May 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.
Tuesday 27th May Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
Good numbers of Garden Warbler (aprox. 10 singing), several Blackcap but just a few Chiffchaff!. A couple of Reed Warbler were singing well behind the Willow Hide. Also, Little Ringed Plover - probably 2 pair; Hobby 1; Common Tern 1; Common Sandpiper 1; Cuckoo 1 male calling; Kingfisher 1; Egyptian Goose (2 pair - one with 4/5 goslings); Great Spotted Woodpeckers feeding at two sites. Also there, when the sun finally appeared, were several Red Eyed damselflies; Large Red Damselfly 1; Banded Agrion 2; and an emerging dragonfly on the Willow Hide (which I checked periodically throughout the afternoon) appears to have been a Keeled Skimmer, from photo's I took.
(Linturn Hopkins)
Tuesday 27th May Northward Hill RSPB
Today lunchtime visit to Northward Hill today saw 9 Species of Duck on or around the lake and the smallest island. Mallard, Teal, Garganey (Drake) Gadwall ,Wigeon, Tufted, Pochard, Shelduck and Ruddy. Other highlights were a Cuckoo perching on the Oak by the barn, and Turtle Doves on the overhead wires. RL Partridge on the drive in and Willow Warbler on the drive out, 48 species in all, much easer going (but no Fulmars)
(David Payne)
Monday 26th May Cliffe
An interesting afternoon, if a little damp. I was going to Cliffe anyway, but having spoken to Andrew Lawson previously, rather than watch the Pools, I decided to watch the River from 1410 till 1646 when I stopped because the weather closed in again and things got a bit impossible.
It was some consolation to find, on my arrival, several fishermen present proving I was not the only madman out that day! I saw nothing of note, apart from 2 possible Arctic Terns flying down the Essex side (they were too distant to be sure), until 1517 hrs when a very pale Fulmar flew east closely followed by another darker bird at 1521. At 1557 I had another dark bird, this was quite distinctive as it had very large pale wing patches. At 1602 a very dark bird with little or no wing patch passed east. Two further birds at 1609 were followed by singles at 1613 and 1627. Things then got complicated as the last two birds dropped on the water and started to drift up with the tide. Interestingly these birds attracted gulls and I thought there lives were forfeit but the gulls landed on the water with them and they were joined by a string of Common Terns, I think that the Fulmars had actually spotted food and were feeding and it was this had attracted the other birds. This made me feel a little happier that the bird I had released the day before could survive. There were at least 3 Harbour Porpoises in the area so perhaps they had brought fish to the surface. I was so busy looking at this that I may have missed two more birds, as I had two dark birds flying east past Lower Hope Point. When I got back on the feeding birds there were three of them! So five Fulmars on the River at once. I at least had 8 individuals, possibly up to 11 during the afternoon.
Fulmars are less than annual at Cliffe and almost exclusively seen in autumn, so this was a very unusual event. Having said that I did have 17 in 2 hours, accompanied by 100 Kittiwakes, fly west past Egypt Bay on the evening of 27th May 1996, however , that was a clear and sunny evening most unlike today!
(Paul Larkin)
Monday 26th May Dartford Marshes
Despite the British summer weather, on news of two possible Dartford ticks,I took a walk down to the River Thames. Hiding behind a bush for shelter, missed out on the Gannet but had good views of a Fulmar. Also seen 2 Dunlin, 1 Knot 3 Grey Plovers and 1 Common Tern. I'm looking forward to winter and the better weather.
(Phil Royston)
Monday 26th May Greenhithe 12.30pm to 3pm & 6.15pm to 7.30pm
I was already heading down to the Thames when I got a call from Barry Wright to say that a Gannet & Fulmar had been seen off of Rainham and as soon as I got to Sara Crescent, Greenhithe, the first bird I put my bins on was a Fulmar. Barry arrived soon after and we had at least 3 birds with one of these birds, or another, flying off down river. There was little in the way of quantity but the quality made up for it as an adult Med Gull flew down river passing a very late Brent Goose on the Thurrock side. During the afternoon seesion three single Kittiwakes flew upriver (2 ads and an immature) and 2 Arctic Terns were seen heading down river with the 2nd bird hanging around long enough for the first few 'London twitchers' to enjoy as it fed with several Common Tern mid-river. 40+ Common Tern and a Sandwich tern were noted.
