Wednesday 21 August 2019

Otford, 17:00 to 18:00, Lower Barn Track
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 4 Hobby (2 ad;2 juv), 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Yellowhammer [James King]

TQ6043, 13:30 to 13:45
1 Buzzard, 4 Hobby (Over Castle hill.) [John Guiver]

Oare Marshes, 07:30 to 08:30, Sunny, calm.
3 Water Rail (First sighting since 15th Aug despite searches most days.1 v secretive adult observed for 40mins feeding along S shore of EF. Joined briefly by 2 boisterous juvs which were seen off in altercation and swam/flew into island reedbed. Patience rewarded!) [Roger Clews]

Cliffe Pools, 06:00 to 09:30, An ebbing tide, fine weather. Other critters included 11 Common Seal and a Chinese Character Moth.
6 Egyptian Goose (including 3 very small goslings on Timber Lake.), 1 Little Ringed Plover (juvenile on Alpha Pool), 86 Black-tailed Godwit (Higham Bight), 2 Whimbrel, 78 Curlew (Higham Bight), 1 Greenshank (Higham Bight), 18 Yellow-legged Gull (Higham Bight in a variety of plumages)), 45 Common Tern (including one bird attacking me on the footpath by Higham Bight (Farne Islands style)), 2 Kingfisher, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Cetti's Warbler (Timber Lake), 1 Blackcap [Ray O'Reilly]

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Oare Gunpowder Mills, 11:00 to 12:30, Bright, sunny, W breeze.
1 Grey Wagtail (In smart juvenile plumage feeding along leats.), 1 Spotted Flycatcher (Juvenile calling from willow scrub.), 6 Long-tailed Tit (+, in group.), 1 Treecreeper [Roger Clews]

Dungeness Bird Observatory, 10:35 to 11:00, Sunshine, breeze, 17C to 23C
3 Black Redstart, 6 Wheatear, 4 Willow Warbler [Bexley Birdbrains]

Dungeness RSPB Reserve, 09:50 to 15:00, Sunshine, breeze, 17C to 23C
12 Mute Swan, 4 Great White Egret, 1 Buzzard, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Black Tern, 48 Sand Martin, 5 Wheatear [Bexley Birdbrains]

Tonbridge, 08:00 to 09:00
4 Mandarin Duck, 1 Kestrel, 2 Turtle Dove (along the Medway towards Hadlow), 1 Kingfisher, 4 Swallow, 4 Blackcap, 8 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff [Martin Garwood]

Oare Marshes, 05:30 to 11:15, sunny with a light W breeze. LT circa 10:00. Red Kite over Mockett's Hill at 11:00.
1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (on Horse Sands again), 1 Wigeon (eclipse drake on EF), 1 Osprey (perched on telephone pole along road(!) just after the bends when I drove in at 05:30 then flew towards Swale. Later, the same or another, flying W along the Swale looking towards Conyer at 07:30.), 6 Snipe (around EF), 1 Spotted Redshank (winter ad. on EF), 1 Greenshank (on EF), 4 Green Sandpiper (one on EF, and three around Dan's Dock per GJAB), 5 Turnstone (on slipway), 1 Bonaparte's Gull (winter plumage ad. on mud E of slipway still), 11 Turtle Dove (together on wires over stubble field W of cottages - sev. juvs.), 1 Cuckoo (juv. around EF still), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (juv.), 1 Whinchat (on WF per GJAB), 6 Wheatear (one near West Hide, and five W to Uplees copse per GJAB), 1 Garden Warbler (in Uplees copse per GJAB - quite a 'rarity' here), 10 Lesser Whitethroat (+), 1 Spotted Flycatcher (in scrub/paddocks) [Murray Wright]

Monday 19 August 2019

Deadman's Island, 15:00 to 15:00, Sunshine with variable cloud and showers, SW breeze. Observations from boat during islands count.
1 Osprey (perched on wooden post), 2 Sandwich Tern [Murray Orchard]

