Lade - mild, overcast, rain, sw 8 - In contrast to yesterdays sunshine and stillness, today saw a return to gale force winds and rain lashing the peninsula. Still, so far it hasn`t been as damaging as last Monday when along with many other properties locally we lost roof tiles and had the garden fence flattened. However, we did venture out this morning to check on the wildfowl, but viewing south pit was difficult as you could barely stand upright such was the buffeting from the elements. Cutting back along the beach wasn`t that much easier either, although the waders didn`t appear to be too bothered. Five Goldeneye on south pit were the only birds of note.
Reflections... - Reflecting upon the past year it is easy to despair of the activities of our fellow man where the fortunes of wildlife are concerned (and, yes in 99% of cases it is men - damn that Y chromosome and testosterone overload). Whether it be the slaughter of Elephants in Africa for the ivory trade, the stripping out of rain forests to grow palm oil, or the Japanese whalers `scientifically` hunting in Antarctic waters, the rape of planet Earth continues apace, mostly to satisfy first world countries with trinkets and luxuries they can do without.
And you don't have to look too far for examples of wildlife abuse closer to home: hunts still kill foxes with impunity, badgers have been culled for the inadequacies of the farming community, ruddy ducks eliminated for having the temerity to prosper and expand their range after being introduced here by man in the first place, while young Gannets have been used in an `eating competition` in Scotland.
I could carry on, but I wont, it`s just too depressing. And sadly there is little we can do as individuals, unless you have the time and energy, for example, to become a Greenpeace activist. However, joining an organisation that can influence and help change the world for the better, whether it be at home or abroad, is something we can all do. So why not resolve to take out another good cause membership in 2014.
Have a happy and peaceful New Year.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Sunday, 29 December 2013
New Years Day recce
Lade - 0700hrs - frosty, light airs, sunny later - In the cold still conditions before dawn there was a steady stream of Redwings coming in off the bay, calling, as they passed over the cottage heading inland.
Park Wood - 0815hrs - Spent the morning with Marshman and the Joker on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for NYD. En-route to the hills the Rhee Wall near Old Romney was like a skating rink and the Dowels below Appledore was unsurprisingly widely flooded.
However, the wood was bathed in sunshine and in the stillness we didn`t have to go far from the car park to hear and find a passerine flock that contained Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Nuthatch. Also noted Jay, Green and Greater peckers, Stock Dove, Redwing, Song and Mistle Thrushes and a fly over Yellowhammer.
Kenardington - Checked either side of the bridge along the canal where once again large areas of sheep pasture were under water. On the Dowels, 50 Wigeon, 6 Little Egret, 4 Grey Heron, Redwing and Fieldfare, whilst over the lane towards Warehorne, 20 Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Redwing, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Mipit and Stonechat. A large flood attracted Common, Black-headed and Lesser Blacked Gulls, 20 Teal, 5 Grey Herons and 2 Little Egrets.
RMCanal near Kenardington
Walland Marsh - We then criss-crossed the Marsh towards Lydd noting more winter thrushes, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Buzzard and Yellowhammer along the way. At Midley a Peregrine sat on a fence post while at the feeders the usual selection of Tree Sparrows and Goldfinches were amongst the common garden birds. From Caldecote Lane a mixed flock of around 100 Bewick`s and Mute Swans were present in a distant field, plus 20 Mipits by the chicken sheds.
RSPB - Finished up on the bird reserve where between Boulderwall and Burrowes at least 5 Great White Egrets noted. From Dennis`s hide 3 Smew, Goosander, Black-necked Grebe, Marsh Harrier and Raven, plus all the usual wildfowl and gulls on the water.
Park Wood - 0815hrs - Spent the morning with Marshman and the Joker on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for NYD. En-route to the hills the Rhee Wall near Old Romney was like a skating rink and the Dowels below Appledore was unsurprisingly widely flooded.
However, the wood was bathed in sunshine and in the stillness we didn`t have to go far from the car park to hear and find a passerine flock that contained Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Nuthatch. Also noted Jay, Green and Greater peckers, Stock Dove, Redwing, Song and Mistle Thrushes and a fly over Yellowhammer.
Kenardington - Checked either side of the bridge along the canal where once again large areas of sheep pasture were under water. On the Dowels, 50 Wigeon, 6 Little Egret, 4 Grey Heron, Redwing and Fieldfare, whilst over the lane towards Warehorne, 20 Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Redwing, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Mipit and Stonechat. A large flood attracted Common, Black-headed and Lesser Blacked Gulls, 20 Teal, 5 Grey Herons and 2 Little Egrets.