The early evening session produced more of the same with 2 Fulmars still present with one bird flying within 10 feet of us and hanging just above our heads! A Little Egret headed down river as did a summer plumaged Sanderling. 2 more Arctic Terns were feeding with 8 Common Tern and these were joined by 4 more Arctic Terns which sped passed us before stalling at the bridge, as many birds do. They tried to head over the bridge before giving up and joining the other feeding terns which had now been joined by another Sandwich Tern. Local birding at its best.
(Andrew Lawson)
Sunday 25th May Istead Rise (& Cliffe RSPB)
As it had been raining all morning my wife, Anthea, and I decided to get some air and go to Cliffe for a walk. We were just leaving the garage when Anthea said "what's that bedraggled bird - a pigeon? I backed the car up to look, and there, looking back at me, was a Fulmar!! Having heard tales of woe from people who try to ring these birds I donned gloves and overalls just in case it "chucked up" at me. Fortunately it did not and, after a great deal of scrabbling, we put it in a box and decided to release it on the Thames at Cliffe Fort. Things panned out quite well as the tide was virtually full in and hopefully, as it dropped, the Fulmar would be taken out seawards on the falling tide. I placed the bird on the rocks and it flew onto the River and began to paddle out. Our initial optimism was perhaps premature as later we saw it drifting up River and looking rather sorry for itself, but hopefully it would recover later. Unfortunately these are not the circumstances that you wish to get both garden and Cliffe year ticks!
The Fulmar proved to be the bird of the day as, apart from a Black Tern and a queen Shrill-carder Bee along the Creek Road, there was little of interest at Cliffe itself.
(Paul & Anthea Larkin)
Sunday 25th May Greenhithe & Dartford
A few fulmars had been reported (as above!) so I decided to check the Thames at Greenhithe after dropping the better half off at 'Blueworta' (to use the local vernacular). With one eye on the river and the other on my mischievous 3 year old, I scanned a rather quiet Thames. Fulmars could not be found but an adult Kittiwake was an excellent site record and I watched it fly up the Thames, reach the QEII bridge, then turn around and speed back the other way: A typical reaction to Dartford, be it avian or human.
A 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull came to the bread that Alex was throwing to the gulls and it joined the 20+ Black Heads, 1 Herring, 1 Common & 2 LBBs.
Waders were non-existent except for a pair of noisy Oystercatchers but a scan of the skies turned up a Peregrine and a Little Egret.
55+ House Martins were over Littlebrook Pools.
(Andrew Lawson)
Saturday 24th May Mereworth
Whilst undertaking a farmland bird survey this morning, I was totally amazed first by the sight of a Whooper Swan but then by the sight of it attempting to land in the field of polly-tunnels - fortunately it aborted at the last moment! It then flew right round me, giving me excellent views of it before it headed down the valley over the A26 and disappearing in the general direction of Hadlow.
(Linturn Hopkins)
Wednesday 21st May Motney Hill
We dropped down to one of our regular areas, starting at Motney Hill Car Park, along the Saxon Shore Way to the concrete dock and back. We had hoped to meet the tide coming in, however, it was later than expected so not to much out on the mud other than a good numbe r of Black Headed Gulls, Shelduck and several pairs of Oystercatchers calling and attempting mating ( pristine males and “ muddy ” backed females!), a few Herring Gulls were intent on maintaining the “ white marking ” on a large red buoy. Starlings, both young and adult, were around both on the mud and on the shore side . Blackbird, Robin and Blue tit were also shore side of the path , however, the highlight for us certainly was two , and probably more , Whitethroat (two seen with one captured on photo and others heard at the same time as the two were still visible). On return to the car park, a cuckoo was heard.
