December 2006 Sightings

New Hythe - Barry Wright ©

Please email your sightings to Andy Lawson

If you live, or for that matter visit, any site west of the A249 between the Sheppey bridge and Maidstone and then west to Dartford and Tunbridge Wells (roughly...) then I would be delighted to hear from you.

Please note that Martin Coath will be leading a walk at New Hythe from 9.30am on the 6th of January.  Birds seen there recently include Bittern, Goosander, Bearded Tit and Goldeneye.  An ideal opportunity to walk off some of the excesses of Christmas! I hope that we will see you there.

Sunday 31st December Littlebrook Lake, Dartford

Littlebrook Lake once again hosted 2 Caspian Gulls this morning - a first-winter (yesterday's bird) and a second-winter. In the blustery conditions, both birds showed well and a white colour-ringed 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was present here as well. Yellow-legged Gulls were present, but in slightly smaller numbers than previous days, with 2 adults, 2 second-winters and a first-winter on Littlebrook. A Peregrine flew over the pit, coming from the direction of the power station just after midday.

(Richard Bonser)

Sunday 31st December Gravesend river front and Thong!!

A couple of hours this afternoon on larid watch at Gravesend was reasonably quiet except for 5 Yellow legged Gulls, all adults and a Rock Pipit. Lapwing numbered 70 whilst Redshank were represented by 5 only!!

A drive from Shorne to Thong 'an underwatched area' revealed only a Green Woodpecker, 30+ Linnet and 15+ Fieldfare. A Sparrowhawk over the garden in Northfleet ended the years birding. Roll on 2007.

(Barry Wright)

Sunday 31st December New Hythe

A trip round New Hythe today produced 2- female Goosander, m + f- Goldeneye, f- Ferruginous Duck, 2- Redshank, 1- Green Sandpiper, 2- Peregrine, 200+ -Lapwing, 2- Sparrowhawk and 1- Chiff Chaff but nothing new for the year list. After 101 appearances in 2006, I managed to see 120 species of birds, 16 species of Butterflies and 15 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies. Obviously not enough, so I must try harder next year.

(Terry Laws)

Saturday 30th December Dartford Marshes

The run on Caspian Gulls continues unabated with three birds on Littlebrook Pool today. 

A new 1st winter bird was found at about 11am and a large male 2nd winter bird was found soon after.  The 2nd winter Caspian was initially found yesterday by Barry Wright and the restricted neck streaking, more typical 'parallel bill' and less extensive dark area in the bill indicated that it was a new arrival. A second 2nd winter dropped in briefly and was probably a female due to its smaller size and shorter bill.

Other birds seen included a Little Egret on Littlebrook as well as 11 Yellow Legged Gulls which comprised 3 adults, 1 fourth winter, 4 second winters and 3+ 1st winter birds.

(Andrew Lawson, Barry Wright, James Hunter & Richard Bonser et al)

Friday 29th December New Hythe

3 Goosander (a redhead and 2 males on the Millstream pit) a pair of  Goldeneye on Abbey Mead and a Bittern roosting at 4.15 at the end of the  Millstream pit.

(Steve Nunn)

Thursday 28th December Higham Canal

No fewer than 8 Blackcaps along the Thames & Medway Canal at Lower Higham today, including five males and two females in view at once, feeding in hawthorn bushes.

(Tim Hodge)

Thursday 28th December Bedgebury

I went to Bedgebury this afternoon in hope of seeing some Hawfinchs. After only 10 mins I found 2, then another 2 later on. However that was it really very little elsae of note. The whole car park area was heaving with people though. Good to see people out enjoying the forest walks and cycling.
(Colin Firman)

Thursday 28th December Dartford Marshes

I think I've worked out what these gulls are up to!  Today, the tip in Crayford was open but there weren't any large gulls present. I drove down to the Thames and looked across the river and there were thousands of gulls on the Thames foreshore over at Rainham and flying over the tip.  Basically when the tip at Rainham is closed, many of the large gulls come over to Dartford. Still, there were some large gulls on Littlebrook with 8 Yellow Legged Gulls being present: 3 adults, a 3rd winter, 3 2nd winter and a 1st winter.