Walland Marsh - We then criss-crossed the Marsh towards Lydd noting more winter thrushes, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Buzzard and Yellowhammer along the way. At Midley a Peregrine sat on a fence post while at the feeders the usual selection of Tree Sparrows and Goldfinches were amongst the common garden birds. From Caldecote Lane a mixed flock of around 100 Bewick`s and Mute Swans were present in a distant field, plus 20 Mipits by the chicken sheds.
RSPB - Finished up on the bird reserve where between Boulderwall and Burrowes at least 5 Great White Egrets noted. From Dennis`s hide 3 Smew, Goosander, Black-necked Grebe, Marsh Harrier and Raven, plus all the usual wildfowl and gulls on the water.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Plovers: 2013 Review of the birding year
The weather during 2013 commenced with a cold and protracted first winter period (including snowfall across the Romney Marsh) followed by a cool, wet spring that did no favours to many of our breeding birds. Summer was short and hot with a mild, wet and windy autumn and second winter period to follow, dominated by low pressure systems sweeping in from the Atlantic.
The winter scene around the Marsh was notable for large numbers of wildfowl on the gravel pits with plenty of Smew and Goldeneye on the bird reserve but few Goosander. Scarce grebes, Bitterns and Great White Egrets were obvious and a couple of Penduline Tits were noted in February. At Dungeness a Glaucous Gull present for its third winter proved popular, with another first winter bird briefly at the Patch, while offshore over a thousand Great Crested Grebes wintered amongst the auks, scoters, Gannets and Kittiwakes along with the odd Bonxie, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gull.
On Walland Marsh large flocks of Golden Plovers and Lapwings, winter thrushes, raptors, White-fronted Geese and Bewick`s Swans proved the main attraction, but few farmland passerines were noted apart from at a seed dump near Brenzett that attracted three species of buntings. Tree Sparrows depended on hand-outs at their traditional sites while Grey Partridge have all but disappeared from the Marsh avifauna. Inevitably with such a foot-fall of birders one or two goodies were discovered in the shape of Hen Harrier, Tundra Goose, Common Crane, Scaup and several flocks of Waxwings, including up to 30 at Johnson`s Corner.
On the local patch at Lade, Black-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser and Jack Snipe were the highlights while several Snow Buntings showed well on the beach at Littlestone. At Hythe sea front Purple Sandpipers remained faithful to the sea defence blocks.
With lengthening daylight hours attention was centred on the up-Channel spring passage off Dungeness. Brent Geese provided the spectacle along with a record one day passage of over 3,000 Red-throated Divers and plenty of ducks, terns, gulls and waders to keep the seawatchers busy, although Barwits were in short supply. The much anticipated skua passage was somewhat disappointing as many of the Poms passed well offshore. On the land the first Wheatears pitched up on 20th March followed by a light passage of Firecrests, Black Redstarts, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.
In late March a dash down to Rye Harbour paid off handsomely with two Kentish Plovers. Elsewhere around the Dungeness Peninsula, Avocets, Red Kites and Black-necked Grebes moved through along with a trio of rare ducks: Long-tailed at Scotney, Ring-necked at Lade and a Green-winged Teal on ARC. Two Penduline Tits continued to frustrate birders on the reserve and as Smew were replaced by Garganey spring had at long last sprung.
And so to the true summer migrants of which there were few and far between. At Dungeness a trickle of Common Redstart, Whinchat, Ring Ouzel and Pied Flycatcher were located amongst the more numerous Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats, while Spotted Flycatcher and Cuckoo were in short supply and Turtle Dove largely absent. On the rarity front several Serins were found, a single Bee-eater performed well by the Light Railway Café and a stunning male Red-spotted Bluethroat led twitchers a merry dance across the shingle foreshore by the fishing boats. Elsewhere, at least six Red-rumped Swallows passed through the bird reserve, plus a Cattle Egret, Spoonbill, Little Stint and Pectoral Sandpiper, while a male Montagu`s Harrier `coasted` off Dungeness. At Lade a showy one day Alpine Swift delighted many locals and visitors alike as it hurtled over the adjacent caravan park hawking insects.
