Superb Pom Display

Colour ringed Bewicks at Walland

 On Walland this morning the the Tree Sparrows were showing well in the bushes and round the feeders. By the drying barns  there was 12 Yellowhammers and 20+ corn Buntings and 4 Grey Partridge. In the surrounding fields 150+ Bewick Swans and 42 Greater-whitefronted Geese also a ring tail Hen Harrier flew through. At Hawthorn Corner a distinct lack of thrushes as the bushes have now been stripped but a herd of 35 Bewick Swans 2 of which were colour ringed White ring BKP and BKV. At the ARC Pit 6 Smew including 1 drake, 3 Goosander and 4 of our american freinds. The dabbling duck numbers have decreased since the warmer weather arrived. An hour and half sea  

watch from the fishing boats was very productive with a constant stream of Guillemots and Razorbills moving East and West some close inshore. Hundreds of Gannets were mainly moving West some stopping to fish on the way, while hundreds of Kittiwakes and Black-headed gulls were feeding in the surf along with numerous Herring Gulls and Black-backed Gulls and the Glaucous Gull. The best bird was  a 1W Pomarine Skua that came in to beat up the Kittiwakes giving a magnificent display for a couple of minutes before devouring its ill gotten gains and dissappearing towards the power station. By Lydd Airport on the way home another herd of 17 Bewick   

Stubby Tail

Swans with 8 juveniles.

1W Pomarine Skua

1W Pomarine Skua beating up a Kittiwake

Sometimes works not so bad

While working on the new road through Ashford today 12 Waxwings flew into the berry laden bushes by the station. They fed for a few minutes then headed off towards Stanhope.

2 out of 3

 A trip to Reculver to see Shorelark, Hooded Crow and Snow Bunting was partially successful as failed on the Shorelarks. Apparently flushed by a photographer (not guilty). The Snow Buntings showed well on the way out but had gone on the return trip due hordes of day trippers and dogs. Dont go to Reculver on a Bank Holiday.   The Hooded Crow was seen at extreme range from the sea wall not very satisfactory views. Also seen Stonechat and good numbers of waders on the beach Grey Plover, Sanderling, Turnstone, Dunlin and Ring Plover all being regularily disturbed. At sea 40+ Red-throated Divers moved west along with plenty of Wigeon and Dark Bellied Brent Geese. A bonus on the way home as i joined the M2 there were at least 8 Waxwings in the roadside bushes.    

Stubby Tail

The tail less 1W Glaucous Gull at Dungeness waited for the sun to make a brief appearance this afternoon before posing on the fishermans hut. From the beach huge numbers of Red-throated Divers moving east (300 in ten minutes at 11.30 A.M. and still good numbers moving at 2.30 P.M.). Also numerous Auks moving west (Those identified were all Guillemots). In a search of the gull roosts on the beach no Caspian Gulls were found. On the ARC Pit  1 Red head Smew, 2 Red head Goosander and a Bittern inflight over the road. On Walland Marsh 160+ Bewick Swans, 5 Egyptian Geese, 27 Corn Buntings, 3 Marsh Harriers and 6+ Tree Sparrows on the feeders.

Pity about the Bean Goose

4 of the 7 Pink-footed Geese

At Pett Level this morning the Pale-bellied Brent Geese were showing well with the Dark-bellied Brents at the Winchelsea end. At the pools the Red-breasted Goose(many thanks to Tony Wilson for putting me on to it) was showing very distantly by Military Canal  with Whitefronts and Barnacles on the sea a few Red-throated Divers and Great-crested Grebes. At Northpoint GP there was 2 Red-head Smew but no Jack Snipe. 400+ Whitefronted Geese flew west in 2 flocks 250+ & 150+ and 84 Bewick Swans flew East.
At Scotney on my second visit today the Geese flock eventually came in. In it there was 7 Pink-footed Geese, 100 + Whitefronts, 100+ Wild Barnacle Geese along with the feral flock of Barnacles and 5 Egyptian Geese including the albino bird, but no Bean Goose.

