September 30th (Oare marshes)

They say third time lucky,well it certainly was in my case.I arrived at Oare at 0800 but it wasn`t until about 11.00 that the White-rumped Sandpiper was located roosting amongst a flock of Golden Plover on one of the islands in the east flood.Not long after it flew quite close to the road and fed in the company of a Curlew Sandpiper for about ten minutes before flying off to the west.However it did return and went down again on the east flood but unfortunately was then lost.

Other highlights were four Hobbies and eight Buzzards.All eight Buzzards were seen in the air together over the marshes to the west of the road.

The white- rumped Sandpiper was located in a roost of Golden Plover.

At one time four were seen in the air together.

September 25th (Dungeness)

On the way back from Rye Jeanette and I looked in on Dungeness.I wanted to see if I could find the Lapland Bunting which has been spending time on the beach between the fishing boats and the point.I didn`t hold out much hope of finding it in the time I had available but I had been told earlier it spends quite a bit of time feeding under parked cars.I walked up the concrete track away from the boats towards the point.On the way I flushed about ten Linnets but there was no sign of the Bunting.On reaching the end of the track and with time running short I turned to head back,but just as I turned it came out from under a car and from then on gave excellent views at close range.

September 24th (New Hythe)

Cloudy with some rain.8:am-9:am I only walked as far as the river and Abbey Mead this morning.Three Pochard on the lake were the first this autumn,but there was no sign of the Wigeon Phil had seen there during the week.Along the river I had (21) Mallard,(6) Teal,(4) Stock Dove,(5) Heron and (1) male Sparrowhawk.

September 22nd (Oare marshes)

Clear and warm 0800-1415. I went to Oare again today but still failed to connect with the White- rumped Sandpiper.Its either moved on or waited until I had gone home again before showing. Although I was disappointed in not seeing the Sandpiper I still had a very enjoyable days bird-watching,with plenty to see and keep me occupied.Oare must be one of the best bird-watching localities in the County at the moment.

Birds I noted - Grey Heron (8) Little Egret (6) Little Grebe (4) ,Sparrowhawk(1) Marsh Harrier (2),Peregrine (1) Kestral (1) Hobby (1) Water Rail (1) Cuckoo (1) BT Godwit (800+) Bartailed (4) Redshank (100+) Greenshank (1) Turnstone (1) Avocet (37) Dunlin (80+) Little Stint (4) Ringed Plover (20+) Curlew Sandpiper (2) Ruff (10+) Golden Plover (400) Bearded Tit (2) Cetti`s (1) Yellow wagtail (2) Shoveler (35) (Teal) Shelduck,Linnet (4) and Reed Bunting (10).

A Sparrowhawk put the roost to flight several or more times.

A bird I first took to be a Sparrowhawk flying low over the reeds turned out to be a Cuckoo.

September 20th.

I had a Chiffchaff in the garden this morning feeding in the Buddleia bushes.Considering the large numbers of passage birds in the County at the moment I wasn`t that surprised to see it.

September 19th.

I went to Oare this morning hoping to see the Spoonbills and W R Sandpiper that are frequenting the area.As it happens I saw neither species.The Spoonbills were probably out on the Swale some where and as for the W R it had got lost in the B T Godwit flock just before I had arrived.I stayed around until about 11:am and then had to leave.What`s the bet it was relocated no sooner than I had gone.

During the afternoon I looked in on Halling Common and the pools at Cuxton.Both areas proved to be very quite.At Halling (1) Little Eget,(1) Great crested Grebe and (20) Swallows were the only birds of note seen and at Cuxton just (1) Little Egret,(2) Grey Herons and 6 Mallard.

September 11th -17th (Cornwall)

Jeanette and I spent last week in a farm cottage just north of St Cleer,which is on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

I came out of the cottage looked up and saw these two Buzzards low overhead,quickly fired off a few shots only to find out I had used the wrong exposure and iso speed.The reason being I had just come back from taken pics of the Dipper in low light and had forgotten to reset the camera.

The Blue and Great Tit pics were taken in in the cottage garden.

Our cottage was only a few minutes away from the Golitha falls.Although we visited the place most days it wasn`t until our last day in Cornwall that I managed to see a Dipper.

No trip to Cornwall would be complete without a sea-watch at St Ives.

On arriving at the watch point I was told a Sabine`s Gull had just passed.Although I stayed for two hours between 1200-1400 hoping it would reappear or another pass by,it wasn`t to be. Birds I did see were Gannets,Manx Shearwaters,Kittiwakes,Cormorants,Shags,Little Gulls and Fulmars.

September 9th.

I popped into the lakes for about thirty minutes this morning and saw my first Gadwall of the autumn on Johnson`s lake,a drake.