As already mentioned it was a stop-start breeding season for many birds due to cool, wet conditions. At Rye Harbour the Sandwich Tern and Mediterranean Gull colonies failed entirely, although Common Terns fared better there and at Dungeness, while Little Terns produced only a handful of young at Rye. On the plus side a colony of Black-headed Gulls at a working gravel pit site on the peninsula was largely successful and also contained two pairs of Mediterranean Gulls. Breeding waders did poorly (despite strenuous efforts by RSPB staff to help Lapwings on the bird reserve) largely due to predation and human disturbance with only Oystercatcher producing fledged young at Dungeness. On the plus side reed-bed warblers, Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail and a pair of Bittern all prospered. Several pairs of Black Redstarts nested on the power station complex, along with Raven and Peregrine, while ever decreasing numbers of Wheatears just about clung on as a breeding species on the hinterland shingle. At Lydd Little Egrets once again nested in the heronry.
Autumn passage commenced with post breeding waders on the wetlands which also included Spotted Redshank and Ruff in breeding plumage. Wader aficionados enjoyed a rich seam with attractive habitat in front of Hanson and Firth hides pulling in flocks of common waders, plus Black-tailed Godwits, Little Stints, Curlew and Pectoral Sandpipers, and for the second year running a trans-Atlantic Semi-palmated Sandpiper was identified; while Scotney delivered a Dotterel amongst the Golden Plovers. At Dungeness, Roseate Tern and Balearic Shearwater were noted while one of the craziest records of the year went to a flock of 11 Goosanders over Dengemarsh on 3rd August!
While it was generally a wretched autumn for passerines, with little viz mig, there were two stand-out days. The first was on 23rd September which involved a huge passage of southward bound hirundines, mostly Swallows, along with many common warblers including Lesser Whitethroats, pipits, wagtails and chats, while with winds from the east in mid October `hundreds` of Ring Ouzels dropped in along the coastal scrub. An Ortolan showed all too briefly in Dengemarsh Gully, a Wryneck proved elusive at Galloways and several Yellow-browed Warblers were noted.
Dungeness is notable for the numbers of Sand Martins that move through the Peninsula and this year was no different with many thousands passing south well into the autumn. Yellow Wagtails however were lower in numbers with Turtle Dove and Goldcrest largely absent. Black Kite, Glossy Ibis and Jack Snipe showed well on the bird reserve and a large mixed flock of egrets, herons, Cormorants and grebes feeding on fish shoals provided an amazing spectacle.
At Dungeness Bird Observatory an afternoon in November will live long in the memory as three `species` of redpoll were studied in the hand, including a fine Coues`s Arctic Redpoll which was new for many a Dungeness list. As we moved into the second winter period Black Kite, Glossy Ibis and Great White Egrets lingered around the bird reserve and a Long-tailed Duck settled in at Scotney. Bewick`s Swans arrived in early November on Walland Marsh and two Short-eared Owls hunted the rough at Littlestone golf links. The year petered out with the expected sawbills on the gravel pits and wintering seabirds off Dungeness.
The Plovers tally for the year was 211 species, which was slightly down on recent years but still delivered some memorable days birding across the Romney Marsh.
Let`s hope for another bird-rich year in 2014 and the very best of birding wherever you may be.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Review of Waders 2013
Lade - mild, cloudy, rain, S 8-10 - The day started off windy but by mid-afternoon had developed into storm force winds and heavy rain lashing the peninsula. Birding was futile; infact it was down right dangerous on the beach this afternoon, so we settled down in front of the fire and listened to the wind howling around the cottage, hoping the roof stays on.
So, here comes another retrospective... and this will be the last post for a while... unless that Snowy Owl at Sangatte gets blown across the Channel...
2013 Wader Highlights
During the course of the year we clocked up 32 species of waders, or shorebirds to use the modern parlance, across the Marsh. Why, you may ask, am I reviewing waders in particular? Well, its pure self indulgence as I love `em and am fortunate enough to encounter up to ten species regularly on my doorstep on Lade Bay. At night time the sound of Curlews and Oystercatchers flying to high tide roosts on the storm beaches behind the cottage is one I never tire of.
However, I digress. Yes, 2013 has been a pretty fair year for waders mainly due to the short, hot summer sunshine reducing water levels around the bird reserve providing suitable feeding conditions, particularly from Hanson and Firth hides on ARC and Burrowes respectively.
