Birding and other distractions

A generally sunny morning so it seemed an opportune time to look for Adders at the local site. Two Buzzards were circling nearby as I walked down the grassy slope. Nothing found in PV which was still quite shaded, the sun not being high enough in the sky at the time. However, the habitat looks really promising, with paths also reinstated on either side of the valley. TF was mostly in the sun, though the sky was gradually clouding over. Two Adders were found, the first of the year, three days later than initial sightings last year. As expected they were both males, with females expected to emerge in about two weeks.

Arriving at 10 a.m. we headed to the end of the cul de sac in Hill Road where the American Robin has been seen. By good fortune the bird was on view almost immediately, sitting in a tree about 75  metres away. It then disappeared for some time though when refound gave close views on Cotoneaster shrubs, initially behind a line of garages before feeding in a more open position. Around 50 birders were present to start with, including a few familiar faces from Kent, though more folk arrived later in the morning. Heading to the seafront we found the Holms Oaks in a large garden, from which Hume's Warbler has been reported. The bird was heard almost immediately though seeing it proved a different matter, the warbler generally keeping to the canopy of very leafy trees and typically being very active. In the end fleeting views was as good as it got, though the bird continued to call quite often. Polegate Services was then convenient for a coffee stop and to see a Hooded Crow, which has fou...

A late morning start in sunny weather at Cliffe, though clouding over in the afternoon.   From Westcourt Farm I followed the path alongside Brett's to the Alpha Pool. With no recent report of divers I was pleasantly surprised to find that two Black-throated Divers were still present on the Alpha. They were initially found at the fort end of the pool though typically dived for long periods, reappearing some distance away, and the birds were in the lower half of the pool when I left. Also present on the Alpha were two female Red-breasted Merganser, one on the black booms, the other nearby. Near the fort and just beyond the seawall an adult female Peregrine was trying to spook Teal and Wigeon into flight, though the ducks sat tight on the water and after a while the falcon flew off west. The breached sluice at Cliffe Creek has been successfully repaired and in the shallow lagoon behind this a Greenshank was found. The bird had been colour-ringed and photographs tak...

There was good activity from Marsh Tits in Bredhurst Woods this morning, mainly in the 'pylon valley' area. The birds were fairly vocal especially the usual 'pitchoo' call, making them easier to locate. Five were seen, with another heard only. One pair spent much time seemingly extracting seeds from the prickly heads of Burdock. Another held a large seed down with the feet and hammered it with its bill until the contents could be extracted. The closely related Willow Tit is the species more closely associated with damp or marshy woodland, hence the name of Marsh Tit is rather misleading. Also seen there one Bullfinch, one Greenfinch and one Buzzard. However, no reptiles of any description were found, as still a bit too early.

Glorious weather today, calm with unbroken sunshine. Starting off at Grain, where at 9 a.m. it was high tide and waders were roosting near the outflow from the power station.  Present amongst a group of 35 Turnstones the overwintering Purple Sandpiper was soon found. The bird was asleep most of the time, nevertheless a long time since I've seen Purple Sandpiper in Kent. A loose group of finches on the adjacent marsh/scrub held around four Greenfinch, one of which was briefly in song. Along West Lane in Grain a somewhat distant Great White Egret was on North Levels, with a couple of Little Egret also present. A female-type Marsh Harrier flew over the marsh. Moving on to Allhallows we walked out from the Pilot towards the seawall. On a calm river 12 Red-throated Divers drifted east in several groups. There were a fair number of Curlew on the marsh and eventually the long staying Glossy Ibis showed at quite close range. The ibis is apparently often seen together with a Little Egret, a...

A day in East Kent starting at Worth, near Sandwich. Weather was fairly bright, but with a cold northerly wind. The adult White Stork near Worth was not difficult to find, and gave close views from the car. The bird is unringed. Moving on, a flock of 13 Tree Sparrow was seen near Dickson's Corner. A Mistle Thrush near the Observatory, was my first of the year, while a Buzzard sat on a nearby fence post. At Fordwich in the afternoon, and being away from the coast it was certainly milder. The Dusky Warbler was found in the same area as on the previous visit, west of the permissive path sign, and was calling quite often. However, a nearby Cetti's Warbler caused much confusion, the call being extremely similar to that of the Dusky. White Stork White Stork Tree Sparrows Tree Sparrows Dusky Warbler Dusky Warbler

Another beautiful day after a frosty start. Having seen a single Shorelark at Leysdown last November the ongoing reports of seven being present made another visit hard to resist. On arrival the central beach was very busy with walkers, hardly surprising  given the good weather, and the Shorelarks could not be found there. However, the habitat looked promising towards Warden Bay and on heading in that direction the flock was seen in flight before settling on the edge of the beach. Regrettably, only a few minutes to watch them was possible before the birds were flushed by walkers and disappeared. On the tideline several flocks of Sanderling were present, about 65 birds in total. Moving on, the track from Leysdown to Shellness had a huge flock of finches which mainly comprised Chaffinch and Linnet but also good numbers of Brambling, including some nice looking males. The Brambling proved less photogenic than Chaffinch unfortunately. 1000+ Brent Geese on the winter wheat flew to the sh...