Tuesday 26 November 2013

November 26th (Oare marshes)

Water Rail
Pintail
This morning six of us spent a very pleasant morning at Oare marshes.After finding just over sixty species, including (5) Twite,we enjoyed a very nice lunch at the Castle Inn (Oare village).

Birds of note - Twite 5,which flew up from the salt marsh just south of the hide overlooking the mud flats),Peregrine 2,Marsh Harrier 2,Pintail 18,Rock Pipit 1,Linnet 2,Reed Bunting 50+,Song Thush 2,Cetti`s Warbler 2,Water Rail 3,Bearded Tits,Common Snipe 40+,Avocet 170+,Golden Plover 2,000+,Red-breasted Merganser 1 drake,Dunlin 100+,Knot 30,Grey Plover 2,Turnstone 4,Bar-tailed Godwit 3,Black-tailed Godwits 100s,Curlew 20 and  Brent Geese 100s.

There was a good number of seals hauled out on the sand bank in the Swale,at least thirty +.

No wonder I havn`t had any Reed Buntings in our Garden so far this winter !.
Little Egret
Teal
Teal

Monday 25 November 2013

November 25th.

I went out this morning trying to find a HOOPOE that Jeremy Hall had seen yesterday in the Sandy lane area of Snodland.However,despite me spending a good three hours looking,there was no sign of it.

Yesterday,Jeremy last saw the bird flying towards the sand quarry.If its feeding a lot down in there,it could well remain hidden for long periods of time.I walk our dogs in Sandy lane most mornings,so I think Jeremy was a very lucky boy to have seen it.Of course,it may well have been a bird just passing through,but I would have thought at this time of the year its been around in the area for a while.

Saturday 16 November 2013

November 16th (Sandwich Bay)

Water Rail (3),a young bird)
Clear skies,cold,light NW.(7:am-1300).

Good mixed catch this morning,including a Water Rail caught in the heligoland trap.

Water Rail  (1)                    
Chaffinch  (3) + (1) retrap
Goldfinch   (1)
Great Tit   (1)
Wren   (2)
Blackbird  (1) retrap
Blue Tit   (1)
Chiffchaff   (3)
Lesser Redpoll   (136) + (5) Brit control and one from Norway.
Common Redpoll  (8) + (1) Brit control.
Siskin   (2)
Goldcrest (1)
Greenfinch (2) + (1) Brit control.
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
Lesser Redpoll (leucistic,plumage),could be past over for a Common Redpoll,if seen in the field.

Monday 11 November 2013

November 10th (Sandwich Bay and Oare Marshes)

Great Tit (male) a probable Continental bird,being more towards grey and overall less bright than our birds.
Lesser Redpoll (adult male)

Sunday 10 November 2013

I went to Sandwich  Bay this morning.I was hoping that I might get to ring a few Redpolls,which over the past week or more have been passing through in quite good numbers.However when I arrived there was a rather strong northerly blowing and it didn`t look that promising,which it proved to be.

Birds ringed -  Lesser Redpoll (2),only
                       Blackbird (2)
                       Robin (1)
                       Chaffinch (1)
                       Great Tit (1)

On the way back home I looked in on Oare Marshes (KTNC)


Oare Marshes.

On the east flood close to the road was a nice Spotted Redshank.

Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Spotted Redshank
When I arrived at the marsh,the sun was already quite low in the sky and the light on the birds was fantastic.
Ruff
Ruff
Robin

Saturday 9 November 2013

PAST TIMES (1969)

November 8th,cloudy,though with some bright periods,cold.

 New Hythe,Brookland lake -water level,nice and low,birds seen - Water pipit (1),Meadow pipit (9),Pied Wagtail (5),Grey Wagtail (1),Lapwing (20),Green Sandpiper (1),Jack Snipe (2),Common Snipe (3),Dunlin (5), nearby - Stonechat (2,pair),Linnet (20),Goldfinch (50),Greenfinch (40) and a mixed flock of (100),House and Tree Sparrows.

I then went over the railway and walked across the area to the lakes at Leybourne,noting on the way,Pochard (6),Mistle Thrush (5),Song Thrush (6),another Grey Wagtail(Mill stream) and a flock of Fieldfare (20),which passed over quite low going in a westerly direction.

Castle lake - Willow Tit (2),Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (1),Bullfinch (5),Siskin (30)and Canada Goose (2).A road is now being constructed through the area (M20),no Grebes were seen on either lake and only a few Coot were present.

Feeding in the fields to the west of the lakes,were (100s),of Rooks and Jackdaws,with many more in the air as far as the eye could see,I also saw at least (50) Skylark.

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Friday 1 November 2013

November 1st.


Immature Peregrine,photographed this morning on a pylon between Snodland and Paddlesworth.