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…
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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…
Oare Marshes
0730—1130 Cool W air; bright sun and high cloud. Walked the E flood and creek then to Uplees. 3 Cetti`s were widely dispersed, plus a forth later at Uplees. The Little Owl was mobile around its favoured site and on the E flood 7 Gadwall were centre stage; with the other duck sps much as yesterday—save for the Garganey—–secreted or…
Oare Marshes
0745-0945 High hazy cloud and warming. A quick visit and walk west; stopping for a catch up with JR who already had found a male Garganey on the E flood—thks for my first Spring migrant! A Kingfisher zipped through ,whilst two Cettis sang simultaneously, plus a third was centre W flood. There were numerous wildfowl , with Pintail; Wigeon; Teal; Tufted Duck and Pochard well represented, plus eight Canada Geese loudly announcing their presence. A…
Oare Marshes
0745—1145 Initially walked west; into eye-watering westerly air, the glaring sun at my back. Cetti`s as usual, was vocal at the car-park; a couple of Wigeon; 11 Tufted Ducks; a pair of Pochard and three Gadwall were in the main dyke. A cock Stonechat was at the copse; Skylarks were prominently singing but a Song Thrush outdid all the vocalists from the upper circle of the arbour. A scattering of Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets were shoreline,and three Gt Crested Grebes were on…