Great Week for Waders at Oare Marshes & Pegwell Bay

                                                 12th July 2018 : Oare Marshes

                                                               
                                                                  

Black winged Stilt.

This last week at Oare Marshes & Pegwell Bay has been a really great period to see various wader species , all at local sites .

The family party of  Black winged Stilts (2 ads & 2 juvs) were still present at Oare marshes  on the 12th July in all their glory, these exotic birds were really putting on a show for all who came to see them.

Black winged Stilt not happy with this Coot.

There was also an adult Temminck's Stint present on the 12th and although distant at first it eventually came closer near the pull-in and showed really well through the scope.

Temminck's Stint.

The water levels are really good at Oare Marshes and it is attracting lot's of various wader species and this time of year anything can turn up !!!

The Bonaparte's Gull was still present on the East flood and whilst watching this i could hear Turtle Doves 'Purring' from the paddocks.

Bonaparte's Gull on East Flood.

19th July :  Pegwell Bay

Pectoral Sandpiper.

News of a Pectoral Sandpiper in the pool near the garage at Pegwell Bay on the 18th had me heading there the very next morning , i initially saw it out in the middle of the pool  near a Redshank and whilst saying hello to Andy Lipczynski the Pectoral Sandpiper  had flown closer to where we were standing and gave some incredible views.

Lovely markings.

Face on.

Pectoral Sandpiper flying closer.

Even though the light wasn't that great for photography (that is my default excuse for all my photos !!!) the bird gave fantastic views through the scope, i did some digi scope photography and these are the results.

Yawning.

Having a stretch.

Pectoral Sandpiper.

21st July 2018  :  Oare Marshes

Adult White rumped Sandpiper

I received a phone call early Saturday morning informing me of an adult White rumped Sandpiper on the East flood at Oare marshes , so once again i headed straight there.

I walked around to the Faversham creek side and joined regular Oare birders MW, RR & Co and was put onto the White rumped Sandpiper , although it was distant and amongst lot's of waders every so often it did show well and great views through the scope were had.

White Rumped Sandpiper in with all these waders.

I never got any decent photos of the WRS but with patience looking through the scope i saw it really well , what a smart bird it is to, great find by Steve Clinch.

The Black winged Stilt family had departed Oare marshes but there was still a great selection of wader species , i personally saw 15 different species of wader, highlights including 2 ad Curlew Sandpipers, 2 ad Knot , Little Ringed Plover , Whimbrel and the ad Temminck's Stint was also still present.

Black Winged Stilt Family make it to Oare Marshes

                                              5th July 2018  : Oare Marshes


                                                                       

Black Winged Stilt.

On Thursday the 5th July news of a family party of Black winged Stilts had appeared at Oare marshes , so without haste i headed straight there and although they were not in view at first they flew up from the south west lagoon and  landed in the South east corner , i made my way around towards the sluice and met up with MW and had decent scope views of this superb family of Black winged Stilts comprising of 2 Ad & 2 Juvs.

♂ Black winged Stilt.

I was informed that they had successfully bred in a private location on Sheppey (i had heard rumors of this a few weeks before) , so i am absolutely delighted to see the family party here.

♂ & ♀ Black winged Stilt.

2 Juvenile Black winged Stilts.

The light wasn't great for photography but i really did enjoy just watching these stunning looking birds , hopefully they will stick around for awhile so others can see them to.

Black winged Stilt.

2nd July 2018  : Kilnsea Wetlands & Beacon Ponds

Avocet.

On Monday the 2nd July i was invited to Kilnsea Wetlands & Beacon ponds in the hope of seeing the Squacco Heron , although i have seen 2 before in the UK (Kent & Somerset) and plenty abroad i fancied a days birding and seeing yet another Squacco Heron would be great to.

Avocet coming into land.

A long story short we didn't see the Squacco Heron but had a great days birding with 100+ Little Gulls with most of them being adult birds , truly an amazing sight.

Huge numbers of Little Gull.

Adult Little Gull.

Little Gulls in flight.

There was plenty of waders around including some close views of Avocet, i also added my first Curlew Sandpiper of the year , plenty of Redshank, Dunlin and a single Knot were all seen.

Whilst scanning through the Black headed Gulls, Sandwich Terns & Little Gulls something seemed to spook them and they all took to the sky and i got onto a superb Roseate Tern which flew right towards us and flew over our heads calling .

Adult Roseate Tern.

A really enjoyable days birding at one of the UK's premier sites.

The Return of the Bonapartes ..... at Oare Marshes

                            7th June 2018 : Oare Marshes


                                                                           

Adult Bonaparte's Gull.

Yesterday the 7th June news reached me that the Bonaparte's Gull was back at Oare Marshes for incredibly it's 6th summer running , first being seen in 2013 in 1st summer plumage ,  i couldn't get there straight away but eventually i got there at 10am and quickly joined MW & KP along the sea wall.

Doing a little jump.

I was soon looking at the adult summer Bonaparte's Gull in pristine plumage (probably the best condition i have seen it), deep red legs , dark black velvet head , white eye crescents & black bill , we also noticed a reddish coloured orbital eye ring / iris.

