24 -4-17 Second grey heron on nest with 3 large chicks (North Lake). 23-4-17 Redshank x 2, little-ringed plover x 7, reed warbler x 3 (all singing, heard from Slingsby Hide), shelduck x 2, great-crested grebe with 3 young on the West Lake and a pair on East Lake with 2 young, grey wagtail x 2 (male and female on…
Author: Michael
Oare Marshes
0800-0845 A breakfast break at Oare produced a distant calling Cuckoo , which then circuited the W marsh calling and hotly pursued by a Magpie. Swallows were moving through in small numbers; a Reed Warbler was loud in the car-park reed-bed with a Water Rail even louder, although unseen. Whimbrels were in the saltmarsh and a Common Tern was resting…
Oare Marshes
06:50-11:00 – sunny but very cold in the fresh northerly wind. There were at least six Whimbrel on the saltmarsh west of the slipway. Ducks on the east flood included 51 Teal, 33 Shoveler, 14 Gadwall and a pair of Wigeon. Amongst the flock of c500 Black-tailed Godwits was the pale individual and a female Bar-tailed Godwit. In the scrub…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
14-4-17 Bullfinch x 2 (calling by visitor centre), willow warbler x1 (singing opposite visitor centre), grey wagtail x 1 (flying over visitor centre and calling), swallows (over the lakes). 13-4-17 Swallow 12-4-17 Reed warbler x 1 (Slingsby Hide), common sandpiper x 1, house martin x 2, swallow x 30, sand martin x 10, little-ringed plover x 7, shelduck…
Oare Marshes
15:30-16:50 – cloudy with a light SW wind. Two Sandwich Terns flew west up the Swale and two Common Terns were on the east flood. It was high tide and, in addition to the Black-tailed Godwits which included the pale individual first seen on March 17th, there were 30 Dunlin, 75 Redshanks and an Oystercatcher. A Yellow Wagtail flew west…
Oare Marshes
0730—1000 Initially a glaring sun and an uncomfortable , eye-watering W/NW breeze. 2 Whimbrels shared the saltmarsh with a Curlew, and Mediiterranean Gulls in numbers drited through high, calling. At the copse. A Song Thrush was knocking six-bells out of a `maritime` mollusc which it had garnered seaward side, and then flown to partial cover. A Canada Goose was loudly making…
Oare Marshes
0900—1030 Difference a day makes, with a very cool strong NW breeze. Layers x 3 again! Three Buzzards were jousting and `mewing ` to the rear of W flood, and were joined by a Sparrowhawk. Cetti`s continued to provide excellent views; a Swallow passed through; 15 Pochard favoured ducks in number, just. Sedge Warblers continue to be the only mass…
Oare Marshes
0700—0830 There was an early morning `Camargue` feel this morning, which delivered a Whimbrel to the west in the sheep pastures. Sadly nothing else amongst the assorted stock and only Chiffchaffs and Cetti`s at the copse. Met up with Graeme Backhurst, who subsequently advised of a Common Whitethroat in hedgerows in the Oare locale, plus a flyover Spotted Redshank, calling…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
5-4-17 Lapwing x 22, common snipe x 5, little-ringed plover x 6, redshank x 3, sand martin x 3, blackcap x 13, chiffchaff x 17, willow warbler x 2, nuthatch x 1, mistle thrush x 2, jackdaw x 50, grey wagtail x 2, greenfinch x 1, brambling x 1 male, bullfinch x 1 (calling opposite the visitor centre). 4-4-2017 Garganey…
Oare Marshes
0945-1200 High cloud and a westerly breeze. Up to four Buzzards were thermalling and calling to the East; a Swallow flew W (still only trickling through for this observer) but Mediterranean Gulls continued to move W , high and very vocal. Corn Buntings have been prominently singing at Dan`s Dock, albeit only ones and twos. Sedge Warblers are are back…