Another 7 Yellow Legged Gulls were present on the foreshore around Darent Creek on the Thames: 3 adult, a 4th winter, 2 2nd winter and a very pale 1st winter which had scapulars very similar to a pale 1st winter Caspian. Wader numbers included 24 Ringed Plover, 22 Redshank, 70+ Dunlin. 15 Fieldfare were new in.

The flooded field had 62 Teal and 1 Green Sandpiper and nearby the 'new pit' had 24 Shoveler, 15 Gadwall, 12 Tufted Duck and 9 Wigeon.

(Andrew Lawson)

Wednesday 27th December Dartford

A little Egret flew over the house at 10.30am this morning heading towards West Dartford.  This is the second bird that I have had over the house.

(Andrew Lawson)

Tuesday 26th December Dartford Marshes

At least two more Caspian Gulls today making it a definite '7' since the 16th December.  A potential No.8 is still being studied but also looks good for Caspian and an image will be posted here shortly.  The other two are shown in two images below:

1) This bird was first seen on the 24th. We refound it on the 'new pit' at 8.45am and it was still present at 3.45pm when it then flew off to roost. However, it did pay a brief visit to the recycling centre at 12.30pm. If only all gulls were as easy to ID as this one.
2) This appears to be a 'new' 2nd winter bird. We tracked this bird as it moved from Littlebrook Pool to the Recycling Centre. Almost all of the underwing was a gleaming white.
(Andrew Lawson)

Tuesday 26th December Haysden

I parked up at Ensfield Bridge at 7.20am this morning - Pheasants and Mallards were in good voice. As I approached Haysden a splendid drake Goosander, together with nine drake Tufted Duck and five Little Egrets were about the only birds on Longfield (behind Haysden) as it tried to get light.
On Haysden Lake itself there were about 50 Cormorant, six Little Egrets (possibly some duplication) and four more Tufted Ducks amongst the Great Crested Grebes. A single Reed Bunting was noted today.
As I walked towards Barden Lake I noted several Redwings and a few Bullfinches. The usual bits were on Barden Lake (ie. not a lot - Coot, a small number of Tufted Ducks and a couple of Mute Swan) and so I continued on towards Hawden noting House Sparrow and Collared Dove as I passed the western end of Tonbridge. A couple of Mistle Thrushes and atleast 250 Woodpigeons also noted.
As I approached Hawden there were about 200 Gulls, mostly Black-headed but also Common Gulls and at least two Herring Gulls. A group of about 20 Lapwing flew in as I walked past and when I looked back behind the island there were probably at least 150 present. A review of the 25 or so ducks present found that there were 3 Pochard, 14 Tufted Ducks and star bird so far - 3 Gadwall - my second record of the year.
I turned to leave and was approaching the small woodland when about 20 Golden Plover flew in and dropped down behind the island. As this was my first record of this species here for about 20 years I turned back again, making a call to alert others as I did so. From the west end of the lake I could just about make out a few of them on the deck. These birds were successfully twitched but flew off shortly after - they may have only been present for about an hour.
I walked back through the woodland and along the River Medway noting Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, four finch species and a couple of Treecreeper and my only two Fieldfare of the day.
Nothing new noted on Haysden on the way back and the Goosander had gone. There did appear to be several Goldcrest around today and there were more Grey Herons in the area than usual. A total of 50 species recorded in about three and half hours this morning.
There was no sign of the Black-throated Diver at Bough Beech on the way home.
(Andy Appleton)

Sunday 24th December Higham Bight & Cliffe RSPB

I went to Cliffe again this morning. The Falcated Duck was feeding busily with Teals in Higham Bight. 7 Brent Geese flew downstream from at least the Shorne area.
The 2 Black-necked Grebes were present on the Radar Pit. The only other thing of interest was a Pink Footed Goose on Alpha Pit which swam to one of the islands, clambered up the bank and sat down in the weeds where it was almost invisible. There were shooters on Higham marshes so it had probably come off the fields.
(Dick Elvy)

Sunday 24th December Higham Bight & Cliffe RSPB

The drake Falcated Duck was on the Thames this afternoon with a group of Mallard, Gadwall and Teal. Three Brent Geese were also in the bay.
Back at the Alpha pool there were six (five adult) Yellow-legged Gulls and a couple of Stonechat, several Curlew and two or three Little Egrets were seen along the road.
As it was getting dark ten Little Egrets were noted in the North Quarry, three Yellow-legged Gulls were seen and three Ruddy Ducks were noted.
(Andy Appleton)

