I stayed on the east pier
between 8.30 and 9.45am seeing very little - it was too clear and the wind
had too much west in it. Anyway - 59 kittiwakes, 2 Divers,1 Shag,
9 Auks
plus a Little Auk flew past and there were 2 1st winter Shags in the outer
Harbour after I left. I did have a look along the cliff all the way into
Pegwell but saw very little. A Redwing, quite a few
Chaffinches/Greenfinches and a single Firecrest in St Lawrence graveyard
on the way back home. (Phil
M)
Thursday 18th November 2004 Fields at Dumpton
Thanet
Even William Wordsworth would struggle to make the
dreary conditions sound any better than dismal. A complete fiasco at the
soup-mine meant I left home at 03.00 hrs and was back in bed just after
07.00hrs. The only saving grace was a superb Tawny Owl on a
roadside post near Bekesbourne. A walk around the fields behind the garden
was undertaken, purely on the strength of the ploughing operation and the
accompanying gulls. 250+ Black-headed were joined by 34 Herring and
13 Common Gulls, all actively feeding behind the tractor as it
turned the furrows, thus exposing whatever juicy morsels take a gull's
fancy? Not allot else to report really. 11 Grey Partridge were
alongside the cabbages as I walked up the footpath from Vine Close. 26 Stock
Doves were amongst the 350+ Feral Pigeons, with a nice flock of
Starlings mixed within the ranks. A Jay, 5 Goldcrest,
9 Chaffinch, 4 Greenfinch and a lone Grey Heron made
it into the notebook before the drizzle intensified and I headed for home.
A group of 8 Pied Wagtails had congregated around the ever
increasing area of freshly ploughed field and as I commenced the
washing-up (part of my daily ritual!) I watched a flock of 51 Lapwings,
from my kitchen window, descend from the murk and settle on the field
just beyond the hedge. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so took a
few shots from the patio before retreating back into the dry and
continuing with the chores. (Dylan)
Wednesday
17th November 2004 Pegwell area
Odd bits and pieces today included a Mute Swan, 6 Brent, 410
Wigeon, 207 Mallard, 4 Little Egrets, 157 Bar-T
Godwit, 8 Black-T Godwit, 212 Curlew, 5000+ Lapwing,
3500 Golden Plover, 333 Grey Plover, 74 Ringed Plover,
1
Spotted Redshank, 150+ Knot plus there were a 2 flocks of Snow
Buntings across on Shellness Point - one of 37 and another of 10
birds. I did try a stomp around for Jack Snipe but due to the
recent high tides I think it
was too wet in the normal spot? Didn’t see any anyway. There were
however lots of Rock Pipits out there - I would estimate there are
at least 50 birds present. (Phil M)
Wednesday 17th November 2004 K/G VI Park R/G Harbour & D/Gap
I was out of the house before 08.15hrs and walked to King George VI
Park. Apart from the ever-present Rose-ringed Parakeets, there was
very little else to report. Blackbird numbers have fallen
considerably to less than 15 birds with 9 Song Thrush and 2 Chaffinches
my meager totals. A Swallow headed west along the cliff-top at
Winterstoke Steps, where 4 Goldfinches were feeding on seed heads
besides the path. I did attempt to get some images, but a constant
procession of dog-walkers put pay to any chance I might have had. Ramsgate
Harbour was almost devoid of birds with just a few Herring, 2 Lesser
Black-backed & 8 Greater Black-backed Gulls, 3 Cormorants, 2 Redshank,
14 Turnstone and 3 Rock Pipits. I walked back along the
beach to Dumpton Gap seeing a few more Turnstones, 14 Oystercatcher,
3 Curlew and another Rock Pipit. I watched a Sparrowhawk
circling high over Dumpton Gap Road and found 2 Firecrest in the
ivy covered Hawthorns near the railway bridge. A pleasant walk, shame
about the lack of birds.
(Dylan)
Tuesday 16th November 2004
WeBS count (Thanet coast)
354 Oystercatchers
41 Ringed Plovers
17 Grey Plover
649 Turnstones
3 Dunlin
324 Sanderling
38 Purple Sandpipers
170 Redshank
33 Curlew
Tuesday 16th November 2004 Ashford area
Out and about today taking some photos. Birds
seen were Grey Heron, Green Woodpecker, Little Egret, Great
Crested Grebe, 50+ Greylags, Mistle Thrushes, Kestrel, also a Tawny
Owl was calling. (Pete Young)
Tuesday
16th November 2004 Pegwell area
Zilch around the cliff/hoverport save a few Crests / Pipits and
the Sandwich Tern on the mud off the n/east corner of the hoverpad.
