Blean Woods

A beautiful morning to wander around Blean Woods produced 5 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 seen and 1 heard though all kept to the tree tops. Also seen 6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Green Woodpeckers heard, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreepers, 2 Marsh Tits many Blue,Great and Coal tits, 14 Redwing, 1 Tawny Owl calling, only 2 Siskin and no Redpolls but still a brilliant mornings birding,

The water level of the ARC Pit is very high and still rising as it is over all the reserve,  but still  9 Smew, a Bittern that flew across the pit, 14 Goldeneye, 3+ Marsh Harriers, 3 Little Egrets and the usual dabbling and diving duck but in much smaller numbers present. A flooded Willow Trail held 2 Chiffchaff. The sea was much quieter of late though still lots of Great-crested Grebes close in shore but much fewer Auks and Divers, with small numbers of Gannets and the Glaucous still by the fishing boats.  On Walland still 100+ Bewick Swans 4+ Marsh Harriers, 2 Common Buzzards and the Tree Sparrows round the feeders and nearby bushes. 

Copt Point

84 Med Gulls on the sea and headland at Copt Point lunch time



13 Barnacle Geese moving east with a flock of Brent's



At Cockles Bridge this morning 9 Bewick Swans(3 Juvs), nearby on the ARC Pit still 12+ Smew(2 drakes) 14 Goldeneye and 3 Marsh Harriers, 4 of our American friends and all the usual dabblers. A 90 minute seawatch from the fishing boats was quite productive. Still many G.C.Grebes on the sea and numerous Gannets and Kittiwakes off shore, 78 Brent Geese with one flock being trailed  by 13 Barnacle Geese. Also seen 2 drake Eider, 16 Common Scoter, 48 Wigeon, 1 Pintail, 1 Fulmar, 102 Auk sp. 17 Red-throated Divers, 4 Diver sp, 226 Cormorant off shore including one flock of 89 that flew into the bay. On the beach behind the fishing boats a Kittiwake bathing and the 1W Glaucous Gull in its usual roost. At Scotney 150+ Golden Plover, 24 Dunlin, 18 Ringed Plover, 6 Redshank and 2 Marsh Harriers. On Walland 90+ Bewick Swans still,  6 Tree Sparrows by the feeders  and 3+ Marsh Harriers.

 A thoroughly wet and miserable morning on the Dungeness peninsular today. The Glaucous Gull could just about be made out in one of the Gull roosts from the shelter of the car but little else. On the ARC Pit from the road  12 Smew were the highlight always a pleasure to watch and 2 Marsh Harriers hunting the edges. Nothing of note at Scotney and visability on Walland was to bad to see anything.   

BKP Colour Ringed Bewick Swan

The C-R Bewick Swan BKP that was on Walland in January was ringed in Nenetskya, Russia on 16/08/2008 and was seen twice in Cambridgeshire in Jan and Feb 2009 and not seen again till Jan 2010 in Noord Brabant, Netherlands . It spent March 2010 in Schleswig Holstein, Germany before being re-trapped in Nenetskya August 2010, then late October 2010 in Friesland Netherlands before coming to Walland Jan 2011. 

 On a wet and windy Walland This morning 83 Bewick Swans, 4+ Marsh Hariers, 3 Tree Sparrows on the feeders, a flock of 60+ Fieldfare and pair of Mistle Thrushes. At the point from the shelter of the fishing boats the sea was alive with birds, still hundreds of Great-crested Grebes on the sea, also still many Guillemots and Razorbills onthe sea and flying west.  Numerous Gannets and Kittiwakes moving west with a few Red-throated Divers and a single Great Northern Diver, also 26 Brent Geese east and 4 Fulmars. In the Gull roost Stubby Tail was the only interest. On the ARC Pit from the road 7 Smew(1 Drake) and 5 of our American Friends. At Scotney 150 Golden Plover and little else.

On the way to Dungeness a Barn Owl was hunting the fields south of the Military Canal and common Buzzard sitting on the road side hedge. At the ARC Pit a Bittern flew towards Boulderwall Farm. On the pit  19 Smew (2 Drakes), 16 Goldeneye, 5 Ruddy Duck, all the usual dabblers, 3+ Marsh Harriers and 2 Chiffchaff in the Willow Trail and 15 Whitefronts over. On the reserve 4 more red head Smew and 6 Goldeneye on Burrowes Pit,. At Christmas Dell a Firecrest and 3 Goldcrests. On Denge Marsh 4 species of Grebe. The Red-necked Grebe and Blck-necked Grebe both showed well infront of the hide. From the view point another Bittern gave brief fly by.  On the sea from the fishing boats hundreds of Great-crested Grebes, numerous auks flying by and on the sea with tens of Red-throated Divers and Kittiwakes and Stubby Tail still showing well.    

Tuesday 7th West Susex

 A glorious afternoon spent looking round old West Sussex haunts. At Widewater the 2 Scaup showing ridiculously well. On the commons i found at least 10 pairs of Woodlark some in full song a kettle of 12 Common Buzzards at Coates with 2 Red Kites in the distance. In the woods several Firecrests, Nuthatches, Treecreepers and Marsh Tits and the Tawny Owl in his usual tree. On the down side i failed to locate any Dartford Warblers, i'm hoping i just overlooked them rather than them being wiped out by the snow. 

Is it or isn't it

 On a storm blown Walland Marsh a Common Buzzard feeding on a Hare and still 60+ Bewick Swans near Hawthorn Corner and very little else on show. Still 9+ Smew on the ARC Pit including 2 drakes, 7 Goldeneye and 5 Bewick Swans with 2+ Marsh Harriers .
On the sea from the shelter of the fishing boats 126 Great-crested Grebes, 42 Guillemots, 6 Razorbills, 78 Auk sp and 4 Red-throated divers west in half an hour. In the gull roost no sign of the 1W Glaucous Gull but as i scanned the flock this one stood out from the rest.

Another one of those gulls?

Fowl Weather

8 of the 9 Smew on the ARC Pit

I spent a couple of hours fighting the weather this morning before i gave up the unequal battle.
As i drove across Walland Marsh there was 100+ Fieldfare and a Common Buzzard in the field near to the Woolpack. Further down the road 4+ Tree Sparrows round the feeders which are sheltered from the worst of the wind. At Midley Barn 19 Corn Buntings and 12 Yellowhammers with a mixed flock of Chaffinches and Goldfinches. From Hawthorn Corner 60+ Bewick Swans still present.
At Scotney 50+ Golden Plover, 14 Dunlin and 5 Redshank and very little else.
From the road on a very choppy ARC Pit 9 Smew, 3 Goldeneye and 4 Ruddy Duck were the pick of the bunch. 

Hawfinches

A meeting in Canterbury this afternoon allowed me to spend an hour at Denge Wood this afternoon where minimum 7 Hawfinches came into the tops of the pines. Also seen 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh Tits 16+ Siskins.