Nottingham Catchfly

ARC/Tower Pits - 0745hrs - warm, dry, cloudy, sw2 - After a natter with BP (aka Lord of Hookers- just-off-to-find-another-rarity) in the car park did a circuit of Tower Pits. All the expected birds including cracking views of a Bittern flying around calling, 3 Cuckoos, 2 Hobbies, several Lesser `throats and Marsh Harriers, plus 50 odd Swifts over the tower. At the south end of ARC, from the causeway road, a pair each of Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers, and singles of Lapwing and Blackwit.
The shingle ridges across the National Nature Reserve are now covered in a rich array of plants and must be a botanists dream. Nottingham Catchfly is everywhere; so named as, guess what, it was first discovered at Nottingham Castle! The Catchfly bit apparently refers to the flower which opens at nightime to attract moths and other flying insects to its sweet smelling scent and subsequent pollination,  clever stuff a ...

                                         Nottingham Catchfly - "it does what it says on the tin"

                                         Always good to see a healthy creche of geese...

Squacco Heron

Royal Military Canal - 0600hrs - mild, grey and misty - A farmland bird survey for RSPB revealed 65 species along a 3 mile stretch of the cut covering both banks. Spotted Flycatchers, Reed Warblers and Hobby were all new from last months visit, while migrant Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were all on territory along with resident Yellowhammers, Bullfinch and Treecreeper. Still hardly any water birds on the canal, but a did see a large blackish Mink, so therein lies the problem...
Dungeness - 1015hrs - News of a Squacco Heron on Dengemarsh attracted a steady flow of local birders to see this beautiful little heron, albeit in misty conditions. For most of the time it was performing on a small island opposite the five bar gate, hunting for small fish, frogs and the like. It also flew over the lake towards the main reedbed whereupon it morphed into a Barn Owl before returning to lay in the prone position opposite the gate once more. Garganey, Shoveler, Pochard and Little Egret also noted, plus the Bittern was heard `booming` along with 2 flight views.
19 species in the moth trap last night with Dwarf Cream Wave and Cabbage new for the year.

                                       Squacco Heron, Dengemarsh - poor record shot

                                          Mullein Wave

                                          Cream Spot Tiger

1900hrs - Spent the evening in the company of Marshman and the Joker looking for owls of which we connected with a pair of chicken farm Little Owls and one or two Barn Owls. Also noted 2 Hobbies, several Marsh Harriers, Kestrel and Buzzard, Stonechats, Mipits, Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails, 2 Corn Buntings and a Yammer.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Lade - 0700hrs - warm, dry and sunny - Another good night with a variety of moths coming to light in the garden trap, including Buff-tip and White-point new for the year.
Dungeness - 0800hrs - A wander down to The Patch delivered the usual motley collection of Herring and black-back gulls plus 50 Black-heads on the beach along with a couple of Sandwich and Common Terns. On the land a migrant Chiffchaff on the power station fence and a pair of Black Redstarts feeding young inside the compound.
Whilst strolling back to the car news came through of a female Red-breasted Flycatcher in a private garden. Another great find by DB and new for his already impressive garden list. The small group of locals had to wait around a bit before the flicker showed, on and off, in the dense garden foliage and throughout the day.

                                          Red-breasted Flycatcher by Dave Bunney

                                          Buff-tip, Plovers

                                          White-point, Plovers

                                         Common Blue, Kerton Road Cafe flower meadow

RSPB - 1100hrs At the southern end of ARC singles of Blackwit, Lapwing and 2 Ringed Plovers. Had a look for the RCP from Springfield Bridges without joy, but a Raven over and 2 Garganey on the lake.
Keron Road Pit - 1600hrs Counted at least 30 Black-headed Gulls nests on the main island but no sign of any juvs yet. Did note well grown chicks of Oystercather and Lapwing, plus 2 Barwits and 5 Curlews.

Lade

Lade - Early mist, then warm, dry and sunny - Having neglected the local patch of late had a good scout around just to ensure nothing rare had dropped in whilst I was away... Yeah, ok... At Kerton Road pit there was plenty of activity on the breeding bird front from the small colony of Black-headed Gulls, plus a couple of Med Gulls calling overhead (perhaps recceing for next season?). LRP, Lapwing, Shelducks and Oystercatchers all noted.
On the shingle ridges the wild flowers have come on in leaps and bounds due to the recent sunshine and the broom blossom adds a nice splash of yellow to the verdant greens.
Not much on the moth front last night with only 9 species present, but plenty more down at the Kerton Road Cafe.
The only other bird news today was a Red Crested Pochard reported from Dengemarsh (MH).