On the incoming tide: 5 Egrets, 1 Brent, 17 Shelduck,
1 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 570
Wigeon, 1 Red B Merganser (south), 870 Oystercatcher,
165 Curlew, 127 Bar-T Godwit, 11 Black-T Godwit, 4310
Lapwing, 3830 Golden Plover, c200 Grey Plover, c80 Ringed
Plover, 160 Knot, 870 Dunlin, 25 Snipe plus the
odd Water Rail calling from the salt marsh. Other bits included: A RT
Hen Harrier, 2+ Sparrowhawks, 1 Peregrine, 3 Stonechats,
1 Corn Bunting plus a flock of 30+ Snow Buntings landed
across on Shellness about midday. (Phil M)
Tuesday 16th November 2004 Wantsum, Coldharbour Lagoon & Back
A pleasant stroll around the circuit seemed the order of the day,
however, there were precious little signs of birdlife as we walked from
the car to the railway line. 15+ Redwings and a handful of Blackbirds
flew from the hawthorn hedge with a few Meadow Pipits and Reed
Buntings noted alongside the Wantsum. A nice "charm" of
Goldfinches were feeding on seed heads opposite the sluice with a
lone Blue Tit for company. Coldharbour Lagoon had 5 noisy Redshanks
in residence with 4 Snow Buntings shuffling around on the
shingle bank beyond. Lapwings and Starlings were moving west
in dribs and drabs and a flock of 300-ish Brent Geese were
feeding on the fields adjacent to the seawall. A flurry of birds and
a wonderful flock of 24 Snow Buntings dropped down onto the grass
inside the seawall and proceeded to drink from the puddles in some tyre
tracks. Light conditions weren't brilliant but we did get a few pics. We
continued on to the Oyster Farm, where we saw a Little Egret, before
heading back across to the railway line and the car beyond. A Marsh
Harrier, 1 imm Hen Harrier and a Peregrine were noted
along with the usual Kestrels and about sums up the day. Nothing to
get the pulse racing, but very nice to be out in the field all the same.
(Gadget & Dylan)
Monday
15th November 2004 Pegwell Bay
A grey murky old day. Hang on there's more! I could only be asked to watch
the Bay today - didn't seem to be much going on elsewhere anyway? An adult
Med Gull was swimming about amongst a group of Blockheads on
the
Cafe pools as I cycled past. The wintering Sani Tern was out in the
Bay plus an adult Yellow-Legged Gull was seen (loafing??) across on
Shellness point. Only 1 definite single Snow Bunting sighting
across the river though a big flock of probable were seen flying about
much further down along the beach.2 flocks of Twite were seen today
- 15 flew over the river onto the
Sandwich side and a group of 7 were hanging about over the salt marsh on
the Pegwell side. Little else of note the Wigeon flock is now up to
570 birds also 60 Teal,120 Barwit,c300 Grey Plover,2+
Water Rail and 3 Corn Buntings etc. (Phil M)
Monday 15th November 2004 Private
Estate - nr Ashford
We went across to have a look at the wing-tagged Red
Kite, because Gadget hadn't seen one away from Wales. We met up with
Pete (The Part-time Birder) and spent a very pleasant couple of hours
wandering around. There were a lot of Redwings along the hedgerows
and 2 Goldcrests flitted about in some ivy covered Oaks as we
walked along the lanes. A very pale Common Buzzard was spotted
perched on the edge of a distant wood, but flew off before we were able to
get within photographic range. By surveying the area from an elevated
gateway, we were able to scan the woodland areas much more thoroughly. An
adult Peregrine was perched high in a dead tree and continued
searching paid dividends when the Red Kite was discovered sitting
aloft, hidden slightly by the autumn leaves of another large Oak. As we
watched, the bird flew from its' perch and quartered the field for a short
time before landing again, this time in a dense Yew tree and thus, lost from
view. Pheasants and Red-legged
Partridges were numerous, as is expected on a commercial shoot, and
we heard a pair of Little Owls calling as we got back to the cars.
(Gadget, Pete & Dylan)
Saturday
13th November 2004 Pegwell area
Started off on the East Pier for a quick look at the sea. Very few birds
in the 40 minutes I spent there but a drake Long-Tailed Duck showed
at 9.40am - a reasonably scarce bird locally. A few Scoter,2 Auk
sp and a couple of Kittiwakes also moved through. Rubbish!