(John & Liz Pell)
Sunday 18th May Kingfisher Lakes, Hoo
A walk from the Kingfisher lakes Hoo to Kingsnorth Power Station along the seawall yesterday Sun 18th May between 2-3.30pm produced 56 Brent off shore, a group of 7 Greenshank, 6 Yellow wagtails, 1 Wheatear, 1 Stonechat, 1 Avocet (on the fishing lakes), 4 Tufted Ducks ,2 drake Pochard and 4plus Little Egrets.
(Also a few House and Sand Martins)
(Keith Cutting)
Sunday 18th May Wouldham
A Little Tern flew down-river at about 6.15 this morning, only my second record of this species on the patch. Still 2 Common Sandpiper along the river, and a Little Ringed Plover was also present.
(Ian Shepherd)
Sunday 18th May Sevenoaks KWT
Of note today were: c20 SWIFT, 4 LAPWING, 1 COMMON SANDPIPER, 2 G.S WOODPECKER, 2 G. WOODPECKER, 2 SAND MARTIN, 5 CORMORANT, 2 SHELDUCK, 3 REED WARBLER, 1 SEDGE WARBLER, C10 BLACKCAP, C10 CHIFFCHAFF, C15 GARDEN WARBLER, 2 REED BUNTING, 2 B.H GULL, 1 L.B.B GULL, 1 SPARROWHAWK, 1 KESTREL, 1 TEAL, 2 SONG THRUSH, 1 MISTLE THRUSH, 4 MUTE SWANS, 2 L.R. PLOVERS.
(Josh Jenkins Shaw)
www.josh-birdbrain.blogspot.com
Saturday 17th May Haysden
Two Little Egrets were a good May record - they circled the lake for five minutes this evening before settling briefly in trees by Haysden Lake – but then flew up high again but it seemed that only one was really interested in heading north and they both eventually glided back down and were still present when I left. Apart from that a Cuckoo flew east; there were 12 Swallow and two Swifts at Haysden and a couple more Swift a very small number of House Martins at Hawden.
(Andrew Appleton)
Saturday 17th May Wouldham
Wader passage has been rather disappointing so far this Spring, so it was nice to find a mixed party of 7 Dunlin and 6 Turnstone feeding on the river shore this morning, the first of either species that I have recorded here this year. Also present today were 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, and a total of at least 15 Common Tern heading north along the river early on.
(Ian Shepherd)
Friday 16th May Elmley
Overcast, cool afternoon at Elmley. Arrived about 3.00p.m. My wife in good spotting form started with a drake Garganey showing clearly in pools behind the toilets. Four common terns flew over as we walked down to the hides. Nothing exceptional at Wellmarsh Hide though good views of about sixty Black-tailed Godwits. From Counterwall however Gill tracked a Black Tern working its way along Windmill Creek towards Dutchman's Island. Pleased to find it corroborated on the notice board when we got back to the car park.
(Alan Lean)
Wednesday 14th May Haysden
Six species of warbler (mostly in the car park) - plus Yellowhammer and a few Skylark in a brief visit before work today.
(Andrew Appleton)
Wednesday 14th May Dartford
Got a text from Barry at midday to say that a drake Garganey was on the New Diggings and indeed it was still present at 8pm. Also 29 adult Tufted Duck present; perhaps they need viagra? Should be breeding by now. Still, they're not the only slow coaches this year with two pairs of Little Grebe and 4+ pairs of Lapwing still sitting on nests when by this time last year youngsters had fledged. A Peregrine flew over the pit and a Common Sandpiper fed on the islands.
One of the the Egyptian Geese was on the pit mid-afternoon but neither Barry nor myself could locate it.
(Andrew Lawson)
Tuesday 13th May Dartford
5 Gadwall, 5 Redshank and 2 Little Ringed Plover in the 2nd flooded field along Bob Dunn Way this evening. No Lapwing chicks as yet.