                                         Lade shingle ridges

                                          Broom Moth, Kerton Rd Cafe

                                          Shoulder-striped Wainscot

The Chilterns

Speen, Chilterns - hot, dry and sunny - Spent the weekend staying with friends in the Chilterns village of Speen during which time we had a good look around the surrounding countryside. At first sight the habitat of wooded valleys and low level grazing land looked to be pretty good for birds, but actually was species poor. Introduced Red Kites were almost constantly in view with one hillside attracting 13 birds (what they all find to feed on is a mystery to me, probably being artificially fed) along with several Common Buzzards. A few pairs of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks were noted but I could find no evidence of birds such as Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo, Turtle Dove or Mipit in what appeared to be suitable terrain.
The woodlands were not much better as most were overgrown with no sign of any management and were full of Grey Squirrels and Muntjacs. Did find a family party of Marsh Tits and a Tawny Owl though. Nonetheless, an interesting weekend of birding in great company.

                                         Red Kite & Alpacas, Speen

Bluethroats, Partridges & HBs

Sailly Bray - 0730hrs - warm, dry and sunny e3, hot later - Spent the day birding with the Romney Marsh Oldies and Pensioners Club (CP, MH, PB & TG) in the Somme area of France, and what a fantastic day it turned out to be The first port of call was the idyllic and bird/flower-rich wet meadows and marshes of Sailly Bray. The first of several pairs of Grey Partridges we were to see today drew a spontaneous round of applause - was this to be the `Bird of the Day`! Almost, but they were quickly usurped by several White-spotted Bluthroats perched atop grass tussocks and low willows, plus a burst of song flight. A distant `reeling` Savi`s Warbler complimented a singing Marsh Warbler, three fly over Black-winged Stilts, Serin and Great White Egret, plus a supporting cast of several Stonechats, Yellow and White Wagtails, 3 Greenshanks, Redshanks, Reed and Corn Buntings, Turtle Doves, Cuckoos, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Cetti`s, Sedge, Garden, Reed and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Jay, Lapwing, Skylark, Mipit and several Brown Hares. Phew, what a place!

                                          Sailly Bray

                                          Partridges, Sailly Bray

                                          Le Crotoy

                                          White Stork, Le Crotoy

                                         White Stork, Marquenterre

Le Crotoy - Roadside pull-ins along the freshwater marshes delivered plenty more goodies including a raucous colony of Black-headed Gulls up to 20 Turtle Doves, 5 Med Gulls, 2 Black-winged Stilts, 2 White Storks, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Little Egret, Wigeon, Garganey and Hobby.
Marquenterre - Hot and full of people here but we soon skirted through the pine wood to overlook the heron colony. In one tree top we had White Stork at the nest with Little and Cattle Egrets, Grey Heron, Spoonbill and a Night Heron! Astonishing. Further into the pines a Jay put us onto a Tawny Owl while good views were had of a Crested Tit.
Crecy Forest - On an approach road overlooking a wetland on the forest margin we had a stupendous view of an adult male Honey Buzzard as it twisted and turned, soared and banked and generally showed off above and below us for a full 10 minutes (check out Plodding Birders blog for piccies). Also noted several Common Buzzards and Hobbies. Elsewhere around the forest we had 3 more HB`s, several Common Buzzards, Yellowhammer, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Turtle Doves. A final stop delivered 3 singing Melodious Warblers in an open scrubby area with bramble and broom.
A cracking days birding in great company with the jokes and stories flowing all day. We rattled up 96 species of which the highlights were Honey Buzzards, Bluethroats, Partridges, Crested Tit, Spoonbill, Cattle and Great White Egrets, Night Heron, White Storks, Garganey, Black-winged Stilts, Savi`s, Marsh and Melodious Warblers, Tawny Owl (don`t see `em on the Marsh) and Serin, while we all commented on the large number Turtle Doves seen throughout the day.

Lade

Lade - 0630hrs - warm, dry and sunny, cooler when a sea mist rolled in, e2 - Nothing much of note over the pits, but `tis about this time of year that I`ve had Golden O in the sallows.
Four more new moths for the year in the garden trap including Pebble Prom and Marbled Coronet.

                                           Pebble Prominent

                                           Marbled Coronet

Dungeness - 0900hrs  - Virtually nothing happening at the Patch while the foreshore was lined with fishermen. Sparrowhawk and Raven over the power station, plus Black Redstart, Mipit and Stonechat elsewhere. Plenty of Pale Grass Eggar caterpillars on the concrete path down to the hide.
Dengemarsh - 1500hrs - The Lapwing pair were still reacting as though young were nearby and 2 Garganey were on the lake. A Woodlark was reported earlier over the ARC side (per SB).