Monday 28 September 2020

Seawatching Totals from Oare Marshes & Hampton Pier over the weekend

                         



                         

Great Skua from previous trip in 2018.

A long weekend of Seawatching at both Oare Marshes and Hampton Pier at various times and days was my schedule this weekend , here are my personal highlight  totals :


                                              24th September : Oare Marshes

                                                       8.am to 13.45 pm

                                      Early rain clearing on a strong NW wind


POMARINE SKUA       1 Juv      flew into Faversham creek

                               (New bird for my Oare Marshes bird list)

Great Skua     6+

Arctic Skua    1 Dark Phase

Arctic Tern     2+

Sandwich Tern  35+

Pintail  5+

Teal  100+

Eider  3  on sea near Castle Coote

Med Gull  1 Adult


                                                25th September  ;  Oare Marshes

                                                           7.45am to 10.20am

                                                              Strong NW wind


Great Skua  7+

Arctic Skua  1

Arctic Tern  1 juv

Sandwich Tern  5+

Wigeon  5+

Teal  5+

Hen Harrier  1 'Ringtail'     Flew up Faversham Creek then over East flood.

Merlin  1  over Swale

Marsh Harrier  2 over Swale

Egyptian Goose  6 flew over Swale towards Nagden


                                           25th September :  Hampton Pier

                                                   12.11pm to 17.35pm

                                                  Strong NNW wind


SOOTY SHEARWATER     1  East  picked up first by SC ,  good but distant views.

Manx Shearwater    4 west

LONG TAILED SKUA  1 juv west    in with a group of 4 Arctic Skuas

Arctic Skua  7+ west

Great Skua  15+  west

Black throated Diver 1 west       close in,  in partial summer plumage

Red Throated Diver   1 west

Sandwich Tern  15+ west

Kittiwake  1 adult west

Gannet      100+         mostly west & mostly juv birds

Common Scoter  6 east

Teal  5+  west

Brent Goose 1 west

Common Snipe  2 west

Golden Plover  20+ west


Probable Leach's Petrel  1 west. 

Really distant views of a Petrel species (as far out as the wind turbines)  and only got onto the bird late, flight pattern & size looked good, at that range can't think what else it could be ??


                    27th September :  Hampton Pier   (should have gone to Oare !!!) 

                                                       7am  to 9.30am

                                                    Strong NNW wind


Great Skua  2+  west

Arctic Skua  1   west

Fulmar    1         west

Gannet   50+      west

Little Gull  1 adult west    close in  only seen by AE.

Common Scoter  10+  west & east

Wigeon  25+  west

Teal  2+ west

Brent Goose  15+  west

Red Throated Diver  2 east


Fulmar from a previous trip in 2018.






Monday 14 September 2020

Top Kent Birding ......

                                       September  1st   : Oare Marshes


                                                     

                      American Golden Plover photo by AE


On the 1st September i joined AE at Oare marshes in the afternoon to check the waders on a rising tide, we had already seen 6 juv Curlew Sandpipers & 1 juv Little Stint amongst 100's of waders , they were all flushed by a Common Buzzard and we noticed  a small flock of  approx 20+ European Golden Plovers flying around the East flood with 100's of other waders .


AE soon went through them and picked out the American Golden Plover which was a really great find , we believe this is a returning bird and was first seen in 2018 , but this date is the earliest it's been recorded at Oare Marshes , (Oct 2018 & 7th Sept 2019).


                               

Grey Underwing seen in flight, Photo by AE.                                    


Broad white supercilium & dark cap obvious at rest. 

Many thanks to AE for the use of his photos and once again congratulations on a great find.


                            September 6th :  Swalecliffe  


So on a  Sunday morning at approx 7am i was stood by the football pitch at Swalecliffe, joined by AE, SA & 2 other birders i don't know , we waited patiently in the hope the Wryneck would appear , anyhow at about 8.05am one of the birders i don't know called us all over and thankfully the Wryneck put on a wonderful show.

                                                 




 


Wryneck looking for Ants.  

Many thanks to the guys who birdwatch this area ie : GB , AT  et all, they do a great job watching this site in difficult circumstances (if you been to the site you know what i mean), but they always share there finds with everyone which i for one certainly appreciate . 

           September 6th  :  My Garden     


After the excitement of seeing the Wryneck at Swalecliffe i went home and spent an hour or so in my back garden and was delighted to see & hear  10+ Siskin fly over and they become the 60th bird species seen in or from my garden.


September 10th :  Worth Marshes

On Thursday 10th i paid a visit to Worth marshes in the afternoon and had some really great views of the 2 juv Pectoral Sandpipers which have been visiting a small pool by the Great Wood, here are a small selection of photos i took (all digi scoped).

Both Pectoral Sandpipers together.


Pectoral Sandpiper with a Ruff.



Pectoral Sandpiper.

Many thanks to Andrew.L. who found these superb birds plus gave me some onsite directions, much appreciated.