A brilliant day out on Sheppey with Owen and Richard
Purple Sandpiper at Shellness
Our first stop was Shellness, it's many years since I was last there and good to see that the access track is much improved. On the walk down to the Pillbox Little Egrets were popping up out of the salt marsh and Marsh Harriers were everywhere we looked. From the Pill Box we scanned the Swale enjoying the many Oystercatchers, Brent Geese, Shelduck, Ringed Plovers and distant swirling wader and Wigeon flocks, a drake Eider was spotted on the distant spit and lone Purple Sandpiper was on the foreshore.
A distant drake Eider
Owen & Richard looking at the distant Eider
When you go to Shellness you have to photograph this wonderful artwork
Hide at the Nature Reserve
Greater White-fronted Geese
Greater White-fronted Geese
Long-eared Owl Elmley
Short-eared Owls at Elmley
Kestrel at Elmley
Little Grebe, Elmley
1 of 2 Barn Owls seen at Elmley
After walking back to the car and cup of coffee we made our wall along the sea wall to the hides on the Swale Nature Reserve, on the way seeing more Marsh Harriers, a Ring-tail Hen Harrier, and lots of Skylark, Reed and Corn Buntings, Meadow Pipits, a couple of Rock Pipits, many more Brent Geese and Curlews.
From the hide excellent views of the Greater White-fronted Geese were had, as well as many Curlews, Brent and Greylag Geese and of course more Marsh Harriers as well as Common Buzzards.
Curlews
We made a brief visit to Harty and Capel where we saw many more of the same species adding Merlin and Red-legged Partridge to the day list.
Our next stop was at Elmley, where on arrival a Long-eared Owl was showing very nicely in the sunshine at the car park, a couple of Short-eared Owls were also fitting out in the open viewed from the car park. We walked down the track to scrapes seeing 1,000s more Wigeon and Lapwings, smaller numbers of Curlew, some Pintail a Cetti's Warbler and of course more Marsh Harriers. The water level at the scrapes was unsurprisingly for this winter very high so few waders seen. By the time we got back to the car park we had seen at least 6 Short-eared Owls, the Long-eared Owl was still showing nicely and we saw 2 Barn Owls from the car park.
Rough-legged Buzzard coming to roost at Funton Creek. Honestly it is!
Our last stop of the day was at Funton Creek to hopefully see the Rough-legged Buzzard come into its favoured roost, it did not disappoint us when it flew in just after a sunset against a pink dusk sky. While we were waiting for its arrival, we saw more Marsh Harriers, 1-2 Short-eared Owls, 2 more Barn Owls, many more Brent Geese, Shelduck and Curlews, as well as Avocets and Godwits. Many thanks to Owen for organising, driving and making it a superb day out birding.
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