Oare Marshes, 11:30 to 14:30, blustery SW; pulses of rain
2 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Horse Sands (apologies--pressed wrong button yesterday), 24 Ringed Plover (E flood), 60 Golden Plover (circa E flood), 2500 Black-tailed Godwit (circa E flood), 4 Whimbrel (around Swale), 1 Cuckoo (over creek towards S Swale--obs with D Perrin) [Mike Roser]

Reculver Marshes, 08:00 to 10:00
3 Black-tailed Godwit (flying W), 5 Swift, 14 Yellow Wagtail, 150 House Sparrow (Plumpudding Stables) [Chris Hindle]

Swale NNR, 08:00 to 08:00
1 Swift, 1 Grey Wagtail [Derek Faulkner]

TQ9865, 08:00 to 11:00, low tide; cloud 2/8;warm gusty SW
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 5 Whimbrel, 1 Green Sandpiper (foreshore to marshland dyke), 1 Common Sandpiper (tideline), 8 Swift (west), 12 Swallow (west), 1 Wheatear, 70 Goldfinch (+), 1 Corn Bunting (also a further Southern Migrant Hawker on seawall reeds and scores fresh Painted Lady on Golden Samphire) [Mike Roser]

Sunday 18 August 2019

Tonbridge, 19:00 to 20:20, Fish Hall area towards Medway. 2/8 cloud, wind F2W, 20 deg C
100 Greylag Goose (+), 50 Canada Goose, 2 Mandarin Duck, 1 Buzzard, 4 Stock Dove (+), 1 Turtle Dove (Flew over Fish Hall paddocks towards Medway), 1 Little Owl (Fish Hall paddocks), 8 Swift (over pits), 1 Kingfisher, 4 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Swallow, 40 House Martin (+), 1 Redstart (in hedgerow parallel with Medway, and approx 300m NE of Eldridge lock.), 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Chiffchaff (+), 1 Nuthatch, 3 Jay, 5 Rook (+) [Dave De Silva]

Tonbridge, 19:00 to 20:20, Fish Hall area towards Medway. 2/8 cloud, wind F2W, 20 deg C
100 Greylag Goose (+), 50 Canada Goose, 2 Mandarin Duck, 1 Buzzard, 4 Stock Dove (+), 1 Turtle Dove (Flew over Fish Hall paddocks towards Medway), 1 Little Owl (Fish Hall paddocks), 8 Swift (over pits), 1 Kingfisher, 4 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Swallow, 40 House Martin (+), 1 Redstart (in hedgerow parallel with Medway, and approx 300m NE of Eldridge lock.), 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Chiffchaff (+), 1 Nuthatch, 3 Jay, 5 Rook (+) [Dave De Silva]

Knole Park, 16:00 to 18:00
1 Whinchat (Golf Course Scrub), 1 Wheatear (Golf Course), 3 Blackcap, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Yellowhammer [James King]

Conyer, 14:30 to 16:30, sunny with increasing cloud and breeze from SW; tide in
1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Common Sandpiper, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Redstart (female), 1 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear [James Massey]

Worth, 13:30 to 15:00, Sun after showers
150 Greylag Goose, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, 2 Swift, 1 Whinchat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler [Christopher Gillard]

Oare Marshes, 10:30 to 12:00, grey, rain building
15 Whimbrel (In a single flock), 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Swift (over Uplees area) [Danny Chesterman]

Cliffe Pools, 10:00 to 14:45, cloudy later then rain
2 Cattle Egret (on ski pool), 3 Spoonbill (on ski pool), 7 Knot (on flamingo pool), 3 Ruff (on various pools), 5 Whimbrel (on flamingo pool), 153 Curlew (on flamingo pool), 20 Greenshank (on various pools), 2 Yellow-legged Gull (on flamingo pool), 1 Yellow Wagtail (neär flamingo pool), 1 White Wagtail (on flamingo pool) [Jeremy Hall]

TQ6760, 09:30 to 09:30, Dry
1 Grey Wagtail [Trevor Manship]

Sandwich Bay, 09:00 to 12:30, Sun and heavy showers
3 Buzzard, 2 Hobby, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Wheatear [Christopher Gillard]