Both winter periods saw large numbers of Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew and Oystercatcher on the bay, along with lesser numbers of Knot, Grey Plover, Barwit and Turnstone, while Ringed Plover and Redshank are always the scarcest with less than 20 of each. Thousands of Golden Plovers and Lapwings frequented the wet fields at Scotney, Walland Marsh, Dengemarsh and Lade, although Snipe remained few and far between. At Hythe seafront a handful of Purple Sandpipers continued to prove faithful to the sea defence blocks.
Purple Sandpipers, Hythe
The first proper migrants in March were small numbers of Little Ringed Plovers and Avocets on the fresh water pits, plus two rare Kentish Plovers down at Rye Harbour. Whimbrel, Barwit and Greenshank moved through Dungeness in April and May with the majority noted on seawatches or calling overhead, as well as a few on hinterland fields. One or two stunning summer plum Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover were noted on the Midrips and elsewhere, while the three fresh water sandpipers were in low numbers on spring passage. Probably wader of the spring went to a superb Pectoral Sandpiper that performed like a good un on the hayfields in May.
Whimbrel, ARC south
As for breeding waders I failed to find any Ringed Plover nesting along the beach at Lade, such is the human disturbance there nowadays, although LRP, Redshank and Oystercatcher did succeed on a working gravel pit nearby. I don't think any Lapwing fledged young on the bird reserve and I doubt if any did elsewhere around the Marsh due to the high levels of predation from the likes of corvids, foxes, badgers and raptors.
And so to the eagerly anticipated return wader passage, which normally kicks off in mid-summer with the first post breeding flocks of Lapwings on the fields at Boulderwall, and Green Sandpipers on the pits. LRPs soon followed along with Wood and Common Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Whimbrels and singles of adult Ruff and Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage. As the summer progressed three Pec Sands were logged through and the first Blackwits arrived. Small numbers of Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers found ARC to their liking and a Semi-palmated Sandpiper was the rarity of the year at Dungeness; and yet again proved to be a learning curve for most of us. At Scotney a Dotteral was found amongst the returning Golden Plovers, while at Dungeness two Purple Sandpipers delighted the seawatchers.
I managed to miss Terek Sandpiper and Temminck`s Stint at Rye in the spring and as far as I`m aware there were no records this year of Stone Curlew, Buff-breasted Sandpiper or any phalaropes.
But wader of the year in my book has to be that crippling Jack Snipe that delighted so many of us from Hanson hide in October, perfectly positioned in the reedbed and bouncing as though on springs. Pure magic.
Jack Snipe, ARC
So, here comes another retrospective... and this will be the last post for a while... unless that Snowy Owl at Sangatte gets blown across the Channel...
2013 Wader Highlights
During the course of the year we clocked up 32 species of waders, or shorebirds to use the modern parlance, across the Marsh. Why, you may ask, am I reviewing waders in particular? Well, its pure self indulgence as I love `em and am fortunate enough to encounter up to ten species regularly on my doorstep on Lade Bay. At night time the sound of Curlews and Oystercatchers flying to high tide roosts on the storm beaches behind the cottage is one I never tire of.
However, I digress. Yes, 2013 has been a pretty fair year for waders mainly due to the short, hot summer sunshine reducing water levels around the bird reserve providing suitable feeding conditions, particularly from Hanson and Firth hides on ARC and Burrowes respectively.
Both winter periods saw large numbers of Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew and Oystercatcher on the bay, along with lesser numbers of Knot, Grey Plover, Barwit and Turnstone, while Ringed Plover and Redshank are always the scarcest with less than 20 of each. Thousands of Golden Plovers and Lapwings frequented the wet fields at Scotney, Walland Marsh, Dengemarsh and Lade, although Snipe remained few and far between. At Hythe seafront a handful of Purple Sandpipers continued to prove faithful to the sea defence blocks.
The first proper migrants in March were small numbers of Little Ringed Plovers and Avocets on the fresh water pits, plus two rare Kentish Plovers down at Rye Harbour. Whimbrel, Barwit and Greenshank moved through Dungeness in April and May with the majority noted on seawatches or calling overhead, as well as a few on hinterland fields. One or two stunning summer plum Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover were noted on the Midrips and elsewhere, while the three fresh water sandpipers were in low numbers on spring passage. Probably wader of the spring went to a superb Pectoral Sandpiper that performed like a good un on the hayfields in May.
