Firecrests at Dungeness

Another day and another trip to Dungeness.

With the weather forecast looking promising we headed down to Dungeness at 6 this morning. Pulling onto Dungeness road, we pass a car buried at the front end in the shingle.

A fisherman is alongside and about to attempt to pull the car out. With the thought in our minds that if it was us stuck there we would want someone to offer help, we turn round and head back.

With some pushing and shoving we manage to shift the car out of the shingle, My timing was slightly out and I let go too late and found myself face down in the shingle.

After picking the shingle out of my face it's time to return to some birding.

Heading towards the beach we bump into Tom, one of the local bird recorders. He tells us it's been very disappointing and nothing of any real note had gone through.

Having to be home today around 1pm we only put in a short sea-watch. The only birds of note being ten Whimbrel, that I somehow missed going through, seven Red-throated Divers a Great Skua, Sandwich and Common Terns and plenty of Common Scoters.

Heading towards the observatory we search the gorse bushes and find them alive with Firecrests. Cracking little birds and a year tick.

Firecrest

Reaching the trapping area, there's more Firecrests in the moat, and we get the chance to see one in the hand and ringed.
The reserve produces the years first Willow Warblers and Yellow Wagtails, with two and five respectively.  A very smart White Wagtail drops in while we are watching the Yellow Wags.

At the feeders in the reserve car park, we find a fox taking advantage of the free food source. Allowing a few shots.

Green-winged Teal: Crossness

Yesterday's news of a Green-winged Teal sighted at Crossness, means this is where we head for first.

Setting off at 6.30 we make the 23 mile trip in good time and are pulling into the Thamesview Golf Centre car park shortly after 7.

Leaving the car park, we head East along the riverside footpath and head towards the sewage outfall. On the walk down we bump into Kev Jarvis who informs us that the Teal is still present and showing well.

With this news the pace quickens and we arrive at the sewage outfall and start scanning through the birds.There's good numbers of Gadwall close in, with smaller numbers of Shoveler and Teal. A scan of all the birds on the water in front of us doesn't turn up the target bird.

Scanning the edges plenty of Redshank are found and a single Bar-tailed Godwit is also seen. A further scan and the target is found on the foreshore in the company of a female Teal.

Green-winged Teal (B Anderson)

From here it's off to Blows Down in Bedfordshire, normally a good spot for Ring Ouzels, and with an early morning report of 3 birds present on Kingsbury slope we are hopeful of a sighting.

Parking at the end of Half Moon Lane, we scan the paddocks for any sign. The first bird seen is a cracking male Redstart perched in a small tree, in all three Redstarts are found. A couple of Wheatears are seen feeding on the short grass and a pair of Bullfinch are also found. No sign of any Ouzels though, and a walk down to the quarry area via Kingsbury slope doesn't produce any sightings either.

While trying to recover from the steep climb, a singing Yellowhammer is spotted perched at the top of a nearby tree along with Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.

Moving on to Startops End Reservoir proves a good move, with the first Swallows, House Martins and Common Terns of the year all found here.

There's also a pair of Red Crested Pochard seen not far from the viewing screen.

Red Crested Pochard

A visit to Bison Hill produces two Bison from the Whipsnade Collection but proves as fruitless as Blows Down for Ouzel sightings, and with the wind and rain blowing straight into the face we decide to head back to the comfort of the car.

A good mornings birding, with five new additions to the year list.

Long-tailed Duck & Scaup at KGV Reservoir

A quick visit this morning to KGV Reservoir. 

Arriving at 7.30 I'm just in the middle of unlocking the gates when the phone goes. Brian has had the same thought as me and within ten minutes he's joined me at the car park. We are greeted with blue skies and after reaching the top of the grass bank an almost glass smooth water surface. 

Normally it's a case of bracing yourself against something and holding on to your scope here. With winds blowing a gale straight across the reservoir, straight into your face.

This morning it's as calm as I can ever remember it being on a visit here. Probably for the first time this year I didn't need the coat or the gloves. (but to my regret I still took them).

A quick scan of the southern half of the south basin produces at least double figures of Goldeneye, with at least four males among them. Then as I start to walk on a year tick appears in the form of a Sand Martin. Brian spots it and I'm on to it quickly. It flies around our heads for a short while and then moves away.

Back to the business of locating the female Scaup that I had made the trip for. Another scan of the water surface and it's found. It's all on it's own away from a small group of Tufted Duck.

This has been a frustrating species to add to my year list this year. Having missed birds at several locations around the country.

After getting good scope views I took a couple of very poor and very distant photo's of the bird.

Moving on towards the North basin, another scan found a couple of female Goosanders way over on the Western side of the Southern basin.

At the causeway a couple of smart looking Grey Wagtails were found along the Southern edge of North basin, and after a further walk the Long-tailed Duck is located among a group of Tufted's.

Just to illustrate how calm the conditions were this morning I took this shot below.

A ten minute trip bags two more year ticks and it's off home for breakfast.

Hares at Elmley Marshes

Spent the morning down at Elmley Marshes today. With the drive along the entrance track the most rewarding.

Arriving around 7.30 and with no sign of any other cars, we were able to take our time on the drive down to the reserve car park.

No sign of any new arrivals having dropped in over night, so we make do with the numerous Lapwings and  Redshanks. Good numbers of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks and Snipe are also showing well.

Up ahead we catch sight of a group of Hares zipping around the track edges, shortly afterwards they appear on the track itself and a pair start to "box". Fantastic sight and the first time I have ever witnessed it.

