April 29th (New Hythe)

All my photo`s of Cetti`s Warbler in the past have been poor.Mainly these are of birds partly hidden by vegetation or of birds taken in poor light.Then on two consecutive days it all falls into place!.

April 28th (New Hythe)

Pied Flycatcher

A good morning was had with my camera on the edge of the east scrub,but this was topped by a excellent session with a Pied Flycatcher late in the afternoon.The bird had been found in the SE corner of Brookland lake during the morning and was still showing well up to 1900.

My thanks to Phil,who let me know of the birds presence.

This is as far as I know the first record since two were seen in September 1983.This is another species which has probably been overlooked.

Cetti`s Warbler (two birds were in territorial dispute on the edge of the west scrub and gave excellent views.

Good numbers of Whitethroats have now returned,with at least three pairs in the east scrub.Also in the east scrub I saw and heard my first Garden Warbler this spring.Little did I know that if I had walked a little further in I would have seen at least two Wheatear that had been reported there.

April 22nd (New Hythe)

April 17th (New Hythe)

Nightingale

Clear,cold,light westerly.

Birds of interest seen or heard this morning were -2 Sedge Warblers,1 in the NW corner of Brookland lake and the other at the northern end of Abbey Mead.Two Lesser Whitethroats,1 Common Buzzard,3 Reed Warblers,2 Water Rails (Sunken marsh and Kidney lake and a nice mixed flock of 200+ House Martins and Sand over Brookland Lake.

More Nightingales have arrived.

April 16th (Oare marshes)

Jeanette and I had a quick look at Oare marshes this morning.It was nice to see the Black-tailed Godwits in different stages of plumage.

April 15th (New Hythe)

Nightingale (Brook House)

This morning I retrapped a male Nightingale L563452.In what I call the Water Treatment entrance territory.

Ringed  10 09 2010  Icklesham,East Sussex (age,hatched in 2010).probably about to leave the country via the south coast.

Controlled  14 04 2014 Leybourne,Country Park  (Water Treatment entrance territory).

Retrapped  24 04 2015 Leybourne Country Park       - - - - - -  - - - - - -  - - - - - - - -

Retrapped  15 04 2016 Leybourne Country Park       - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

April 14th (New Hythe)

Treecreeper (Brook House)

Since my last visit a few days ago more Nightingales have arrived.In the Brook House area this
morning there was at least 3 singing males,possibly 4.One of these birds was singing in a territory that last year was used by my oldest ringed Nightingale of eight years T677063.I erected a net and fifteen minutes later I had the bird in my hand.Unfortunately it was not the bird that if it had returned would now be nine,but a male hatched last year.I have not yet given up hope.He has over the years moved within the Park three times.last year he missed the BTO record for oldest ringed Nightingale by one month and nineteen days.

Although I only had the net up for twenty minutes I caught three more birds.A pair of Great Tits and a Treecreeper,the  last of which was a nice surprise.I also heard a Cuckoo calling over towards the river,my first for the year.

April 7th (New Hythe)

Willow Warbler and Grey Wagtail

Rather cold this morning,W.

A Green Sandpiper was seen along the river.Where close by at Brooklands 10 Swallows and 1 House Martin were catching insects high above the lake.At Brook House 2 Nightingales were singing intermittently and a Willow Warbler was seen in the the West Scrub.

I could find no sign of Tuesday`s Black Redstart,but I did see a nice Grey Wagtail.

April 5th (Dungeness)

Brent Geese

Light overcast,cool,W.

I was back at Dungeness again today with Bob Bland and friends.We first looked at the sea (0905-0950).

Black-throated Diver 1 E

Great Northern Diver 1 E

Common Scotor 5 E

Sandwich Tern 7 W

Common Tern 2 W

Brent Goose 18 + 100 E

Great Crested Grebe  6 W

Next stop was at the New Diggings.Where we found 2 B N Grebes and 1 Slavonian.

On the pools just past the entrance to the reserve.We saw a male and female Smew,along with 5 Little Egrets and 2 singing Sedge Warblers.The only other birds of note we saw was a single Swallow which flew through and a singing Willow Warbler.

We went back home via Walland Marsh.Stopping off to look at the Tree Sparrows.

Tree Sparrows,an increasingly rare sight in Kent (Walland Marsh)

Later during a ringing session at New Hythe.I ringed my earliest Nightingale on record.The bird proved to be a (5) male (hatched in 2015).It was still carrying some fat reserves (22.7g).

I see on the K 0 S database that a male Black Redstart was seen today on the Paper Mill buildings at Brookland.Myself and several others regular birders have been looking out for this species there this spring.So well done to Kevin Morris who found the bird.Lets hope it finds a mate,as the only other regular nesting site I knew of in the area (Halling cement works) is now a new housing estate.

April 4th (New Hythe)

Blackcap (Blooklands) and Oystercatchers (river)

I had a quick look at the river this afternoon,which was on the way out,I saw - 3 very noisy Oystercatchers (last year on the 9th,I saw 3 doing the same exact thing). 6 Teal,8 mallard and 2 G B B Gulls.

On my way back to Brookland`s car park I met Glenn,Who told me he had seen and heard a Nightingale this morning at Brook House (a nice early record,possibly the earliest).One was seen last year on the 9th.Twenty minutes later I heard the bird briefly for myself (1600-1630).Thanks Glenn.

April 3rd (New Hythe)

Common Buzzards

Clear and warm,light SW.

I had a quick walk around New Hythe this morning.Seeing or hearing amongst others - 6 Blackcaps,7 Chiffchaffs,4 Cetti`s Warblers,1 Grey Wagtail,1Water Rail and 2Common Buzzards.

The best bird however was a very elusive Sedge Warbler at Brooklands.This is a nice early record of this increasingly uncommon bird at New Hythe.

Yesterday (2nd) Glenn Honey saw from the Bucket Wood a Short-eared Owl flying over Burham marsh .This is as far as I know the first record for New Hythe for over twenty five years.

During the afternoon I saw four more Common Buzzards in the area of Snodland and Paddlesworth.

I saw my first Clouded Yellows of the year along Sandy lane,Snodland on the 2nd.

April 1st (Dungeness)