Higham Bight, 08:40 to 09:15, cloudy mild
2 Egyptian Goose (feeding in fields near Westcourt), 2 Green Sandpiper (on pool on edge of alpha pool), 20 Yellow-legged Gull (+, mainly adults feeding on crabs), 1 Kingfisher (in trees near south quarry) [Jeremy Hall]

Dungeness, 08:15 to 15:00, Breezy from SW; occasional light rain
1 Egyptian Goose, 4 Great White Egret (RSPB ), 1 Sparrowhawk (ARC), 1 Hobby (RSPB), 1 Little Ringed Plover (ARC), 1 Ruff (ARC), 1 Wood Sandpiper (ARC), 1 Arctic Skua (Sea-watching hide), 2 Little Gull (ARC), 1 Kittiwake (several), 2 Black Tern (RSPB), 2 Swift (RSPB), 3 Black Redstart (Power Station), 1 Redstart (Obs), 1 Wheatear (Obs) [Ken Noble]

Dungeness, 08:00 to 16:30, Sunny with a light breeze in the morning with the wind increasing throughout the day. KOS OUTDOOR MEETING.
10 Egyptian Goose, 3 Garganey (ARC Pit), 4 Common Scoter, 1 Fulmar, 2 Cattle Egret (Denge Marsh), 3 Great White Egret, 4 Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzard, 1 Osprey (2 sightings on ARC and Burrows Pits), 4 Hobby, 3 Little Ringed Plover (ARC Pit), 16 Golden Plover (New Diggings), 18 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 1 Snipe (ARC Pit), 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Greenshank, 4 Wood Sandpiper (ARC Pit), 6 Common Sandpiper, 12 Turnstone (Fishing Boats), 1 Arctic Skua (Dark Morph), 1 Little Gull (Adult, ARC Pit), 1 Common Gull (Adult), 3 Kittiwake, 150 Sandwich Tern, 4 Black Tern (Burrows Pit), 6 Swift (ARC Pit), 2 Green Woodpecker, 800 Sand Martin (+), 8 House Martin, 10 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Black Redstart (Mostly Power Station), 8 Stonechat, 11 Wheatear (Mostly Obs Area), 4 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Sedge Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 8 Willow Warbler [Ray O'Reilly]

Reculver Marshes, 08:00 to 10:00
2 Golden Plover (summer plumage adults), 1 Yellow-legged Gull (juvenile flying W), 1 Kingfisher, 1 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear [Chris Hindle]

Faversham, 06:30 to 07:00
1 Little Owl, 1 Kingfisher (lake adjacent to solar farm) [Steve Arthur]

Saturday 17 August 2019

Tonbridge, 18:00 to 20:00, Tanyard farm area to Medway, 7/8 cloud, 20 deg C, wind f2 W
1 Grey Heron, 1 Buzzard, 100 Herring Gull (+), 6 Swift, 1 Kingfisher (+), 3 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (+), 4 Swallow, 1 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff (+), 20 Long-tailed Tit (+), 7 Greenfinch, 10 Linnet (+), 2 Bullfinch, 2 Yellowhammer [Dave De Silva]

Finberry (Ashford), 15:40 to 17:40, 26 species including:
41 Lapwing, 8 Green Sandpiper, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Kingfisher [Robert Carr]

Luddenham Marshes, 15:20 to 15:50
2 Turtle Dove, 1 Cuckoo [Julian Russell]

