Monday 8 October 2012

Shorebirds & Gulls

Lade - 0700hrs - Mild, cloudy, drizzle, se2 - The moth trap yielded the first Black Rustics of the autumn amongst the usual yellow underwings. Over the storm beaches 50 Goldfinches and 5 Siskins passed south, while 100 Swallows noted over south pit.
Started a three day bird watching break today with Stuart and Raymond from London. After picking up from Ashford we called in at Orlestone Forest on the way home.
Faggs Wood - 1230hrs - A wander around the car park area in heavy drizzle delivered Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Treecreeper and Jay amongst the common tits and finches.
Greatstone Beach - 1400hrs - From Romney Tavern we clocked up 8 species of shorebirds including 5 Knots, 5 Barwits, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Redshanks amongst hundreds of Curlews, Oystercatchers, Dunlins and Sanderlings. On the beach a party of 50 Brents flew in and 20 Wigeons were feeding in the surf.
ARC - 1500hrs - Not a single wader on the fast diminishing shingle ridges from Hanson, but all the expected wildfowl, plus 3 species hirundines, 3 Little Egrets, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk. The Great White Egret was present before flying off towards Dengemarsh about 1600hrs. In the willows, Chiffchaff, Cetti`s Warbler and Great Tits.
Dungeness  - 1630hrs - An hour from the concrete road produced a steady flow of Gannets and Sandwich Terns, 3 Kittiwakes, Med Gull and party of 120 Brents west, plus the adult Yellow-legged Gull at the fishing boats.

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