Gloomy Dungeness

Caspian Gull ?

 First stop Scotney where little was noted due to disturbance by fisherman.  Next stop Galloways Road, where the Rough-legged Buzzard showed itself distantly flying  over the beach then hovering over the beach scrub for a short while before gradually coming closer and closer eventually flying more or less over head and hovering again before appearing to go down near the beach again. A drive over Walland Marsh was frustrating  because of the fog but there were still plent of winter Thrushes there. Next stop Dungeness RSPB where Matt Eade told me there was an adult Caspian Gull Gull from Makepiece Hide. As i was the only one in the hide i found a bird that i presume was the one Matt saw and it certainly looks good but i'm not sure of the underwing detail(hopefully some one will put me right please). Also from the hides were 11 red head Smew, 12 Goosander 3 Bitterns, a Water Rail and 3 Marsh Harriers.  

Smew with Perch

Galloways Rough-legged Buzzard

   A short visit to Galloways to hopefully see the Rough-legged Buzzard was imediately successful as the bird was on show as i arrived albeit distantly. It is a superbly marked bird so hopefully it will remain for a while to give me a chance of getting better photo's and maybe it wont be quite as cold as it was today.
The Grampian Ringing group have been in touch and informed me that the Waxwing i photographed at Hamstreet was the same one photographed in Ebbsfleet by Dylan Wrathall on 20/12/2010 and had been rung in Aberdeen on 31/10/2010

Neck Collar Whitefronts



2 Birds with Neck Collars

 First stop Cockle Bridge where 170+ Greater Whitefronted Geese, 8 Barnacle Geese and 18 Bewick Swans in the field. Scanning through the geese i found 2 with neck collars. White collar with black letters (BJ) and (BR) will be interesting to know where they were marked. The whole flock was flushed by a Marsh Harrier creating a fantastic spectacle. The ARC Pit was mostly frozen with only a small open area filled with Wigeon and Gadwall. A Bittern flew over as did 8 Red Head Goosander. On the New Diggings 5+ Smew including a smart drake were showing well from the road.

Spectacle of wild geese


 The reserve was shut so i went to  Scotney where the Wigeon have increased to easily 10,000 birds on the and around thr 3 pits. Greylag Geese  also appear to have increased dramatically. Feral or Wild? The only Barnacle Geese i could find were the usual feral flock  and the Whitefronts appear to have departed. On Walland Marsh still large flocks of thrushes, 200+ Bewick Swans and 4 Tree Sparrows at the feeders. No sign of the Hamstreet Waxwings. Dipped on the Rough -Legged Buzzard but will try again tomorrow.

Marsh Harrier





Smew on the New Diggings




Fieldfare at the ARC Pit



Colour ringed Waxwing

Browsing the images i took on the 24th at Hamstreet last night, i came across this colour ringed one (Blue on Red on White) probably one of the Aberdeen rung birds. I await Grampian Ringing Groups reply.

Irresistable Waxwings

 An early morning visit to scotney to try and catch the Geese roosting on the pit was a miserable freezing failure thanks to a couple of idiots with shotguns. On the way down as i passed Hamstreet i saw the Waxwings i found on Wednesday in the same place but as it was quite dark i thought i'd re-visit them after i'd looked at Scotney. There were 2 flocks of Barnacle Geese there the usual feral flock of 70+ with its hybrid Emporers and another of 120+ presumably wild birds. This flock contained 2 coloured ringed individuals which i managed to read and have reported. The Greater Whitefronts were scattered across the marsh by the shooters. Wigeon numbers around the pits appear to increase every day with 6000+ probably very conservative. Also seen were 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Ruff, 40+ Golden Plover and a Peregrine. Walland Marsh still  has many flocks  of mixed thrushes but i could not find yesterdays Waxwings. Back at Hamstreet the sun was now out and the 18 Waxwings i found had increased to 47 with at least 1 colour ringed individual but not yet seen well enough unlike some of the other posing individuals.