July 30th.

Purple Heron (Oare marshes

July 30th.

Scarce emerald damselfly (Oare marshes)

July 30th (Oare Marshes)

Looking across the Swale to Harty.

(08:30-12:30) sunny with a refreshing SW breeze (high tide around 10:00).

This morning I walked around Oare marshes with Bob Bland.We saw a total of (45) species of bird,the best  by far being a PURPLE HERON.We watched it fly in from the east (maybe it was the Grove Ferry bird) and then drop down towards the back of the west flood.

Birds that we saw - Purple Heron,Grey Heron (3),Little Egret (5),Cormorant,Turnstone (6 Swale),Curlew (Swale),Whimbrel (6 Swale),Common Buzzard (2 Harty),Kestral (2 Harty), Marsh Harrier (2 Harty), Linnet ,Oystercacher,Redshank (100+),Greenshank (4),Ruff (1) Dunlin (20+),Avocet (100+),Common Tern (6),B T Godwit (800+),Golden Plover (50+),Mute Swan,Wood Pigeon,Turtle Dove (1),Coot,Moorhen,Water Rail (1),B h Gull,YELLOW-LEGGED HERRING GULL (1),Meadow Pipit,Yellow Wagtail (1),Swallow (4),Bearded Tits + young,Lapwing,Reed Warbler,Sedge Warbler,Pied Wagtail (1),Mallard,Greylag,House Sparrow,Green Woodpecker,Pochard (family),Wigeon (1),Herring Gull,Starling,Snipe (1).

We also saw - Small Skipper,Small White,Meadow Brown,Gatekeeper and Scarce Emerald damselfly (2).

B T Godwit

Ruff

Golden Plover

Grenshanks and BT Godwits

July 23rd (Sheppey)

At long last,a sunny and warm day.
This morning I spent about one hour along the Elmley track.

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

Yellow wagtail (immature)

July 18th.

I managed to get my garden net up several times during the week,catching ( 2 juv) and (11 ad) Goldfinch,(2) House Sparrows and (2 juv) and (1ad Greenfinch.The last time I caught Greenfinches in the garden was way back in 2005.Lets hope this is a good sign and the species is on the up.

This morning I did some more reed bed netting,but only managed two hours before the wind became too strong.My catch was just (2) adult Reed Warblers,still no juveniles.A bird ringer in the southwest has also reported no juveniles in his acro catches.

The Blackbirds in our garden are about to fledge their second brood.

July 10th (New Hythe)

Common Tern (Brookland)

Just forty species seen this morning,birds of note being - (1) Kingfisher,(1) Kestral,(3) Cetti`s Warbler,(1) Turtle Dove,(1) Hobby and (1) Common Tern.

July 4th (Holborough)

At long last,a break from the horrible weather gave me the chance this morning to put up some nets.In the past reed bed ringing has always provided a good catch,however this morning all that I caught was (1) juv Cetti`s Warbler and a Blue Tit,re trap.I`m hoping this was just a very slow session and next time things will improve.Certainly though with all the bad weather during May and June,many of the first nesting attempts must have failed.
While I was there I noted (1) Hobby,(4) Oystercatchers,(9) Mute Swans,(1) Treecreeper and (2) Water Rail.

During the afternoon I saw (6) adult Med Gulls drifting west over Maidstone.

July 1st (Holborough marsh)

I had intended to try and do some ringing this morning,but the windy conditions saw me walking around Holborough marsh instead (6:30am-8:am).
I managed to see (34) species,the most notable being - Sparrowhawk (1),Water Rail (2),Cetti`s Warbler (2),Oystercatcher (3),Bullfinch (4),Lapwing (6),Turtle Dove (1),Swift (20) and Med Gull (1).