Saturday 23rd December New Hythe

A walk around New Hythe this afternoon produced 2 drake + 1 female Goosander together on the mill stream pit. Male + female Goldeneye on Abbeymead and 1 Little Egret over.
(Terry Laws)

Saturday 23rd December Dartford Marshes

Spent four hours checking the gulls in the Dartford area which turned up the following: 12 Yellow Legged Gulls on Littlebrook: 5 2nd winter, 4 1st winter, 1 4th winter, 2 adults and 6 more on the Thames foreshore adjacent to Dartford Marshes by the river Darent mouth: 2 adult, 2 2nd winter, 1 1st winter and 1 4th winter.  Also 1 large male 2nd winter Caspian Gull on the Thames foreshore by the Darent river mouth.

Other birds included an adult Peregrine on the pylon above the flooded field off of University Way.  Also 346 Lapwing, 161 Dunlin, 19 Ringed Plover and 46 Redshank on the Thames foreshore.

(Andrew Lawson)

Saturday 23rd December Higham marshes and Bight

A superb morning spent in the Higham area accessed from Higham church. Fortunately the fog had lifted and we were able to locate the Thames!!

The walk across the marshes produced  two Sparrowhawk looking for a quick pre Christmas snack, 150 Fieldfare, a very vocal Chiffchaff, 800+ Lapwing overhead, Stonechat and a lonely Mute Swan!

Once at the Bight the tide was low but there were stacks of birds with 360+ Teal, 2 Pintail flying over, 3 Brent Geese, a couple of Knot including a partially albinistic bird, also a partial albinistic Grey Plover, a horde of Gulls but a 'stunning' drake Falcated Duck that seemed happy enough amongst the Mallard, Gadwall and Teal was the star bird!! It even briefly consorted with a Wigeon, surely a good sign!!!! Whatever it's origins it was good to see and the Peregrine decided not to eat it as it harassed all the birds. The only gulls of note were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls.

A Kingfisher  was seen and heard a few times, all in all a good set of birds.

(Barry Wright)

Thursday 21st December Higham Bight & Cliffe RSPB

Cold, dull and dreary; and that was just the Saganauts! The fog had turned to mist, but our spirits were lifted by coffee and then by the Falcated Duck, which showed well with Mallard and other ducks near the fort. Who knows where it has come from! (the duck not the fort) The 1987 bird at Motney Hill was hurled into Category D of the British List along with 7 others recorded between 1976 and 1988, including one at Pitsford Reservoir which arrived with Wigeon in the same winter. There is of course a first winter bird in Devon at present. The best guess is that the bird will remain in Category D, although why a duck should leave the food and shelter of a collection for the privilege of spending the winter at Higham Bight is a mystery to me. Perhaps Lee Evans or someone could enlighten us about he latest thinking on the provenance of British records of this species.
After this heady experience we walked round part of the Pools, where the highlights were 2 BN Grebes, 4 L Egrets, 5 Pintail, 9 (3 drakes) Goldeneye, Merlin, 40 Golden Plover, 6 Blackwits, 2 Greenshanks, Green Sand and 35 Linnets.
It was cold in the middle of a large anticyclone, but we were prepared with many layers of winter plumage.
(Martin Coath)

Tuesday 19th December Shorne Marshes

A meander round Shorne Marshes this morning included 48 Corn Buntings around the shooting butts, 40 Blackbirds, 30 Fieldfares, 8 Redwings, 2 Little Grebes, 70 Chaffinches, 4 Yellowhammers, 15 Reed Buntings, 3 Stonechats and 2 Grey Herons. Rather more birds offshore included 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (including a drake) flying up and then downriver, 2 Kittiwakes following a ship upriver, 51 Gadwall, 87 Teal, 80 Wigeon, 25 Curlew, 70 Lapwings, 4 Grey Plovers and 2 Golden Plovers.

(Tim Hodge)

Stonechat - Tim Hodge ©

Tuesday 19th December Higham & Cliffe

The drake falcated duck found by Dickie Elvie y/day was still in Higham Bight this afternoon, roosting by the old jetty/barges with mallard & gadwall until 4pm at least. The bird was asleep for the whole time I watched it & the light was crap, but the stern marking was unmistakeable! Car parking in Cliffe or Higham villages & walk along the variety of footpaths to view.
Good numbers of waders on the mud - 1300+ dunlin, 72 grey plover, 61 blackwit, 23 avocet & a greenshank. No sign of the GN diver on the Alpha pool (didn't look that carefully), but 3 red-breasted mergansers there.
(Gordon Allison RSPB)

Monday 18th December Higham & Cliffe

I went to Cliffe to-day to try and see the G.N.Diver which I couldn't find.