24 House Martin & 2 Sand Martin were over Littlebrook this evening and 2 Egyptian Geese were at the east end of Littlebrook; a Dartford tick for me.
I chanced the area behind the 'Bridge' development and fortunately there weren't any bikers present and I quickly located the singing Grasshopper Warbler. Also one presumed Willow Warbler which ocassionally started chiff-chaffing. 2 Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat were other highlights here along with many other birds singing including 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Song Thrush and numerous Robin and Blackbird. A very enjoyable evening was rounded off with good views of a Little Owl carrying a vole.
(Andrew Lawson)
Monday 12th May Sevenoaks NR KWT
I had to spend a few hours in Sevenoaks today so I headed off to the KWT Reserve and started by walking around the West Lake followed by a quick stop at Willow Hide before ambling round to Tower Hide to look for raptors whilst I ate my lunch.
In total I had 22 Garden Warblers singing at all points around the reserve along with 13 Blackcap, 1 Reed Warbler by Willow Hide and 8 Chiffchaff mainly at the back of the reserve. 8 Hobbies were noted including 5 heading North whilst the other three hawked over the reserve.
I had very good views of two rather large Carp as they spawned just a few feet from me in a stream that wasn't deep enough to cover their bodies. I also saw another dozen or so spawning in the main lake.
I reached Tower Hide at midday and starting slowly scanning the distant hills and the 'Simpsons' clouds above me as I ate my sarnies. I quickly added Sparrowhawk & Kestrel to the day totals and at 12.15 I located a distant large BOP. I switched to my scope and noted the long, forked tail, white patch at the base of the primaries and the gingery-rufous plumage which can only mean Red Kite. A very bright bird so probably an adult.
Last stop was Tyler Hide where 3 Little Ringed Plovers performed nicely and a lone Egyptian Goose flew in. The immature White-fronted Goose was still present as were 5 Lapwing dotted about. Highlight for me was 3 Bullfinch as I left which were my first this year.
58 Species seen: GC Grebe 6, Cormorant 4, Grey Heron 1, Mute Swan 4, White-fronted Goose 1 imm, Greylag Goose 37, Canada Goose 21, Shelduck 2, Mallard, 24, Gadwall 1 drake, Tufted Duck 10, Red Kite 1, Sparrowhawk 2, Kestrel 1, Hobby 8, Pheasant, Moorhen 3, Coot 13, Little Ringed Plover 3, Lapwing 5, B H Gull 3, Herring Gull 50+, LBB Gull 10+, Wood Pigeon 25+, Collared Dove 3, Stock Dove 4, Swift 15, Kingfisher 1, Green Woodpecker 2, GSW 2, Sand Martin 1, Swallow 3, Pied Wagtail 4, Wren 27, Dunnock 4, Robin 8, Song Thrush 15, Mistle Thrush 3, Blackbird 18, Garden Warbler 22, Blackcap 13, Reed Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 8, Goldcrest 3, Great Tit 9, Blue Tit 13, L T Tit 8, Treecreeper 1, Magpie 5, Crow 67, Jackdaw 17, Jay 2, Starling 50+, House Sparrow 1, Chaffinch 20+, Goldfinch 3, Bullfinch 3 & Reed Bunting 5.
(Andrew Lawson)
Sunday 11th May Luddenham Court
After leaving Oare on Sunday 11 May after a mildly successful visit,I returned home via the scenic route and called in at Luddenham Court. There were 2 Spotted Flycatchers in the churchyard. The surrounding area has several declining species here in good numbers. There were 6 Turtle Doves feeding in the pig pens ,plus more " purring " in the surrounding areas. Also present was a flock of 40 Corn Buntings plus a male Yellowhammer, also feeding in the pens.With talk of non returning House Martins,there were several here with many Swallows concentrated around the old farm buildings.
