June 2008 Sightings Join the KOS!!
Please email your sightings to Andy Lawson
If you live, or for that matter visit, any site in North or West Kent then I would be delighted to hear from you! Sightings would be appreciated from Sheppey in the North to Dartford & Tunbridge Wells to the West and then back to Maidstone in the East.
Saturday 28th June Haysden
A Turtle Dove was at Longfield Lake this morning, where Kingfisher and Nuthatch were heard but not seen, and nearby the Cetti’s Warbler sang (strange to think that this species hadn’t been recorded at Haysden until February this year). A Reed Bunting showed under the A21 where a Grey Wagtail flew past with food for nearby youngsters. Lots of juvenile birds around as usual for this time of year - unfortunately most of them seem to be Graylag and Canada Geese. Talking of geese a lone Barnacle Goose (why I mention this I don’t know) was with the other geese on Hawden where there were also ten Lapwing, Stock Dove and two Common Terns. Another two Common Terns were at Haysden and just one male Bullfinch was seen at Haysden today.
(Andy Appleton)
Tuesday 24th June Hildenborough
A Spotted Flycatcher has been singing in the school grounds of Sackville School for the last couple of weeks, and last Friday a Grasshopper warbler was heard reeling in some scrub near the school.
(Josh Jenkins Shaw)
Tuesday 24th June Dartford
12 Sand Martin & 6 House Martin were feeding over the 1st flooded field. A summer plumaged Greenshank & a Ringed Plover were in the 2nd flooded field alongside the usual suspects.
(Andrew Lawson)
Monday 23rd June Ryarsh
Nice to at last catch up with Spotted Flycatcher this year with one seen in the front garden of the vicarage in Ryarsh opposite Ryarsh Primary School today.
(Steve Nunn)
Sunday 22nd June Wouldham
Yesterday morning there was an adult Mediterranean Gull along the river, followed later by a juvenile Great Crested Grebe which presumably hadn't travelled very far, although there is no suitable breeding habitat in the parish itself.
Today there were 2 Little Egret and a Green Sandpiper feeding on the river shore early on, with a Common Buzzard up over the downs this afternoon.
(Ian Shepherd)
Sunday 22nd June Joydens Wood & Dartford
A family walk around Joyden's Wood in the morning was typically quiet with most birds feeding quietly rather than calling with only 6+ Coal Tits, a few robin, wren and a Chiffchaff breaking the silence.
The main newt pond in the centre of the woods was almost dry and I was able to count 21 (smooth?) newts basking in the sun.
We later bumped into a feeding flock containing at least 50 birds and maybe even 100; it was just like Ecuador all over again but without the tanagers. There were at least 20 L T Tits, 20+ Great Tit, 10+ Blue Tit, 1 Coal Tit, a family of Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff and a Nuthatch; the latter being a good record here nowadays. The best thing about this flock was that the vast majority of birds were youngsters.
A quick peek at the recycling centre in Crayford later in the day revealed similar number of gulls to those seen last weekend with the 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull still being present. Fingers crossed that it stays this good in the winter.
The 2nd flooded field has the highest water levels that I've ever seen here and alas the fluctuating water levels seem to have prevented any of the 30+ Lapwing from successfully breeding. 16 ponies had also been put in this field and they, along with a pair of ever attendant crows, probably didn't help much either.
22 summer plumaged Redshank were present and as I scanned through their ranks, a couple of chicks appeared from the newly grown vegetation. Good news! The ponies seem to have been taken away so hopefully these Redshank chicks will be allowed to fledge without being trampled on or having their cover eaten away. 5 adult Little Ringed Plovers were present.
Starlings seem to have done very well and of the 600+ birds present, at least half were youngsters.
The 1st flooded field rarely has any birds in it but it is still worth scanning just in case. Today proved this to be the case with an unseasonal Curlew roosting on one of the shallow pools.
(Andrew Lawson)
Saturday 21st June Paddock Wood
As I walked back from a quick shopping visit at lunchtime today two adult Mediterranean Gull flew over low to the North, one was a stunning adult summer the other adult not quite so resplendent. As I got off the train yesterday evening I saw what I thought was a Mediterranean Gull flying away to the South so it was nice to see them well today.
(Marcus Lawson)
Saturday 21st June Sevenoaks KWT NR
The reserve was fairly busy bird wise with the following of note: 6 L.R PLOVER, 6 LAPWING(2 chicks), 2 CORMORANT, C20 SAND MARTIN, C150 GREYLAG GEESE, 1 GREY HERON, 2 G. WOODPECKER, 16 TUFTED DUCK, 1 HERRING GULL, 2 L.B.B GULL, 5 REED BUNTING, 3 TREECREEPER, 2 G.S WOODPECKER, 1 JAY, C20 PIED WAGTAILS(including lots of fledglings), 1 B.H GULL, 4 REED WARBLER, 2 KINGFISHER and to end the day off a family of 6 EGYPTIAN GEESE( 4 chicks). Also lots of GARDEN WARBLER singing and a few BLACKCAP.