During the afternoon between 1300-1400 there was a small movement of Swallows over the garden all heading SW (22) birds,seeing as it was a very restricted view many more must have past over on a broader front.

September 7th (New Hythe)

Bright,but with some rain. 10:am-11:30am.

The best bird this morning was a Hobby seen over Brookland lake,it then headed off in the direction of the river.Two Cett1`s Warblers were heard calling from close by in the sunken marsh and a mixed Tit flock was pulling along (1) Common Whitethroat and (3) Chiffchaffs in the nearby hawthorns.On Abbey Mead the Tufted Duck flock totalled (83) birds,a week or more ago there was only (20).On the river which was nearing high tide (6) Herons and 2 Mute Swans were in the area of Eccles creek along with (2) Stock Doves and a Common Sandpiper.Unfortunately by the time I had reached the scrub area the rain had started to fall and little else was then noted apart from (60) Canada Geese and 40 Greylag on Johnsons lake.I was hoping this morning to find a few Pochard on one of the lakes,usually by this time they have arrived.

At 1300 I had (3) Common Buzzards high over the garden which drifted off east.

PAST TIMES (SEPTEMBER 1980)

WILDFOWL Pochard (6) New Hythe 14th (85) by 29th.Shoveler (1) New Hythe 2nd.WADERS Green Sandpiper (1) New Hythe 22d.Snipe (2) New Hythe 22nd.TERNS Common Tern (7) New Hythe 23rd.Black Tern (21) New Hythe 17th (3) 19th (2) 26th.THRUSHES/CHATS Fieldfare an early bird at New Hythe 8th.Whinchat (2) New Hythe 8th (1) 22nd.Wheatear (1) New Hythe 22nd.HIRUNDINES Swallow (250) at the Holborough roost 9th.Sand Martin (1000) at the roost 9th.Swift (1) New Hythe 9th.WAGTAILS Pied Wagtail (120) at the Holborough roost 12th.Yellow Wagtail (15) at the roost 12th.Tree Sparrow (2) west over New Hythe 29th.

September 6th (Halling Common)

Quite bright with a light easterly 8:am-10:am.river - nearing high tide.

Birds noted during my walk this morning were - Wheatear (1) Stonechat (1) a different bird from the one seen on the 24th,Whinchat (2) Yellowhammer (2) Common Whitethroat (6) Lesser Whitethroat (1) Chiffchaff (1) Great Tit (3) Blue Tit (6) L T Tit (6) Common Sandpiper (1) Reed Bunting (2) Stock Dove (2) G B B Gull (2) and Snipe (1) the last named was the first this autumn.

September 4th (Sandwich Bay)

I spent the morning and early afternoon ringing at Sandwich Bay.The easterly wind had brought good numbers of Chats to the estate with at least 30 Wheatears and 27 Whinchats,many of these could be seen on the fences bordering the golf course along with a Wryneck which was first found yesterday and 1 Common Redstart.Two Hobbies were also seen in the area.

Birds ringed included at least 40 Blackcaps,3 Garden Warblers,1 Sedge Warbler,3 Reed Warblers,1 Jackdaw,1 Redstart,1 Wheatear,1 Goldcrest,1 Grasshopper Warbler and 3 Common Whitethroats.

September 3rd (New Hythe)

I was ringing in the west scrub between 6:am-8:am.clear very light east (1 x 30ft)

Birds ringed - Blackcap (3) Great Tit (1) Blue Tit (1) and L T Tit (2).

I had two retrapped L T Tits both birds were ringed in the west scrub a juvenile on the 22 06 10 and a adult on the 05 05 09.

Birds that I saw included - Nightingale (1) Common Whitethroat (1) Robin (4) and Green Woodpecker (2).

September 1st (Leysdown and Halling)

Clear and bright.I had a very quick look at Halling Common between 10:30am-11:30am.Birds of note that I saw were - Whincchat (1) Wheatear (1) Lesser Whitethroat (1) Common Whitethroat (3) Blackcap (1) Chiffchaff (1) Reed Warbler (1) and Little Egret (1).

Clear,very light east.

I was up at Leysdown (Coastal Park) by 5:30am this morning in the hope that the easterly wind had brought in some migrants.I only managed to put up just two nets any more would have been asking for trouble now that many more dog walkers are using the area.In the old days I sometimes put up as many as eight without any trouble.Was there a fall No...all that I caught was one Blue tit.Birds that I saw in the park included just - Common Whitethroat (2) Lesser Whitethroat (1) Blue Tit (10) Linnet (12) Blackbird (1) Blackcap (1) and Robin (1).On the sea Sandwich Terns were much in evidence early on and later during the morning a Marsh Harrier was seen over the fields looking out towards Capel fleet.