I only managed the shot below, but it was fantastic to watch them.

The walk down to the Wellmarsh Hide was on the whole uneventful. Water levels in front of the hide were on the high side, but there's good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin present. Avocets, Wigeon, Shelduck and Teal are also on view. Three Marsh Harriers also put in an appearance.

On the return drive along the track a male Merlin is spotted perched on a fence post, it takes flight as we approach before any photo's can be taken.

Hare

A quick call in at Wanstead on the way home, and a search for the recently reported Little Ringed Plover. With no sign it's off to Lee Valley and a quick scan of the small islands on Hall Marsh Scrape produces the sought after LRP.

Another enjoyable morning again today, with the "boxing" Hares being the highlight.

White-spotted Bluethroat, Samphire Hoe

With a female White-spotted Bluethroat having been present in Kent since the 27th March we were all set to make the trip this morning. 

News of a Pallid harrier in Surrey yesterday clouds the issue a touch, but in the end we decide to make the 90 mile trip to Kent.

Leaving at 6am we turn into the car park at Samphire Hoe CP at 7.30am. Two locals are already present but had not seen the bird yet.

One of the birders decides to walk right to view the brambles from the other side of the car park, and spots the bird straight away.

White-spotted Bluethroat

Shortly afterwards the bird makes it's way along the fence line and drops into a drainage ditch. It's a brief view but a decent view. It then decides to fly behind the only car parked on that side of the car park and into thick cover.
It then flies across the car park and into even thicker vegetation, no doubt trying to keep out of the freezing cold winds.
After another 30-40 minutes we decide to do the same and head for the comfort of the car.

Twenty seven miles down the road is Dungeness, and this is where we head towards.
Parking up close to the bird observatory, we take a walk round the moat area. Hardly a bird is seen and any that are heard are deep down in the brambles.

A drive back down towards the lighthouse is much more productive when firstly a Stonechat appears on top of some gorse and then a male Wheatear drops down in front of us.

While watching the Wheatear, several Black Redstarts appear with males and females among them.

Before heading for home we make a quick stop at the reserve. Where Tree Sparrows, Great and Blue Tits, Reed Bunting and Chaffinch were all showing well at the feeders in the car park.

Tree Sparrow

Jack Snipe at Tewin Hertfordshire

Having failed to see Jack Snipe earlier in the year at Rainham, This morning gave me the opportunity to visit a small nature reserve I had never heard of until very recently.

Tewinbury Nature Reserve in Hertfordshire has been reporting Jack Snipe since the 16th March and with it only being 24 miles from home it's time to give it a visit.

Forty minutes after setting off, we are turning off the B1000 into the entrance to the Tewin Bury Farm Hotel. Parking the car in the first car park on the right hand side of the drive. After walking in the wrong direction, we eventually realise that the hide was passed as we drove along the driveway.

The hide is a two tier construction, so we opt for the top tier. Opening the hide windows reveals a small lagoon with reedbeds behind which have channels cut into them.

A quick scan of the area only produces Canada Geese, Little Grebe, Coot, Mallard and Moorhen on the water with Reed Buntings numerous around the fringes.

A scan of the reeds with the scope does the trick, as I pick up a Jack Snipe asleep well hidden within the reeds but only a metre from the front edges.

After a short while it wakes and starts it's bobbing action, giving good views of the bill at the same time. Within the hour that we stayed, the bird never moved more than a foot from the position I first found it in. But it gave good views when it did decide to move and preen itself.

A Kingfisher made a very brief appearance, so brief that I missed it altogether while watching the Jack Snipe through the scope.

It was good to see blue skies overhead at last, and a little bit of sunshine. Lets hope it's the start of some decent weather at last.

Kentish plover, Rye Harbour

With Brian having already made the trip earlier in the week to add the Kentish Plover to his year list, and with him being unavailable today, it's just the two of us who make the 90 mile trip down to Rye Harbour today.

The day starts with grey clouds and heavy skies, driving down the M20 it turns into snow flurries and then nearing Rye the skies clear slightly but there's a fierce biting wind.

We reach the car park on Harbour Road and take the footpath towards Lime Kiln Cottage. This is also an information centre and where the Kentish Plovers had been showing  from most of the time since they were first reported on the 25th.

An hour of scanning the area produces large numbers of Ringed Plovers and Dunlin along with smaller numbers of Avocets, Redshanks, Shelduck and Lapwing but no sign of either of the Kentish Plovers.

With the freezing cold winds and then snow falling we decide to retreat back to the car for a short break. Ten minutes later we are heading back towards the cottage.

View from opposite Lime Kiln Cottage

Still no sign of the Plovers, so we continue on along the footpath and head for the Ternery Pools in search of any Med Gulls.

Reaching the hide a quick scan reveals 100+ Oystercatchers and Sandwich Terns.The Sandwich Terns noisily flying in off the beach onto the shingle islands in front of us.

Scanning the far island two Med Gulls are picked up and the year list moves up by one.

Leaving the hide the pager bleeps into action to announce that the Kentish Plover had been found. We are now the best part of a mile away from the Lime Kiln Cottage, so it's a mad dash back along the footpath with a mixture of jogging and power walking, both telling me how unfit I am.

We make it back to the cottage and are greeted with good news. The bird is still showing and after a heads up as to which area to scan, the plover is found and gives some great views before another snow flurry moves in and we decide to head for the warmth of the car.