Around the reserve there were 3 BEE ORCHIDS and c50 COMMON SPOTTED ORCHIDS.
(Josh Jenkins Shaw)
Friday 20th June Wouldham
A Common Sandpiper along the river at high-water today was the first since 24th May and presumably not quite sure whether it was meant to be coming or going! There were also 1-2 Little Egret present and a single Hobby south of the village. (Ian Shepherd)
Wednesday 18th June Cliffe RSPB
I had a quick look around Cliffe RSPB today:-
Radar/Hidden/Ski Pools:
Black Swan 5
W/F Goose 1 (with Greylags)
Pochard 116 (111 drakes) - unusual for time of year. Somehow I don't think it indicates a lot of breeding ducks, though I wish it did.
A leucistic/albinistic Starling was flying around amongst a flock over Black Barn pools
The Pochard were resting on the islands between the Hidden and Radar pools, where an excellent array of breeding birds were also present. Unfortunately, the RSPB would like to put a footpath right across these islands!!
Black Barn pools:
Curlew Sandpiper 2 (1 breeding plum, 1 non bp)
Dunlin 2
Little Gull 1 2nd sum
Avocet 78
Bl/T Godwit 7
(Murray Orchard)
Tuesday 17th June Birling
2 Red Kite were being mobbed by Crows as they passed the outskirts of Birling (near West Malling) at 3.45pm, they headed in the direction of New Hythe.
(Steve Nunn)
www.newhythe.blogspot.com
Sunday 15th June Dartford
A couple of Yellow Legged Gulls (1st summer & 2nd Summer) this afternoon at Viridor Recycling Centre, Crayford. They are feeding very close to the gates of the centre and would be great for digiscoping. Also 500+ Herring, 100+ LBB & 10+ GBB present.
Elsewhere, there are 20-30 House Martin collecting mud for nest building at Littlebrook, 32 Lapwing (but no young this year) and 12 Redshank in the 2nd flooded field and 2 Little Ringed Plover in the area.
(Andrew Lawson)
Wednesday 11th June Hawden
Two Common Terns, a grotty Gadwall and 400+ Starling were at Hawden this evening.
(Andy Appleton)
Monday 9th June Swale NNR
On the reserve at 06.00 this morning in much needed warm and sunny weather.
I witnessed a pair of Marsh Harrier hunting in a way that I haven't seen
before. A female Marsh Harrier was flying across the saltings when a Meadow
Pipit got up and the harrier went after the Pipit in the same way that a Merlin
would.
Round and round and up and down the chase went, with the harrier showing
surprising agility for such a large bird and just as I thought that the Pipit
was going to exhaust the harrier, a male bird appeared and with one swoop,
plucked the Pipit out of the air in its talons.
Quite exciting to watch, unless of course you was the Pipit's mate.
Had two newly hatched broods of Pochard and Gadwall as well this morning.
(Derek Faulkner)
Sunday 8th June Northward Hill RSPB
Cracking views of a couple of hunting barn owls at Northward Hill y/day
evening, with a single marsh harrier further out on the marsh and 2
hawking hobbys. At least 3 purring turtle doves around Bromhey farm
carpark and the first post-breeding lapwing flock around the reservoir.
There's now a pretty constant stream of little egrets into & out of the
heronry.
(Gordon Allison, RSPB)
Saturday 7th June Hawkwell Farm, Pembury
A RED KITE flew over the house heading north at 1:20 this lunchtime. There was also a BULLFINCH about.
(Josh Jenkins Shaw)
Saturday 7th June Sheppey
Nothing at Warden!! Bearded tit heard, 2 little egret, 5+ marsh harrier & 2 yellow wagtail from the Raptor Watchpoint. Cetti's warbler (Harty Ferry Inn), male peregrine with prey, 5+ marsh harrier, 3 little egret, 2 stock dove, 60 curlew, 1 dunlin, 10 grey plover, 2 avocet, 2 adult & 2 juv bearded tit (2 families) at Swale NNR.
(Gordon Allison)
Wednesday 4th June Medway Islands
4 brent, 75 curlew, 6 grey plover, 150 oystercatcher. Plenty of Sandwich & common terns & a few little terns + numerous Med gulls & a kingfisher at Upnor.
(Gordon Allison)
Tuesday 3rd June Wouldham
There were 2 Mediterranean Gulls along the river this afternoon (1 adult & 1 2nd-year), making it now 5 months in a row that I have recorded this species here. Also present today was 1 Common Tern, plus the regular pair of Oystercatchers.
(Ian Shepherd)
Sunday 1st June Haysden
Singing Cetti’s and Willow Warblers seen this morning, also one Common Tern and a brief Hobby.
(Andy Appleton)