There were a few birds in the area near the park on the west cliff - a few
Crests (1+ Firecrest) and a mixed mobile Tit flock
plus a really smart Pallas' Warbler - the first area record for
many years. The bird showed on and off for 15 mins in the
Holme Oaks along the park wall. I did have a quick look along the chine -
but quickly got bored and came home soonafter.2+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers
and a few Crests in St Lawrence graveyard on the way home. (Phil M)
Saturday 13th November 2004 A Private Estate
just outside of Ashford
Pete, the Part-Time Birder, had e-mailed me with
details of a wing-tagged Red Kite he had found. Having worked all
night I decided to make the small detour, on my homeward journey, to see
if I could also get views of this bird. Pete reported that it had yellow
tags with No 27, thus making it a 2004 (Chiltern re-introduction project)
individual. Further details will be posted when we receive them. The sun
was shining, but a strong north-westerly wind gave the day a chilly
feel. I was in luck and the Red Kite was exactly where Pete
had predicted, hunting over some fields surrounded by hillside Pheasant
coverts. I had fantastic views of the bird, but was unable to get any
pictures as it never once settled. A real bonus occurred when I watched a Common
Buzzard fly from one of the wooded areas and land in a mature Oak
about 150m away. Using the hedge, I managed to get a little closer and get
some reasonable images, although I had to use digital zoom so the quality
is not brilliant. I had a good chat with the Gamekeeper, who seemed
genuinely interested in the origin of the Kite. Despite the area
being run as a commercial Pheasant shoot, there was no problem with a few
raptors sharing the habitat. Other birds noted as I walked around the
lanes were 3+ Treecreeper, 2 Goldcrest, 15+ Long-tailed
Tit, 6 Chaffinch & 1 Kestrel. A very pleasant hour
spent in a very different habitat to that found around Thanet and another
new bird for the Photo Challenge as a bonus! (Dylan)
Friday
12th November 2004 Pegwell area
After a quick saunter along the clifftop I tried a look at the sea off the
East Pier. Dead as a Dodo - much as I expected but it killed a bit of time
as the
tide was nowhere near right for Pegwell. I watched between 9.45 and
10.05am seeing only 4 Common Scoter flying south. I slowly made my
way back to Pegwell - 2+ Firecrest still in the Holme Oaks in the
park plus a
Woodcock in the thick patch of trees in front of Westcliff Terraces
but little else except for the odd Redwing, Goldcrest etc.2 Swallows
flew west along the chine and 7 Siskin flew east over the Hoverpad
- where there were a few more Redwing. I had killed enough time so
as I could go into the bay for the dropping tide. The Sandwich Tern
was out on Shellness plus at least 2 Snow Bunting out there. It was
turning into a nice day weather wise though the birding was much as
expected from then on. Today’s wildfowl wader counts turned up: 16
Brent, 1 Eider, 25 Shelduck, 67 Mallard, 6 Shoveler,
2 Teal, 300 Wigeon, 1040 Oystercatcher, 208 Curlew,
118 Bar-T Godwit, 7 Black-T Godwit, 4500 Lapwing,
2220 Golden Plover, 258 Grey Plover, 148 Knot,
940 Dunlin, 62 Sanderling, 6+ Snipe and 210 Turnstone
plus there were 10+ Great C Grebe and 3 Diver Sp. south
offshore plus a ring-tail Hen Harrier, 3 Sparrowhawk were
present on and off all session and a flock of 15 Twite were seen
flying over the salt marsh in front of the hide on two occasions. (Phil M)
Friday 12th November 2004 King George VI Park
& Dumpton Gap
Grey skies, grey seas and a Grey Wagtail, flying
east, as I left my bungalow this morning. I was obviously suffering from
the after effects of the "brain-numbing" session of beaurocratic
nonsense that I had endured yesterday. Why else would I leave my
birding gear in the car and allow Bev to go off to work
with it? I trudged across the fields to Pyson's Road noting, as I went,
that the two areas of stubble had now succumbed to the plough! I checked
every bush, aerial and Starling flock using my back-up Minox bins,
hoping to locate a Waxwing - nothing doing I'm afraid. Bev was
suitably amused at my plight when I turned up at her office. Collecting my
bits & bobs, I made my way back towards King George VI Park, via the
coastal path. 3 Goldcrests were in the trees surrounding Gap House
School, a male Stonechat and a very late, female-type, Ring
Ouzel were along the cliff-top approach to the park. A nice mixed tit
flock was around the middle plantation, whilst 2 Firecrest were in
the ivy-covered bushes near the Ramsgate entrance. A couple of Goldfinches
were in the gardens and a Fulmar patrolled the cliffs around
Winterstoke Steps. The only other birds worthy of note were 13 Turnstones
on the small beach at Dumpton Gap and 3 Rock Pipits, moving south,
seen from the park boundary. (Dylan)
Thursday
11th November 2004
Eastwell
Was getting my
gear out of the boot and this Coot decided to come and have a look.
Eastwell this morning. (Pete Young)
Thursday
11th November 2004 Ramsgate Harbour & Pegwell Bay
After a quick detour along the clifftop / west cliff it was obvious
nothing was going on vismig wise so I cycled down onto the East Pier to
have a look at the sea. There was a Shag in the inner Harbour but
little in the way of movement out at sea. I spent 8.15 - 9.00am watching
seeing only: 8 Brent, 1 male Red B Merg, 2 Eider, 2 Shelduck
and 4 Little Gulls flying north plus a single Diver south.
Disappointing as it looked really good this morning. On the way back to
Pegwell I flushed a nice male Snow Bunting off the road near the
Ferry Terminal and had a Woodlark (south) at 9.40am and group of 4 Lapland
Buntings (west) at 10.15.It's been a weird autumn - hardly any
decent common passerine vismig but quite a bit of quality stuff showing
still. (Phil M)
Thursday
11th November 2004 Sandwich Bay 07.20 - 0845hrs
As I am attending the North Kent Coastal Conference at Sandwich Bay Obs, I
left home early in order to get some birding done before it started at
09.30. A Yellowhammer called as it flew over the Obs carpark.
Making my way to the sea, via the Whitehouse paddocks, I recorded 2 Redwing,
50+ Blackbird, 17 Chaffinch and a single Bullfinch.