It was feeding ever so well and washed every worm before eating it compared to the Black headed Gulls which just scoffed down the worms straight away.

Eating a juicy worm.

Great wing pattern.

The Bonaparte's Gull flew to the East Flood every now and again for a brief time to presumably bathe before returning to the mud on the Swale for more worms.

In flight.

Adult Bonaparte's Gull.

There was also an adult Mediterranean Gull nearby which are also cracking birds to see.

Adult Mediterranean Gull.

I had a quick look over the East flood which was quiet other than a close Grey Heron and good numbers of Gadwall.

Flyover Gadwall.

Grey Heron.

1st June 2018 :  Oare Marshes

Great White Egret.

Hearing news of a Great white Egret on the East flood i headed straight there as i have never seen one at Oare Marshes before.

As i parked up in the pull-in i instantly saw the GWE walking around the East flood quite close to the road , it was quite surreal as i was the only one watching it , it would have created quite alot of excitement amongst the birding community only a few years back , but like Little Egret they are much more common place these days.

Great white Egret.

I watched the GWE for sometime before it wandered out to the middle of the flood and eventually it flew towards the Swale where it dropped down near the waters edge.

Whilst watching the GWE i also saw several Little Egrets including one which flew quite close to me.

Little Egret.

I also saw 100+ Black tailed Godwits and a single Avocet having a drink before being disturbed by a Cormorant which promptly landed where the Avocet was drinking.

Cormorant having a wing stretch.

It was a day of large birds at Oare marshes especially when this Grey Heron flew over my head and landed behind me.

Grey Heron.

Great Reed Warbler makes it onto my Kent Bird List...

30th May 2018  Dungeness Arc 

Great Reed Warbler from Hanson hide.

Regular readers of my blog know that i am often off on far flung twitches all over the country in the hope of seeing new & wonderful birds , however when i have been on these trips in the past i have often missed some great birds in my home county of Kent.

Although i am still prone to long trips (people keep tempting me , you know who you are ...) for new birds i decided a couple of years back to try and spend more time local birding and have seen some truly great birds in Kent as a result and in the process added some new birds to my Kent bird list.

Singing it's heart out.

Well yesterday the 30th May was one of those occasion's i added a new bird to my Kent bird list in the form of a Great Reed Warbler singing & showing well from the Hanson hide at Dungeness , i have dipped a couple of these in Kent in the past so when news came out yesterday morning i jumped in the car and headed straight there.

Steep forehead.

The news was negative when i arrived , it had not been seen or heard for an hour although it was still thought to be present , i gave it about  an hour then decided to try and see the adult Rose Coloured Starling which was only just down the road and come back later in the afternoon when hopefully the GRW would perhaps be more active.

Rose Coloured Starling.

Rose Coloured Starling's are absolutely delightful looking birds and i was really pleased i went to see this one, it was feeding by some feeders near some ones garden and i asked if it was OK to view and they couldn't be more helpful , many thanks to the homeowner.

I also saw a distant ♂ Black Redstart on the roof of another building,  there was also a large number of Starling's with plenty of young birds.

Juvenile & adult Starling.

Whilst watching these news broke that the Great Reed Warbler was again back in front of the Hanson hide , so i headed there and enjoyed some very prolonged views and added this bird to both my Kent & Dungeness bird lists. Here are some digi scoped photos of the GRW.

Having a preen

In full song

Great Reed Warbler.

27th May  2018  :  Bishopstone 

Adult Rose coloured Starling.

News on the the 26th May of an adult Rose coloured Starling at Bishopstone made up my mind to pop over there the next morning and try and see this superb looking bird , when i arrived i was told that i had missed it by approx 5 minutes (don't you just love that saying, 'it was here 5 minutes ago').

On top of a pine tree.

Well i had a walk round and eventually saw it first on top of a TV aerial and then on top of a pine tree , it often dropped down in to gardens to feed and was quite elusive.

Rose-Coloured Starling.

Although the light was awful for photographs this bird was a lovely coloured bird and a welcome addition to my Reculver bird list.

25th May 2018  :  Dungeness

Spotted Flycatcher.

On the 25th May i went to Dungeness for some birding and more or less the first bird i saw was a Spotted Flycatcher in the Old lighthouse gardens , in fact i saw 2 Spotted Flycatchers there and another birder informed me there was probably 3 birds as one had flown before i got there.

Cracking bird.

I could have watched these all day , however i dragged myself away and ended up at Dungeness Rspb reserve , there was lot's of Common Tern's on the islands plus a nice selection of waders : 2 Grey Plovers , Whimbrel, Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 4+ Dunlin , 2 Ringed Plover & 1 Common Sandpiper .

Common Sandpiper.

I walked around to the Firth hide and first there was 1 and then later 3 Little Gulls.

3 Little Gulls.

There was quite a selection of birds at Dungeness today and i added a brief flight view of a Bittern near the Arc pits plus Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat & 3 Avocets were all seen there.