As for breeding waders I failed to find any Ringed Plover nesting along the beach at Lade, such is the human disturbance there nowadays, although LRP, Redshank and Oystercatcher did succeed on a working gravel pit nearby. I don't think any Lapwing fledged young on the bird reserve and I doubt if any did elsewhere around the Marsh due to the high levels of predation from the likes of corvids, foxes, badgers and raptors.
And so to the eagerly anticipated return wader passage, which normally kicks off in mid-summer with the first post breeding flocks of Lapwings on the fields at Boulderwall, and Green Sandpipers on the pits. LRPs soon followed along with Wood and Common Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Whimbrels and singles of adult Ruff and Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage. As the summer progressed three Pec Sands were logged through and the first Blackwits arrived. Small numbers of Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers found ARC to their liking and a Semi-palmated Sandpiper was the rarity of the year at Dungeness; and yet again proved to be a learning curve for most of us. At Scotney a Dotteral was found amongst the returning Golden Plovers, while at Dungeness two Purple Sandpipers delighted the seawatchers.
I managed to miss Terek Sandpiper and Temminck`s Stint at Rye in the spring and as far as I`m aware there were no records this year of Stone Curlew, Buff-breasted Sandpiper or any phalaropes.
But wader of the year in my book has to be that crippling Jack Snipe that delighted so many of us from Hanson hide in October, perfectly positioned in the reedbed and bouncing as though on springs. Pure magic.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Black-throated Diver
Lade - cloudy, mild, rain, sw 3 - The foul weather continued throughout the morning with heavy rain and a blustery wind, although it did ease off through the afternoon. Checking the wildfowl was not easy as most were trying to shelter from the wind around the margins and in the willow swamp. Still large numbers on south lake though, while on north lake 3 Goldeneye were the highlight.
Burrowes - 1500hrs - Accompanied Marshman this afternoon to check out a Black-throated Diver on the bird reserve, which showed from Dennis`s hide though distant. Also present, 3 redhead Smew, 5 Goldeneye, a redhead Goosander, 3 Marsh Harriers and a Great White Egret.
ARC - From Screen hide 5 Goosanders, including a drake, on the water amongst hundreds of common diving ducks, plus 3 Little and a Great White Egret in front of the hide; at dusk 4 Great Whites dropped into roost on the far side of the pit. Also, noted 6 Long-tailed Tits, Sparrowhawk and heard only Raven, Water Rail and Cetti`s Warbler.
Black-throated Diver, Burrowes
Great White Egret, ARC
Burrowes - 1500hrs - Accompanied Marshman this afternoon to check out a Black-throated Diver on the bird reserve, which showed from Dennis`s hide though distant. Also present, 3 redhead Smew, 5 Goldeneye, a redhead Goosander, 3 Marsh Harriers and a Great White Egret.
ARC - From Screen hide 5 Goosanders, including a drake, on the water amongst hundreds of common diving ducks, plus 3 Little and a Great White Egret in front of the hide; at dusk 4 Great Whites dropped into roost on the far side of the pit. Also, noted 6 Long-tailed Tits, Sparrowhawk and heard only Raven, Water Rail and Cetti`s Warbler.
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Winter Solstice
Lade - mild, wet, windy, sw 6 - Happy solstice to one and all (pagans included) and here`s to the ever extending daylight hours to come.
Today has been a shocker down here on the coast with near gale force winds and driving rain throughout making for a complete non-birding day.
However, on the plus side it has meant that this afternoon I could spend some time in retrospect reviewing the past birding year for a post some time next week. It also reminded me that despite not being one of the best years for rarities at Dungeness we really shouldn`t complain as there have been many memorable days of sub-rarities and scarcities along the way, plus one or two good falls to saviour; more of which anon.
Anyhow, I couldn't resist giving some of these little gems an airing:
Comedy Moment of 2013 - I was spoiled for choice here, as let`s face it there have been a few, what with the Greatstone Joker and the Bard of Burrowes at large...
It could easily have been on a spring trip for woodpeckers in Crecy forest when two old blokes struggling with digital technology played just about every bird call on the Western Palearctic list before finally arriving at Middle Spot - you had to be there! Or maybe the fella at the fishing boats one afternoon putting me right on the finer points of seabird identification - apparently those black ducks that I stupidly thought were scoters, were, after all, Coots...
But no, my comedy moment of the year has to go to the `Storm Petrel` called on an autumn seawatch that most of us regulars went along with, bar one, when it eventually morphed into a Purple Sandpiper! Pure seawatching magic - you could not make it up.