Continuing on to the sea-wall at Higham I got there just as the tide was going out and the birds were coming in. The big surprise was a drake Falcated Duck which was feeding with the other dabbling ducks near the waters edge.These were mainly Teal 185, also 65 Mallard, 22 Gadwall and 5 Widgeon. The Falcated Duck was associating with Mallard and Gadwall.

There were 2100 Dunlin,  84 Grey Plover and 6 Avocets plus Redshank and Curlew. There were alot more Dunlin and about 250 Avocets over the other side . A  R. B. Merganser flew down the river.   Not alot on the pools apart from  3 drake and 6 redhead Goldeneyes on the radar pool though I suppose 455 Tufted Ducks and 205 Pochard is quite good for a very mild December.

(Dick Elvy)

Monday 18th December Bexley

7 Little Egrets came out of roost behind Thames Road Depot BTS, Bexley.

(Andrew Appleton)

Sunday 17th December Wouldham

Such a beautiful day today, I couldn't resist the temptation to do my local walk out along the river and marshes north of the village twice! 

The morning outing produced 1 Little Egret, 12 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Grey Wagtail, a pair of Stonechat and a flock of 19 Corn Bunting, whilst in the evening there was a colour-ringed Cormorant from the Abberton Reservoir (Essex) colony, back for the 14th year in a row, 1 Water Rail and nice views of a Barn Owl hunting over the marsh, the first here since 2003.
(Ian Shepherd)

Sunday 17th December Dartford Marshes

More larid madness ensued between 12pm and 1pm today.  Many of the gulls were roosting in one of the flooded fields adjacent to University Way and conveniently right next to a layby. 2 Caspian Gulls were present and comprised a striking 1st winter and a 2nd winter which had replaced more of its wing coverts than yesterday's bird.   Also 2 1st winter Yellow Legged Gulls present.

Green Sandpiper heard and a large female Sparrowhawk kept whizzing passed and spooking all the gulls.

(Andrew Lawson)

Herring Gull - Andrew Lawson © Beware of black-eyed Herrings! Note that the bill shape and head streaking is not good for Caspian amongst other features.

Caspian Gull - Andrew Lawson © Apparently the 'baggy trousers' shown by this bird is a feature of Caspian!

Sunday 17th December Yantlet Estuary

10.00 to 13.30 hrs. 0/8 cloud,  sw 2,  5 oC. at 09.30  hrs.  early frost, 
HT. 10.00 hrs.
A fine winter's day.
 
 Red Throated Diver -  7 w. but soon splashed down.
 Great crested Grebe -  1 offshore.
 Cormorant -  6 Y.est.
 Little Egret -  9, inc. 5 w. to CB.  2 Y. fleets,  2  Y. s/m.
 Brent Goose -  24 Y. est.
 Mute Swan -  2 Y. sea wall fleet.
 Bewick Swan -  5 ads. circling Gm before returning south.
 Shelduck -  47 Y. est.
 Wigeon -  2 w.
 Teal -  3 w.
 Red Breasted Merganser -  1 f. w.
 Oystercatcher -  845 Yb.
 Lapwing -  110 Y. s/m. to Yb.
 Ringed Plover -  72 Yb.
 Grey Plover -  10 Yb.
 Dunlin -  120 Yb. also 10 w. mid river.
 Knot -  5000 Yb. roost.
 Redshank -  170 Y. s/m. to Yb.
 Bar Tailed Godwit -  1 Yb.
 Black Tailed Godwit -  25 Gm. to Yb.
 Curlew -  262 Y. s/m. to Yb.
 Turnstone -  63 Yb.
 Guillebill -  1 south in estuary.
 Stonechat -  1 pr. on sea wall rosehip shrubs to w. of  stones.
 Pied Wagtail -  group of 7 on Y. sea wall.
 Rock Pipit -  1, as above.
 No disturbance except Knot a little flighty as usual, 2 Crows  feeding on Yb.
(Trevor Bowley)
 

Saturday 16th December New Hythe

Shopping at Tesco provided the excuse for a walk round the lakes on Friday but no excuse needed on a sunny Saturday morning.