Arriving at the sea, a fabulous flock of Scoter were visible 300m
offshore. Kev Thornton had seen 2 Velvet Scoter, but I couldn't
find any amidst the 250+ birds gathered. 3 Brent, 3 Shelduck,
1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Velvet Scoter and 1 male Goldeneye
flew north into the breeze, whilst along the beach I managed to find 2 Twite,
2 Snow Bunting and a smart adult "michahelis"
Yellow-legged Gull. A Great Spotted Woodpecker, flying
along the beach near Cinque Ports Golf Course was slightly weird and a Swallow
was struggling to find insects in the lea of the hedge outside the Field
Centre. (Dylan)
Wednesday
10th November 2004 Dumpton Gap to Palm Bay
I left home at 08.30hrs heading for Dumpton Gap. A stiff North-easterly
was blowing and I was hoping that there might be some movement on the sea.
6 Redwing flew south over West Dumpton Lane, but very little else
occurred until I reached the coast. I walked the Viking Trail right around
the coast to Palm Bay. The tide was fully in, so I was able to do a
reasonable wader count as I wandered merrily along. 123 Turnstone,
29 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Redshank, 120 Sanderling, 26 Grey
Plover, 136 Oystercatcher, 25 Curlew & 5 Ringed
Plover covers the birds at the various roost sites. 3 Rock Pipit,
2 Stonechat (m & f), 15 Linnet - south, 16 Lapwing in/off,
1m Wigeon and 2 Swallows (north - into oblivion no
doubt!) about covers the other noteworthy species en route. A colour
ringed adult "argentatus" Herring Gull, was on the
"pitch & putt" at Foreness. I wasn't able to read the number
but am sure it is from a Norwegian scheme linked to the Great
Black-back study. On my return journey, I called in briefly to the
North Foreland "triangle". There were 2 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare,
50+ Blackbird, 8 Grey Partridge and 2m Blackcap
as reward for my effort. As for my hoped for seawatch, I managed no more
than 7 Brent Geese, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Gannet and 3 Guillemots in
the 5 hours I was along the coast! (Dylan)
Wednesday
10th November 2004 R/Gate Harbour/West Cliff/Pegwell
Started on the chine for vismig (ha ha - hilarious eh?) but gave up after
15 mins as I saw only 1 Redpoll during that time! Next stop - the
East Pier where I stayed between 7.55 and 8.45am seeing - 2 Divers,
2 Gannets, 5 Auk sp, 17 Little Gull, 5 Kittiwake,
5 Brent, 11 Scoter, 1 Pintail, 3 Shelduck, 5 Wigeon,
4 Teal, 2 Gt Crested Grebe plus a few long range
unidentified wildfowl, Starlings and Lapwings in off. I had
flushed a Black Redstart off the west cliff on my way to the
harbour and on the way back there was another one on the seawall of the
sunken garden. Also 2 Firecrest in the Park Holme Oaks. After
counting all the Turnstones on the various high tide roosting spots
(245 birds) I settled in the hide at Pegwell and waited for the tide to
drop. Lots of Duck present - 36 Shelduck, 91 Mallard, 17 Gadwall,
2 Pintail, 14 Shoveler, 61 Teal, 495 Wigeon
plus 8 more Scoter, 15 Brent and a single Diver sp
passed offshore. The over wintering Sandwich Tern sat the high tide
out on Shellness also 1 decked Shore lark over there - on and off
for most of the session plus a flock of 10 more flew in at 10.15am.No sign
of any Snow Bunting or definite Twite today - though some Twite
like things were seen across the river. Other bits included: 2 Peregrine,
2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Hen Harrier, 100 Bar T Godwit, 4000 Lapwing,
3000 Golden Plover, 233 Grey Plover, 165 Redshank, 1 Greenshank
etc. (Phil M)
Wednesday 10th November 2004 Outside
Ramsgate Tuesday Lunch time
During
a stroll around a site just outside Ramsgate at lunchtime today, I came
across these two Waxwings. (Ian
Andrews)
Tuesday
9th November 2004 Ramsgate
Stupidly had a look at the sea first - complete waste of time with only 4 Shelduck
north, a Diver sp each way and 2 Gannets south - though a
pair of adult Med Gulls flew out to sea whilst I was watching. A
female Peregrine was flying over the west cliff but other than a
few decked Redwings little else showed. Down in the Bay - lots of Plovers,
6370 Lapwing and 5500
Goldie's plus 98 Ringed Plovers on the mud and a female Marsh
Harrier flew south over Shellness. No Twite, Snow Bunts or Shore
Larks today. (Phil M)
Tuesday 9th November 2004 King George VI Park
& R/Gate Harbour
Oh to be a weather forecaster - no chance of the sack
or anything! Doesn't matter how wrong you get it - blame it on the
weather, bloody brilliant senario! Anyway, back to the birding. No great
shakes this morning, but also no rain, heavy or otherwise!. I walked to
King George VI Park where, 40+ Blue Tit, 31 Blackbird, 17 Song
Thrush, 4 Goldcrest, 7 Chaffinch, 1 male Great
Spotted Woodpecker and the massed ranks of Parakeets,
(making an attempt on the avian noise record), were all that I recorded in
my notebook. The walk onward to the harbour revealed little as the tide
was just beginning to recede. In the Harbour itself, 37 Great
Black-backs, 15 Cormorants & 38 Turnstones provided
the bulk of the records, whilst Rock Pipit and Pied
Wagtail were also added to the day-list. Returning to the park, I was
happy to see the first Fulmar back around the breeding sites,
whilst a single Brambling passed overhead. 4 Red-breasted Mergansers
went south. This Lesser Black-back has been around the Harbour for
well over a year. It has a damaged wing, which is presumably why it is
still here. Phil, Craig & myself have all passed comment on its'
appearance with PM coming up with a theory that it may be from a Dutch
population? This would fit in with the colour-ringed bird (Dylan)
Monday 8th
November 2004 Foreness Kingsgate & Elmwood Ave
Foreness;1 Snow Bunting, 20 Shelduck flying west, 1 Guillemot
(oiled ?) Kingsgate; several dozen Blackbirds, Redwings, Fieldfares,
Song Thrushes on golf course & 50 Wood Pigeons plus 2 Snow
Buntings feeding on roadside Elmwood Ave. (John W)
Monday 8th November 2004 Newlands Farm & surrounding area
If the weather was lousy, it was matched by the birding. A stroll
around the fields, behind my garden, revealed just 5 Grey Partridge (with
2 more males calling from within the cabbages!), 1 Skylark, 4 Meadow
Pipit, 600+ Feral Pigeons, 30+ Blackbird, 7 Song Thrush
and 2 Corn Bunting
- 1st for the area! Signs of raptor success along the footpath to
Prestedge Avenue proved to be correct and resulted in me flushing a
female Sparrowhawk. A patch of Collared Dove feathers will provide a
lasting reminder of the encounter!. A single Golden Plover called as it
went south overhead and about sums up the excitement for this morning.