Cliffe Pools, 11:00 to 18:15, Sunny with a light Sou'westerly breeze with Bernie Weight an Jan Cullum. Of interest Small Mottled Willow, Gypsy and Brimstone Moths, Clouded Yellow Butterfly. Black-tailed Skimmer and many Migrant Hawker Dragonflies.
1 Cattle Egret (Adult, Radar Pool), 3 Spoonbill (Hidden Pool), 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Ringed Plover, 57 Grey Plover (Flamingo Pool), 3 Knot (Flamingo Pool), 7 Ruff (5 Radar Pool, 2 Flamingo Pool.), 2777 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit (Flamingo Pool, 1 in full breeding plumage.), 9 Whimbrel (4 at Higham Bight), 173 Curlew, 135 Redshank (86 on Amoco Pools.), 5 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper (Alpha Pool), 4 Common Sandpiper (Cliffe Creek), 1 Common Gull (Adult, Flamingo Pool), 18 Yellow-legged Gull (16 Higham Bight, 2 Flamingo Pool.), 67 Common Tern (Many chicks hatched on Amoco and Alpha Pools.), 1 Barn Owl, 11 Swift (North Quarry), 1 Kingfisher (Cliffe Creek), 6 Sand Martin, 25 House Martin (West Street Fields), 2 Yellow Wagtail (West Street Fields), 2 Wheatear (Sea Wall), 2 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler (Lower Hope Point), 650 Starling (450 at Lower Hope Point), 1 Corn Bunting [Ray O'Reilly]

Faversham, 08:20 to 08:50, road to water treatment wks
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Turtle Dove (in Cardox), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Swallow, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Pied Wagtail, 1 Wren, 3 Dunnock, 1 Blackbird, 30 House Sparrow, 4 Chaffinch, 10 Goldfinch, 4 Linnet [Steve Arthur]

TR0256, 07:10 to 08:00, Valley sw of Hogben's Hill. Nice morning after rain overnight.
10 Swallow, 150 House Martin (conservative estimate of the number in the area - had mostly cleared out by 8am ) [Steve Arthur]

Oare Marshes, 05:30 to 11:00, warm with sunny intervals and a brisk SW breeze. LT circa 08:30. Red Kite lingering over fields then drifted S 07:30-07:45.
3 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (still on Horse Sands), 1 Sparrowhawk (female), 3 Buzzard, 1 Osprey (flew N over Nagden then turned W along the Swale 09:40-09:55), 6 Ringed Plover, 37 Golden Plover (on EF), 2 Knot (juvs. on EF), 5 Ruff (on EF), 3 Greenshank (on EF first thing), 3 Green Sandpiper (W side), 5 Mediterranean Gull (four ads. and a juv.), 1 Bonaparte's Gull (moulting ad. on mud E of slipway still), 5 Turtle Dove (ad. plus four juvs. together on wires W of cottages), 1 Cuckoo (juv. per R.Roberts), 1 Barn Owl, 25 Swift (moving W), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Yellow Wagtail (+), 1 Whinchat (just W of Dan's Dock), 1 Wheatear, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (showed well for a couple of mins. preening in a bramble in scrub/paddocks), 6 Blackcap (+), 10 Lesser Whitethroat (+), 4 Corn Bunting [Murray Wright]

Friday 16 August 2019

Kingsdown, 13:25 to 13:55, Overcast brisk SW
50 Swift (+ West), 20 House Martin (+) [Barry Woolhouse]

Swale NNR, 12:00 to 16:00, Cloudy, showers and F5 westerly
2 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Osprey (Moving west along the Swale. Seemed to settle near Harty.), 2 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Wheatear [Mathew Bournat]

Finberry (Ashford), 10:00 to 12:00
1 Sparrowhawk (male), 1 Kingfisher (usually a winter visitor) [Robert Carr]

Uplees Marsh, 06:40 to 08:30
1 Whinchat, 3 Wheatear [Jim Bloor]

Oare Marshes, 06:30 to 06:30, Light SSW wind
1 Great Black-backed Gull (An adult chased a young Shelduck in flight (50 m off the mud) and managed to get hold of it, causing the duck to make a crash landing on to the mud. The gull pursued the duck on foot, making repeated stabs at it, but the outcome was that the gull gave up, and flew away over the EF. After 5 min the Shelduck flew off to The Swale.) [Graeme Backhurst]

Thursday 15 August 2019

Knole Park, 16:00 to 18:30
1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Hobby, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Skylark, 7 House Martin, 5 Stonechat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler (juv), 1 Yellowhammer [James King]

Oare Marshes, 07:30 to 08:30, Bright with W breeze.
3 Water Rail (1 ad. 2 fully-grown juvs. Feeding along S shore of EF.), 1 Common Gull (ad. on EF.) [Roger Clews]