Nothing new to note but perhaps an increase in Redwing. No large flocks but groups of 20 to 30 here and there. Plenty of berries still  for them if we get any hard weather influxes.

Much the same results for both days. The long stayers are still in place: Ferruginous duck on Brookland lake, male and female Goldeneye on Abbeymead, male and female Goosander on the Millsteam/Sewage works pit. Heard Cetti's by the Sunken marsh but not Bearded tit reported there recently. If only I had Flossie's acute hearing or could train her in some way to point them out to me!
(Martin Warburton)

Saturday 16th December Dartford Marshes

I'm really getting into gulls which is a good thing at the moment what with the chaps working overtime at weekends at Dartford's recycling centre. Many of the big gulls are now roosting on Littlebrook and so I headed down there for an hour this afternoon. 500+ Black Headed, 100+ LBBs, 1 GBB, 30 Argenteus Herring, 1 ad Yellow Legged and 1 1st/2nd winter Caspian were present.

The Caspian was odd in that it appeared to have a full set of juvenile wing coverts but an almost gleaming white underwing. The first feature is that of a 1st winter whilst the underwing would suggest a 2nd winter. Black spots on the base of the tail also suggested that it was a 1st winter.
The two pics attached show these features just about. Note just how white the underwing primary coverts are.
(Andrew Lawson)

ps 17-12-6 - I can make out a few grey wing coverts afterall.  Bird is a 2nd winter.

Caspian Gull - Andrew Lawson ©

Caspian Gull - Andrew Lawson ©

Saturday 16th December Haysden

Not too much bird activity at Haysden today - I checked all the diving duck (approximately one tenth of the numbers you had at New Hythe to see if the BB Ring-necked Duck was there - if it was it eluded me). Several Bullfinches and Kingfisher sightings though and Marsh Tit, Grey Wagtail and a single Rook 'livened up'(?) proceedings.
(Andrew Appleton)

Friday 15th December New Hythe

It is 3 weeks since my last visit to New Hythe after a long period of mild weather with SW winds from the sub-tropics to N Scandinavia. Numbers of many birds were fairly similar - Mute Swan at 37, Teal at 16, Pochard at 60, Tufted at 310 and Coot at 615 were little changed, but 58 Gadwall and 22 Shoveler were down. 18 Robins and 35 Blackbirds were a little up, but Blue Tits with 33 and Great Tits with 28 were more in evidence, exulting no doubt in the easy pickings of a mild spell. So was anything new? I ask rhetorically. I did see the Ferruginous in the morning , but she was not showing 3 hours later. There were 4 singing Cetti's and a Bearded Tit, my first there SW of the Medway. There were still drake Goldeneye, redhead Goosander, 2 Chiffchaffs and a male Stonechat and 2 Sparrowhawks; some useful counts and 59 species on a bright if windy day.
(Martin Coath)

Wednesday 13th December Sevenoaks WR

It has been fairly static here in the prolonged mild weather after the warmest autumn for 347 years. Water levels are of course high and need to be to kill of the vegetation on the little islands to prevent them climaxing into tiny Birch or Alder copses.

There is still plenty to look for: up to 13 LIttle Egrets have been leaving the roost at an ungodly hour not recognised by Saganauts. Today 9 of the original 12 Egyptian Geese flew over and 5 Mandarins lurked amonst overhanging vegetation. Up to 10 Wigeon have been in view and Gadwall, with their dry quacks, have reached a respectable 68 inc. 41 drakes - a typical proportion here. Teal have declined gradually over the last month from a peak of 130 to 25 today. On some days Pochard have outnumbered Tufted, but today there were 64 Tufted, still way below the December average, and only 30 Pochard. It is interesting the way these congeners, the mussel eating Tufted and the mainly vegetarian Pochard, keep in touch, with some single species and some mixed parties, but all exploiting the manifold delights of the Canadian  Pondweed. The female Ruddy Duck, probably the returning bird of last winter, hangs around them quietly in fear of the RSPB.
2 drake Goosanders left before I arrived - very rude! One or two Sparrowhawks appear most days, but Kestrels are scarce. Waders, even Lapwings and Snipe, have disappeared, but are not far away. Black-headed Gulls are quite numerous and active and the larger gulls amble over from the nearby landfill site, where I have recently seen up to 600 Herring Gulls, for a wash and brush-up, and a chat about the identification of Caspian Gulls.