(Dylan)
Monday 8th November 2004 Pegwell Bay
Quite a bit going on this morning. A flock of 8 Goosander (4 males)
flying about in the Bay early on plus activity peaked across on Shellness
at 10.30ish
when 24 Snow Bunting, c35 Twite and the 5 Shore Larks
were kicking about until a Merlin perched on the beach opposite.
Naff views at that range but nice to know they are about. Bits of wildfowl
included 53 Brent, 3 Pintail, 6 Shoveler, 113 Teal,
370 Wigeon, 90 Mallard, 7 Gadwall and 50+ Scoter flew
north pus a few Red Throated Divers. Lots of waders - 6500 Lapwing,
4300 Golden Plover, 241 Grey Plover, 187 Knot, 1290 Dunlin,
122 Barwit and 4 Blackwit. The only other thing of note was
a flyby Kingfisher over the salt marsh. (Phil M)
Sunday
7th November 2004 Pegwell bay
A lovely afternoon spoiled by 2 hovercrafts using the mudflat. Anyway a
few bits showed including 5 Shore Larks briefly on Shellness point
though seen a couple of times prior on the Pegwell side of the river in
flight - also 15 Snow Bunting and 15 Twite on Shellness with
a second flock of 24 Twite on the Pegwell side. On the mud - 5300
Lapwing, 5880 Golden Plover, 5000 Black Headed Gull,
1060 Common Gull, 1360 Herring Gull, 80 Lesser Black Backed
Gull, 540 Great Black Blacked Gull plus just
offshore/mudflat - 7 Brent, 64 Shelduck, 125 Mallard,
360 Wigeon plus 4 Goldeneye and a single Red Head
Merganser. A flock of c50 Scoter flew south offshore and only
the second Hen Harrier of the autumn was hunting over the salt
marsh at dusk. (Phil M
Saturday
6th November 2004 Pegwell Bay Late News
Gave myself the morning off (with no pay - written warning if it happens
again) due to complete autumn burn-out! Popped down in the afternoon to
check through the Gull roost, which was ruined by a dog walker out on the
mud. Ce la vie. More ducks about than of late plus all the normal waders
in the normal early November numbers. Anyway the counts were: 252
Mallard, 15 Shoveler, 30 Teal, 490 Wigeon, 1 Sparrowhawk, 670
Oystercatcher, 188 Curlew, c100 Bar-T Godwit, 2 Black-T Godwit, 3100
Lapwing, 3980 Golden Plover, 192 Grey Plover, 30+ Ringed Plover, 1000
Dunlin, 10 Snipe, 3500 Black H Gull, 720 Common Gull, 420 Herring Gull, 22
Lesser BB Gull, 280 Great BB Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail south, 2 Stonechat and 7
Corn Bunting. (Phil)
Saturday 6th November 2004 Garden Dumpton
Thanet
Besides the usual visiting birds to my garden, a new visitor
today was the Black-winged Red Bishop, this has been seen on and
around the houses within the past few weeks, sadly it did not say long enough
for me to take any photographs. (Gadget)
Friday 5th November 2004 Late News from
Thursday
Thursday 4th November2004 Ramsgate Cemetery
&
Had a bit of a wander around the cemetery in the
morning from about 8am – 10am. Mostly the ‘usual suspects’ present
with a few ‘interesting bits’ mixed in including singles of Fieldfare
and Redwing. A tit flock caused a slight quickening of the
pulse as I scanned through methodically for anything unusual (perhaps a Treecreeper
as there had been on the 1st November). However, the flock contained: 8
Long-tailed tits, 2 Blue tits, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Great tits and 1 Firecrest.
In the afternoon, I had a ‘poke’ around King George VI Park. Again,
mostly the usual suspects and what seemed like a huge fall of dog walkers!
