07:10-11:40 – sunny with a ligh NW breeze. The numbers of Shoveler on the east flood remains high with 77 counted today. Other ducks included three Wigeon that circled over the flood, a pair of Pintail which dropped in mid-morning whilst five Pochard were on the west main dyke. An under-rehearsed Blackcap was singing opposite the cottages and three Sedge…
Author: Michael
Oare Marshes
0745—1030 Initially warm from the S; a cooler SW breeze later with showers, a day early! On the E flood 70+ Shoveler were the dominant duck sp with a still sizeable low-tide Black-tailed Godwit flock. A large female Sparrowhawk put the waders to flight and gulls into turmoil including the first-winter Little Gull, which remained on the E flood for…
Oare Marshes
0730—0930 An opposite SW wind-blow to yesterday, with full cloud. The creek was `wellie boot` deep at low water, and areas of foreshore were unusually visible with Faversham Spit buoy high and dry. A Greenshank was working the creek shallows and c 200 Teal sifted the ooze. Black-tailed Godwits continued to flight in to the E flood , and c…
Oare Marshes
0730—0945 A cold, nagging NE breeze in very misty conditions, but Skylark, Linnet and Goldfinches were notable for their respective songs and Cetti`s Warbler again gave good close-up views with the `stubby` short primaries and rounded secondaries considerably darker than the overall rufous of the crown and mantle. The white supercilium again for me, is much more prominent than is…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
Lesser spotted woodpecker x 1 (seen and calling near round bench in Tower Hide Wood), Mediterranean gull x 2 (over Tyler Hide), little-ringed plover x 2, redwing x 3, lesser redpoll 8, siskin x 70, blackcap x 3 (all singing), chiffchaff x 12, reed bunting x 2 (male and female in front of Slingsby Hide).
Oare Marshes
0830-1030. March was welcoming Spring in the usual manner with a gale of E/NE wind; leaden sky and 8 deg (in the lea) The E flood looked bleak, with circa 60 Shoveler the main duck sp in open water, whilst drake Pochards hugged the reed margins The incoming tide was lumpy—I feared for the yachtie who was precariously perched weighing anchor—but the Black-necked Grebe bouncing through…
Oare Marshes
March 22 15:00-16:20 Cloudy with a moderate SE wind. The female Eider was still present along the creek. Again, the duck numbers were lower. There were good numbers of Shoveler, 12 Gadwall but only one pair of Pintail, six Pochard and two Tufted Ducks. Apart from the Godwits, there was only a single Lapwing on the east flood and a…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
20-3-17 Lesser spotted woodpecker x 1 (calling in fishermen’s carpark, heard not seen), bullfinch x 1 (male calling by warden’s cottage). 19-3-17 Little ringed plover x 2. 16-3-17 Little ringed plover x 2. 12-3-17 including Webs count Mute swan x 4, greylag goose x 22, Canada goose x 124, Egyptian goose x 7, teal x 12, mallard x 72, shoveler…
Oare Marshes
20.03.2017 0730-1030 Full cloud with rain on the air in a near SW gale meant heads were down in the sheltered aspects of the E flood. A Cetti`s was again prominently showing; 12 Gadwall were mid-water, as were 13 Pochard—predominately drakes. A few Pintail lingered and again a single Ruff was with the sheltering Shoveler. A few Black-tailed Godwits (pictured left) were showing distinct plumage change, with upper scapulars, head and chest now…
Oare Marshes
0745—1130 A cracking morning; glaring sun; cloud and breeze bubbling up from the SW.Plenty of birdsong with singing Chiffchaffsboth on-site and in the immediate locale—great to hear those distinctive notes again! The Little Owl came and went this morning but 4 Cettis were again singing on site; one prominent at the entrance gate atop a hawthorn. The bright sun gave a shimmering aspect to the…