Woodpeckers are erratic: some days much in evidence; on others strangely silent. A Lesser Spot was seen on the 9th. There are a few Redwings, but Fieldfares have been very scarce;  a Chiffchaff has been seen a few times. Small flocks of Tits rove about and there were 3 Goldcrests today, but more importantly a Firecrest was present on 9th and may still be around. Jays are much in evidence and finch flocks are building up, with up to 40 Chaffinches and 30 Goldfinches. Siskins have reverted to their 2004/5 numbers; 3 today were my first here for some weeks. Usually we entertain 200 or more. No doubt the pines are greener on the other side of the North Sea. In my garden Dunnock and Goldcrest have added their voices to the sparse sound of the Avian Philharmonic Choir, and Tawny Owls are vocal.
Good Birding! 
(Martin Coath)

Wednesday 13th December Cliffe RSPB

There's a Great Northern Diver on the Alpha pool at Cliffe. Conditions weren't ideal, but it looks as though it's a juvenile.

At 1pm it was in line with the first life ring along the track to Cliffe fort. Apparently, it's been there since the weekend.
A peregrine, 2 stonechats & 26 pochard about the only other things of note. A sprinkling of waders & ducks in Higham Bight, but it was hard enough standing still in the wind, let alone keeping optics steady!

The track down to the fort isn't a public right of way and anyone wishing to look for the diver at Cliffe should do so from the RoW's either side of the Alpha pool.
(Gordon Allison)

Sunday 10th December Mote Park, Maidstone

Whilst birding the park this morning 2 Kingfishers were seen feeding along the River Len, whilst a flock made up of 1 Goldfinch and 4 Lesser Redpolls were feeding in the Alders above the River Len.  A Water Rail called from the Marsh.
(Simon Ginnaw)

Saturday 9th December  Stockbury

Common Buzzard seen flying west across the A249 between Detling and
Stockbury (at Yelsted turn off) at 14:00 on Saturday (on my way to
Sheppey!). 
(Adam Whitehouse)

Saturday 9th December Swanscombe marshes, Motney and lower Halstow

A couple of hours were spent scanning the Thames and the other birders present in the area on the Essex shoreline though sadly no 'rares'. A Water Pipit was feeding in it's usual wintering locality together with four Rock Pipits and a Grey Wagtail, whilst nearby the Cetti's was heard singing  briefly and the three Brent Geese were located on the Essex side.

Next stop, Chatham dockyard, yes the dockyard was still there though birds weren't!! On to Motney Hill and a walk round to view the deep water. A Merlin flew overhead with some prey though some Crows robbed it and it dropped it's prey into the reedbed!! Brent Geese numbered 95 together with 35 Great crested Grebe, a lone Slavonian Grebe, five Red-breasted Merganser, 379 Avocet, and overhead a Peregrine and female Marsh Harrier.

As the weather was still looking good, Lower Halstow beckoned and sure enough, the Whimbrel was in residence 'again' for another winter plus a Sparrowhawk overhead and a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull amongst the Black-heads.

Not a bad haul for a few hours work and with cracking views of the Rough-leg Buzzard on Sheppey well worth the effort.

(Barry Wright )

Saturday 9th December Greenhithe & Dartford Marshes

I arrived at Greenhithe to find Dick Elvy already looking towards Thurrock but he hadn't located the Phalarope and the calm, sunny weather seems to have given it its cue to leave.

However, the birding wasn't without its merits and 13 Yellow Legged Gulls flew up river and consisted of 6 adults, 4 fourth-winters (as per Olsen and Larsson P285), 1 2nd-winter and 2 1st winters.  No doubt they joined the many thousands of gulls on the foreshore a couple of miles upriver at Rainham.

Dick also picked up a Peregine on top of one of the huge pylons and the bird made regular sorties out over West Thurrock before returning.

Two Brent Geese flew upriver towards us and, as many birds do, turned around when they saw the bridge.  They attempted to fly over the bridge several times before giving up and pitching down on the Thurrock foreshore.  A few minutes later they were joined by a third bird. Only my 4th Dartford record.