(Is this normal for a Thursday afternoon?) As I scanned through another
small tit flock holding a few Long-tailed and Blue tits
plus a couple of Goldcrests, another small bird flicked across my
field of view. I got a brief impression of a really nice eye-stripe. I
relocated what I thought was the bird and was disappointed to find
‘only’ a Firecrest. Just as I spotted another Firecrest,
one of the aforementioned dog walkers decided to walk right through the
middle of the thicket holding the birds. After this near canine
catastrophe, I scanned for a few more minutes and caught sight of the
eye-stripped bird again. It was, as I had suspected, a superb Pallas’s
Warbler – what mini gems these birds are! After a few more minutes
watching it flitting and hovering as it fed, some lads on bikes came past
on the cycle track making huge amounts of noise and the bird disappeared.
Do dog walkers, boys on bikes and others have special training in how to
disturb birds with the most exquisite of timing?? (Phil B)
Friday 5th November 2004 Foreness area
Started the day at Foreness. A stiff wind blew from the north and gave
a very chilly feel to the day. Consequently, very little to be seen, 2
female Common Scoter on the sea at Whiteness, 2 Stonechat, 1
Reed Bunting and a Common Buzzard in/off at 09.10hrs sums it
up. Over in Northdown Park we struggled to even find a Goldcrest
and the presence of 7 Mistle Thrushes and a small group of Pied
Wagtails was about all we had to report until we came across a pair of
Great Spotted Woodpeckers. As we watched them, the male flew
towards us and landed on a vertical branch which had a Common Treecreeper
perched on the opposite side. A very good record for Thanet and
therefore the bird of the day! A single Redwing and the grand total
of 5 Goldcrests was the paltry return for our efforts. (Gadget
& Dylan)
Friday 5th November 2004 Pegwell Hoverpad
Thinking that the wind would be less of a problem, we made our
way over to the Hoverpad at Pegwell. Sadly, there was no sign of the Dusky
Warbler's, so we had to make do with 3 flyover Snow Buntings, 1
Stonechat and a Greenshank on the pools. (Gadget &
Dylan)
Thursday
4th November 2004 Pegwell area
Down for 7.30am - the Dusky / Duskies were quiet at first but were
heard by 8.00am ish. There may have still been both birds today but they
were so skulking it was hard to say for definite? A quick circuit around
the chine / farm fields / bushes turned up a few Chiffchaff, a Blackcap
and a few Goldcrests also the odd Chaffinch, Skylark,
Mipits, Pied Wag etc over heading west plus a Lapland Bunting
west at 8.55am and a couple of Grey Wags. One of the patient
birders waiting for a decent view of the Dusk's had a flock of 20 Bramblings
over too. Hairy sent me a text message saying there was a Pallid Swift
heading roughly in my direction from North Foreland but unfortunately it
didn’t get to Peggers - though I did see 9 Swallows at Pegwell
today plus one near my house when I went back down in the afternoon. The
afternoon was glorious so I spent a couple of hours in the Bay from about
1.00pm. Lots of birds out on the mud including 6+ Egrets, 286 Curlew,
108 Barwit, 8 Blackwit, 4070 Lapwing, 4300 Golden
Plover, 920 Dunlin plus 246 Wigeon, 16 Teal, 6
Gadwall and 16 Teal loitered offshore, 10 Twite showed
and 2 first winter Caspian Gulls came in with tide - one had a
gammy right wing which it couldn’t fold away. Hardly regular but Caspian’s
are getting rather easy to get these days.
(Phil M)
Thursday 4th November 2004 Garden Dumpton
Thanet
A female /imm Merlin flew over the garden
at 16.25hrs - going to roost? (Dylan)
Thursday 4th November 2004 King George VI Park & Ramsgate
Harbour
A strange sort of a day. I had a walk around the circuit noting, the
first of 4, Sparrowhawk over West Dumpton Lane as I made my way to
King George VI Park. The park was generally quiet with just 14 Goldcrest,
1 Firecrest, 8 Chaffinches around the sycamores and
plantations, whilst small numbers of Goldfinch trickled
overhead. Continuing on towards Ramsgate Harbour I watched 6 Swallows
battle into the deteriorating weather and feared that the day was over
before it had begun! I was just starting to walk past Granville Marina
Court when I was hailed by two people, with binoculars, looking from a top
floor window. It turned out that they were watching a Water Rail scratching
about in a small fenced enclosure. The bird was obviously very tired,
having presumably arrived in/off, and it sought shelter in a tiny area of
vegetation right beside the main footpath. I managed to get a few pics
before the inevitable happened and a pedestrian flushed the bird further
into the compound and out of sight. Thanking the couple for their help, I
continued on to the harbour where I found 3 Kingfishers, but
precious little else. I made the effort to walk on passed the Port and
onto the Chine. I had a look around the bushes at Westcliff Terraces, then
made my way back towards home along the cliff-top, checking the various
greens as I went. A few crests and Pied Wagtails were all I
could manage. I had little time to check the park as I made my way back,
but added a few more Goldcrests and 2 large groups of Long-tailed