Serious Ornithological Moment of 2013 - In contrast to the above frivolities this award goes to the on going saga of redpoll identification and one November afternoon at the Obs when a hat trick of species were examined in the hand. I think I got it... until the next time... has anyone considered they might all be just, well, races of one species...
Coues`s Arctic Redpoll - DBO, 7-11-13
Barney`s Flush of 2013 - It`s a three way split here, all this autumn/winter. Two strong candidates were the Short-eared Owl and Jack Snipe at Lade but pride of place goes to a Ring Ouzel flushed from Penn Bars whilst I was watching a Black Kite.
Dips of 2013 - Looking back through the missed list I`m still wondering how I could have gone through the year without seeing Sooty Shearwater, Honey Buzzard and Osprey...
That`s it for now, but beware there could be more such irreverent posts over the coming days if the weather remains manky.
Today has been a shocker down here on the coast with near gale force winds and driving rain throughout making for a complete non-birding day.
However, on the plus side it has meant that this afternoon I could spend some time in retrospect reviewing the past birding year for a post some time next week. It also reminded me that despite not being one of the best years for rarities at Dungeness we really shouldn`t complain as there have been many memorable days of sub-rarities and scarcities along the way, plus one or two good falls to saviour; more of which anon.
Anyhow, I couldn't resist giving some of these little gems an airing:
Comedy Moment of 2013 - I was spoiled for choice here, as let`s face it there have been a few, what with the Greatstone Joker and the Bard of Burrowes at large...
It could easily have been on a spring trip for woodpeckers in Crecy forest when two old blokes struggling with digital technology played just about every bird call on the Western Palearctic list before finally arriving at Middle Spot - you had to be there! Or maybe the fella at the fishing boats one afternoon putting me right on the finer points of seabird identification - apparently those black ducks that I stupidly thought were scoters, were, after all, Coots...
But no, my comedy moment of the year has to go to the `Storm Petrel` called on an autumn seawatch that most of us regulars went along with, bar one, when it eventually morphed into a Purple Sandpiper! Pure seawatching magic - you could not make it up.
Serious Ornithological Moment of 2013 - In contrast to the above frivolities this award goes to the on going saga of redpoll identification and one November afternoon at the Obs when a hat trick of species were examined in the hand. I think I got it... until the next time... has anyone considered they might all be just, well, races of one species...
Barney`s Flush of 2013 - It`s a three way split here, all this autumn/winter. Two strong candidates were the Short-eared Owl and Jack Snipe at Lade but pride of place goes to a Ring Ouzel flushed from Penn Bars whilst I was watching a Black Kite.
Dips of 2013 - Looking back through the missed list I`m still wondering how I could have gone through the year without seeing Sooty Shearwater, Honey Buzzard and Osprey...
That`s it for now, but beware there could be more such irreverent posts over the coming days if the weather remains manky.
Friday, 20 December 2013
Short-eared Owl
RSPB - 1030hrs - mild, sunny, sw 2 - Nothing new on the bird reserve as far I could make out. The Black-necked Grebe remained on Burrowes amongst the many ducks, Coot and gulls and there were several Chiffchaffs calling in front of Firth. The fields at Boulderwall remained full of birds and a Great White Egret was on Cook`s Pool with another at the south end of ARC.
Littlestone Golf Links - 1500hrs - News filtered through via OL, from the golfers, that a Short-eared Owl had been seen hunting the fairways these past ten days, and sure enough in near perfect weather conditions one was on the wing this afternoon. It was working the rough ground between the road and the green-roofed barn and twice plummeted onto some unsuspecting little critter in the grass. This winter, so far, has not been notable for this cracking day-flying owl, which is one of `those birds` that no matter how long you`ve been birding is always a pleasure to see; a bit like Bittern, Hobby, Bearded Tit or Firecrest.
Littlestone Golf Links - 1500hrs - News filtered through via OL, from the golfers, that a Short-eared Owl had been seen hunting the fairways these past ten days, and sure enough in near perfect weather conditions one was on the wing this afternoon. It was working the rough ground between the road and the green-roofed barn and twice plummeted onto some unsuspecting little critter in the grass. This winter, so far, has not been notable for this cracking day-flying owl, which is one of `those birds` that no matter how long you`ve been birding is always a pleasure to see; a bit like Bittern, Hobby, Bearded Tit or Firecrest.
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