Wader numbers were up with 383 Redshank present with 329 of them being on the Kent side. 55 Dunlin flew from one side to the other and 7 Curlew were on the Thurrock side.

Barry Wright phoned to say that there was a Water Pipit at Swanscombe.

Other birds present: Teal 28, LBB Gull 100+, GBB Gull 30+, Herring Gull 3 1st winters, Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing 40, Shelduck 34 and one Little Egret flew low over my head before crossing over to Thurrock and landing near the bridge.

The New Diggings had 3 Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck, 14 Wigeon, 6 Gadwall, 5 Little Grebe and just 1 LBB Gull.  The backlog of rubbish has been cleared at the nearby recycling centre and as a result there weren't any Gulls present.

(Andrew Lawson)

Thursday 7th December Wouldham

At 1100 a Leach's Petrel flew upstream along the River Medway, passing within 25m of the front of my house (from where I was viewing), and then back downstream again about 10 minutes later.  It occasionally paused to patter along the surface of the water, but was frequently mobbed by several gulls, a Carrion Crow and even a Lapwing, which presumably mistook it for a small skua.  Certainly in the strong blustery wind its flight was often somewhat reminiscent of a skua, but also shearwater-like at times.
(Ian Shepherd)

Wednesday 6th December Shorne Country Park

My better half expressed a wish to give the much publicised new visitors centre the once over and having not visited the area for some time I tagged along. Shorne Country Park used to be a haunt of Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler and both Marsh and Willow Tits so I was interested to see how things had changed. The visitor centre was very striking to look at but less interesting inside, although it's early days yet. The café was a useful addition however.
All was quiet as we left the car park I expected more bird activity as it was a fine sunny and warm day. The area was much more disturbed compared with how I remembered it and it took us some time to run into the tit flock of about 40 birds containing all the usual suspects but no Marsh or Willow. Most individuals seemed to be removing food items from the bark of trees. As we walked up "Cardiac Hill" a lone Herring Gulls slowly soared up from the estuary. It was a clear day and you could see over Higham Marshes, passed Cliffe towards Canvey. I have always thought it would be interesting to watch from here as skuas come up the Thames to see exactly how high they get before they move back out.
It was slightly depressing as there was little bird life with only 12 species recorded but winter woodland birding can be like that, on another day lots more could reveal itself. As for the rarer woodland birds that used to in the park, well an early spring visit may well produce those.
(Paul Larkin) 

Sunday 3rd December Dartford Marshes & Greenhithe

10 Wigeon on the New Diggings.  Only a few large gulls were present at Crayford.

The Thames was quieter than of late but 5 Yellow Legged Gulls gave me something to look at as they sat close to the jetty on the water with 4 Herring Gulls, 3 Lesser Black Backed Gulls and 1 Greater Black Backed Gull. The Yellow Leggeds consisted of 1 rather bright 3rd winter with unusually no black in the tail and an adult type bill.  The primary coverts were dark, though, so could it be a 4th year bird?  Also 1 grey mantled 2nd winter and 3 first winters all with greyer mantles, whiter underparts and whiter upper tails than the nearby 1st winter Herrings and the darker underwings discounted Caspian Gull etc.  I'm trying my hardest to like Gulls!

28 Redshank fed on the foreshore as did a lone Lapwing.

Alas the usual Avocets and Blackwits are over at Rainham.  The traitors.

(Andrew Lawson)

Saturday 2nd December Cliffe RSPB

It was the high tide RSPB wader walk with Gordon Allison on 02/12/06.
Highlights were:
2 Black Necked Grebes, 2 greenshank and 1 spot redshank on the radar pool. 1 Little Stint, 300+ Avocet, 3 goldeneye and 2000+ Dunlin on the Flamingo pool. 2 turnstone as well - not sure how good they are for Cliffe? Plus the other usual suspects eg little egrets and assorted duck. Raptors represented by kestrell and sparrowhawk.
(Mike Puxley)

Saturday 2nd December Mote Park, Maidstone

Whilst birding the Park this morning the Gull flock on the lake produced 55+ Black-headed Gulls, c.18 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, some Herring Gulls & 1 adult-winter Mediterranean Gull.
I counted 7+ singing Song Thrushes, plenty of Mistle Thrushes, and Redwings were heard on numerous occasions flying overhead.
(Simon Ginnaw)