Tits around the gardens & Tennis Courts in Montifiore Avenue
and along Warten Road. Nothing too exciting, but better than watching the
tele! (Dylan)
Thursday 4th November 2004 Kingsgate & North Foreland
A Pallid Swift briefly over Kingsgate and again at North
Foreland before drifting off South this morning and Dusky Warbler
at North Foreland. Single Snow Bunting, 2 Black Redstarts,
usual Stonechats, Gold / Firecrest and flyover Redpolls /
Bramblings. (F Solly)
Wednesday
3rd November 2004 Pegwell area
Didn't get down until after 9.00am - had a quick look at the clifftop as
Craig had sent me a text saying there was a bit of vismig going on earlier
but very
little was going over so I moved on. I stopped off at the Hoverport where
Dylan was trying to photograph the Dusky. (No chance!) He thought
he had heard 2 birds - which as it turned out was correct as both birds
showed together at 9.45 - and both birds could be heard calling 30 yards
apart when I returned at 11.00ish.Anyway - after a quick whiz around the
pad (1 Greenshank,1 1st winter Med Gull, Merlin south
etc) I checked the beach then started my walk along the chine. Almost
immediately I saw 2 birds flying west along the cliff towards me - 1 a
Skylark and the other smaller thing I thought might have been a Lap
Bunt - then as it called certainly not a Lap - perhaps a Woodlark? I was
clutching at straws as it certainly wasn't a Woodlark - none of that
undulating small Woodpecker type flight?? By this time it was right
overhead, then past me - calling a couple more times
before the penny dropped ... It was a Short-Toed lark. It changed
direction as if it was going to come back towards me then flying over to
the field on the side of the main road near the Hoverport entrance where I
thought it was going to land. Unfortunately it didn't! Though the views
were a bit naff I have heard Short-Toed Lark in the past and was
sure it was one. A new bird for the area - the first new bird for a few
years I think? About time I suppose. I did a circuit of the fields for
very little - a single Firecrest the
only grounded thing - before deciding to go home for some din dins! A few Thrushes,
Corvids (4 jays/12 Jackdaws) and Pigeons (yuk!)
did fly over while I was wandering around the area. I went back after
dinner - stopping off at the west cliff/Park which was dead as a Dodo -
before going down to watch the incoming tide.13 Egrets, 24 Twite,2
Corn Bunting plus 4400 Lapwing,5170 Golden Plover,186
Grey Plover,790 Dunlin,121 Bar-Tailed and 2 Black-Tailed
Godwits on the mudflat. (Phil M)
Wednesday 3rd November 2004 Pegwell Hoverpad
After dropping Bev off, I headed to the Hoverpad
hoping to add Dusky Warbler to my year list. I could hear
the bird calling as I walked down the entrance slope, well over 100m away.
I was treated to a series of glimpses, before I realised that the bird I
was watching was not the same as the bird doing the calling! There were TWO
Dusky Warblers. Phil M joined me and was able to confirm the presence
of a second bird. I had good views of both birds, but was frustrated in my
attempts at getting any pics. Phil told me that FS had found a Desert
Wheatear at Warpole Bay, so having been unable to get any images for
the website, I headed off towards Cliftonville!
Wednesday 3rd November 2004 Warpole Bay to
Foreness Point
I parked my car outside the Warpole Bay Hotel and
walked towards the new medical centre, thus down onto the seawall. As I
passed the rear of the Hotel, a hard, tongue-clicking, double
"tik-tik" came from the dense hedge. Another Dusky Warbler!
This individual wasn't in the mood to allow anything but shadowy glimpses,
so I left it and went off in a vain search for the Wheatear.
Gadget, Craig & Dave Mairs were already around the area and had the
same negative news. A check of the "pitch & putt" area
revealed a nice male Black Redstart. There were 3 Mediterranean
Gulls, all adult winters & including the French ringed bird. A
winter plumaged male Long-tailed Duck was on the sea by the Water
Ski launch ramp, yet avoided all my attempts at getting an image. 2 Swallows
went east and a small number of Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches
were also noted. 3 Duskies in the same day, yet I got home totally
frustrated by my lack of pictures - hey ho! Such is life! (Dylan)
Wednesday 3rd November 2004 Warpole Bay &
Fairness area
Desert Wheatear 1st winter male, very obliging and viewed
down to 6 feet. 2 Snow Bunting, 8 Stonechat, a few Gold /
Firecrest in the bushes and a trickle of Redpoll and Brambling
flying over. (F Solly)
Tuesday
2nd November 2004 Pegwell area
Stopped off at the west cliff first - a few flocks of Thrushes over
(27 Fieldfare / 90 Redwing east) plus a Shore Lark
which attempted to land on the old pitch and putt greens before getting
reflushed by dog walkers at 9.15.The last I saw of it was it disappearing
into the gloom, flying west on the north side of the Park. Very little in
the way of grounded migrants - a
few Crests, a Chiffchaff (Wow!) etc. 4 Brambling
flew west over the chine and 4 Redpoll went east but other than the
odd Chaffinch, 3 Swallow, 20+ Meadow Pipits and a few
Skylarks the skies were poop! Good technical terminology is poop!
