September 28th (Sandwich Bay)

Firecrest (male)

Light overcast,SE.(6:30am-1300)

Southeast winds can bring quality,but seldom big numbers.

Birds ringed - Firecrest (1),Chiffchaff (5),Blackcap (17),Swallow (1),Robin (3),Great Tit (2),Song Thrush (3).

September 21st (Sandwich Bay)

Chiffchaff

Light overcast,calm,light SW later. (6:am-1400).

On the way to Sandwich this morning I had a feeling it would be good.

Great catch this morning -  Blackcap (165),Chiffchaff (254),Reed Warbler (7),Meadow Pipit (31),Willow Warbler (1),Garden Warbler (1),Sedge Warbler (7),Blue Tit (2),Lesser Whitethroat (1),Robin (1),+ (2) controlled Chiffchaffs.

The fall was estimated to have involved (400) each of Blackcap and Chiifchaff,perhaps one of the largest falls of Warblers at the Bay in twenty years,The first Siskins of the autumn were also seen.

Chiffchaff (also below)

September 15th (Sandwich Bay)

Pied Flycatcher (young bird (3).

Clear and calm to start,wind picked up later,SW.(6:30-1300).

Good catch this morning under a clear sky.

Chiffchaff  (42),Common Whitethroat (2),Lesser Whitethroat (1),Sedge Warbler (3),Blackcap (79),Robin (2),Wren (1),Reed Warbler (2),Pied Flycatcher (1),Willow Warbler (3),Blue Tit (2),in all (140+).

 I also saw in the area singles of Sparrowhawk,Kestral,Hobby and Raven.



 

Blackcap (female)

September 14th (Oare Marshes)

The Spotted Crake was showing well (although always partly obscured by a reed or two),in the ditch by the east flood hide this morning.

September 10th

In all probability the bird the four us saw on Burrows Pit yesterday and thought was a Little Stint (seen on one of the far islands,so no real plumage details could be seen),was in fact a Semipalmated.

September 9th (Dungeness)

G W Egret

Mainly cloudy,with periods of rain,SW.

A brief look at the sea produced very little,save for a few passing Gannets.Although good numbers of gulls could be seen over the patch,with the onset of rain the four of us decided to make for the RSPB reserve,where we spent the remainder of our time,mainly keeping dry in the hides

Birds of note  - ARC Pit Garganey (1),BT Godwit (5),Dunlin (8),Marsh Harrier (1),Ringed Plovers and Lapwing.

Burrows Pit - Garganey (1),Common Sandpiper (2),B N Grebe (2),Raven (1),Ruff (1),Little Stint (1).

Dengemarsh - G W Egret (2),Marsh Harrier (1),Whinchat (1),Egyptian Goose (2),Hobby (1).

G W Egret

G W Egret

G W Egret

G W Egrets

Common Sandpiper

Common Sand piper

Common Sandpiper

Marsh Harrier

Not sure what the Harrier went down on,but it looked like a clump of grass !.

Garganey and Teal (Burrows Pit)

Garganey (ARC Pit)

September 9th (Sandwich Bay)

Green Woodpecker

(6:am-13:00).Clear,some wind later towards mid-day.
My alarm this morning went off at 4:45am and after a quick bite to eat I set off for Sandwich.I pulled up outside the obs at 6:00, just in time for the first net round.
Three of us processed probably getting on for one hundred  birds,of which three quarters must have been Blackcaps,the remaining birds were mostly Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

The above juvenile Green Woodpecker was caught in the Haven bushes towards the end of the session,where also a Spotted flycatcher had been present for most of the morning,successfully evading the net.

September 3rd (New Hythe)

Black-tailed Godwits (Eccles island creek area).

Bright,light overcast,calm. (8:am-10:am).

River (low) - Mallard (40),TEAL (1),Cormorant (7),Canada Goose (1),Grey Heron (3),Herring Gull (2),Black-headed Gull (45),COMMON SNIPE (1),BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (5).

East scrub - usual post breeding flock of mixed/warblers and tits,although of the warbler species only Blackcaps,Common Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats seen.

Nothing of note seen on either Brookland or Abbey Mead.

Black-tailed Godwits

PAST TIMES (September 3rd,1981)

Clear and warm.(New Hythe).

East scrub - Whinchat (4),Wryneck (1).

September 2nd (Oare Marshes)

Bright,moderate SW.(8:am-10:am).

Little Egret

Curlew Sandpipers and Dunlin

Redshank

Black-tailed Godwits

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Ruff and Redshank

September 1st (Sandwich Bay)

Young male Blackcap (3)

Clear to start,light overcast later,NW.(5:am-1200).

Quite a nice catch this morning,fewer Gardens Warblers about,but more Blackcaps and the first of the Chiffchaffs.

Birds ringed - Chiffchaff (2),Willow Warbler (5),Garden Warbler (1),Blackcap (27),Common Whitethroat (7),Lesser Whitethroat (5),Reed Warbler (9),Sedge Warbler (5),House Martin (6) + a few of the resident birds  re trapped ( Blackbirds,Blue Tit,Great Tits,Chaffinch and Greenfinch).

There was no sign of the Wryneck caught yesterday.

The above Blackcap has fault bars in the tail and across the wing.Fault bars are caused when the bird is in the nest (shortage of food).As a result there is a discoloration and sometimes a weakness at this point of growth.Lets hope the bird makes it all the way to the wintering grounds (southern Iberiia,northwest Africa.