As I arrived on the Hoverport I could hear the Dusky Warbler ticking
about 70 yards away. (At 10.15) It showed well for about 20 minutes before
skulking about with just the odd call after that. There were lots of
Plovers about in the Bay - probably 5000+ Goldie’s and a
similar amount of Lapwing though only a small percentage of these
birds lingered as something flushed the group big time about 11.00ish.One
of the Greenshanks was still present in the Pad pools and I heard a
Spotted Redshank - but little else showed during the hour or
so I spent there. The incoming tide was a bit better numbers wise today
with an increase of Knot (260) and 92 newly arrived Ringed
Plovers. 86 Brent’s were out on the mud
plus during the morning I saw another 91 flying north and 35 heading
south. 21 Egrets is a mental amount for this time of the year too!
The only other bits I saw were a late Wheatear and at least 1 Snow
Bunting across on Shellness point. I am trying (unsuccessfully?) to be
upbeat about today - a bit
better I suppose? I am finding this autumn really hard work. Never mind
it's nearly over. (Phil M)
Tuesday 2nd November 2004 King George VI Park
Overcast and dank this morning, the fact that it had
been drizzling during the night was enough for me to forget sleep and make
an effort to walk to King George VI Park. The gulls on the Hugin
Vikings football pitch were nothing special, but did contain a Black-headed
Gull with a shiny new BTO-type bracelet. What a waste of effort when
it is un-readable in the field! I am certain that I flushed a Waxwing
from a Juniper along Warten Road, yet despite an intensive search of all
the likely spots, I was unable to relocate it. The park contained 60+ Goldcrest,
5 Firecrest, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Redwing and a female Sparrowhawk.
Blackbird numbers were, again, very high with 100+ birds feeding in
the leaf-mould and fringes of the playing field. There was a small, yet
steady, movement of Chaffinches overhead, but despite my high
hopes, I failed to find anything more exciting! (Dylan)
Monday
1st November 2004 Hover Pad
Phil
phoned me at 10.50hrs to say that he had a Dusky Warbler on the
Hover pad arrived at 11.20hrs and met up with Phil within two minutes the Dusky
Warbler was showing, despite my efforts he would not pose for the camera.
(Gadget)
Monday
1st November 2004 Pegwell area
Very little going on at first today - very little vismig (2 Brambling /a
few Greenfinch etc) hardly any Crests - awful. Surprising
given the weather we’ve had - plus on the way down I cycled through St
Lawrence Cemetery and there were quite a few Thrushes and there
were Crests calling all over the place (mainly Goldcrest but
at least 2 Firecrest) so i could hardly believe just how poor it
was. Anyway - after checking the west cliff I poked by bike in one of the
coastguard’s cottage gardens and had a wander along the chine. Lots of Blackbirds
about plus a few Hirundines flying east - 20+ Swallows and a single
House Martin there. Down on the hoverpad and three quarters of the
way around I heard what was obviously a Dusky Warbler calling from
thick hawthorn. As I waited for it to show - a Wren popped out into
view ... but it definitely wasn’t a Wren calling. Anyway - not to
worry after another flurry of ticking the birds showed in the top of the
bush and it was as I thought a Dusky Warbler. It was calling
frequently and for quite a while was mobile at first though eventually it
did settle down. Amazingly the forth Dusky Warbler in the last 4
autumns - with no previous records in the area. (Phil M)
Monday
1st November 2004 fields around Newlands Farm Thanet
I didn't have much time this morning so I walked the fields around
Newlands Farm. 6 Grey Partridges flushed from the footpath at the
end of Vine Close whilst 12 Skylarks and a single Meadow
Pipit were noted in the stubble field near Pyson's Road. In the
distance I watched 2 Crows in an aerial dispute with a small Sparrowhawk
(male?) and I managed to count 13 Goldcrests around the farm
perimeter and along the lane besides the playing field. Collared Dove
numbers have decreased significantly, with just 51 birds recorded today. 8
Stock Doves were a nice surprise, but it seems the bulk of the Feral
Pigeons from the town centers of Ramsgate & Broadstairs are
now feeding on the stubble, in two flocks, totaling 650+ birds! They look
quite spectacular as they fly around in a tight group whenever they
are disturbed. 4 Redwings, 5 Long-tailed Tits and 47 Blackbirds
made it into my notebook as did the 23 Lapwings and 17 Greenfinches
seen in flight as I made my way back home, having been flushed from
the fields further north. A couple of Pied Wagtails were feeding
along the rough track and a handful of Chaffinches were in the
hedge around the small yard, but that is as exciting as it got. (Dylan)
Sunday
31st October 2004 Jack Snipe Undisclosed site
I
had a Phone call lunch time to say, we think that there is a Jack Snipe
in our garden, Would you like to come over and confirm this and if you
wish you can take some photos. So here they are (Gadget)
Sunday
31st October 2004 Sandwich Bay
Went
over to Sandwich bay this morning to meet Graham at the Restharrow Scrape,
Walked along the Ancient Highway to Mary Bax plenty of Corn Buntings,
Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, 4 Stonechats, 60+Lapwings
over head going towards the SBBOT Graham arrived at 08,30hrs we walk to
the hide on the Scrape and observed 1 Pied Wagtail and lots of Sheep
we left the scrape and went over to the elms were we had 2 Goldcrest,
2 Great Tits, 4 Blue Tits, walking back to the car we had 2 Stonechats.
(Gadget)