(John Tilbrook)
Sunday 11th May Knole Park, Sevenoaks
Bird of the day has to be a Red Kite (no wing tags) which after circling sevaral times, eventually drifted north at 09:40. Also present were Redstart - only one male heard singing (there should be more now!), 2 Tree Pipit, a few, but not many of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler and only one Turtle Dove was heard purring.
(Linturn Hopkins)
Sunday 11th May Whetsed
Spent the morning at Whetsted where there were many singing WHITETHROAT,REED WARBLER and BLACKCAP, 1 CUCKOO sang also. There were 2 L.R PLOVERS on the islands and a few REED BUNTINGS in the small reedbed. 2 LAPWING were also flying about. Over the pits a HOBBY and a SPARROWHAWK patrolled the skys.
(Josh Jenkins Shaw)
www.josh-birdbrain.blogspot.com
Thursday 8th May Swale NNR
After a quick trip to Elmley on Sunday to see the Black-winged
Stilts...brilliant! I was back again yesterday afternoon. On a birding
trip to Sussex, (see SOS) I was leaving Pulborough when I glanced at the
pager and Collared Pratincole -Sheppey
...a slightly longer way home but as a UK lifer (seen plenty in Espana) a
necessary diversion.
I am glad its the begining of the month so no Police about to see my
speedy flight - enough said.
Arriving to see a bird hawking and with that distinctive style! I had good
views in the bins and scope.
Great! No camera...drat even a record shot would be good!
Thanks to the finder Derek Faulkner.
A lovely end to a very lovely day.
(Corinna Smart)
Thursday 8th May Eastchurch, Sheppey
Well it has been a long time coming but, we heard our first Cuckoo at 5.30 am this morning. In our garden over the past couple of days we have had orange tip,Speckled wood and holly blue butterflies. The pair of Blackcaps have taken up residence just over our back fence and the cock bird is singing his heart out. A few Turtle doves are purring away in the vicinity, which is nice as last year they were a bit thin on the ground. The Blue tits in our nest box are busy feeding their brood and judging by the amount of insects around they should bring off a healthy clutch.
The green winged orchids are flowering now and the common spotted are still to show a flower spike, but they are always a little later in coming.
Believe it or not around here Skylarks have been very thin on the ground over many past years, but this year I can hear one virtualy every day, what a superb songster.I can never make up my mind which bird is my favourite songster, but the Skylark
certainly lifts your heart...but,the blackbird is nice..and the linnet and the nightingale, well, they are all lovely.
(John Janman)
Thursday 8th May Swale NNR
Today was one of those days you dream about in the depths of a cold, wet and
dreary winter's day.
On the Swale NNR at 06.15 with the dogs and it was warm and misty and
because there was no wind it became increasingly hot and steamy as the time went
by. By 07.30 it was almost tropical as I made my along the seawall, counting
Lapwing chicks on the reserve fields.
As I made my way across the reserve, back to the barn where my car was
parked, a bird got up and flew away into the sun, it was quite clearly a
Pratincole, just as a Crow is a Crow, but what type and was that the last I'd see it.
Sitting in my car at the barn and ringing up a colleague to tell him about
the Pratincole, the Pratincole returned and hawked insects around my car and
the barn for some time and as far as I was concerned it was quite clearly a Collared Pratincole.
I went home for breakfast but by 10.30 was determined to have another look
for the bird and so returned to the reserve, fortunately only 15 mins away. I
crossed over to the seawall hide where two birders were sitting and advised
them to look out for the Pratincole and they advised that they had just seen a
Savis Warbler in the seawall reedbeds? - I had a look for it but couldn't
find it.
An hour or so later, as I made my back across the reserve to the barn, the
Pratincole got up in front of me again and hawked around before landing some 80
yards away from me on the ground - an amazingly ordinary bird on the ground,
but not in the air!
Getting home at 13.00 I decided at 13.30 to go out on my bicycle for a ride
along Minster beach and other places. Even along the Shingle Beach there,
whilst talking to another birder on a bike, we had around 50 Sanderling, 1 Med
Gull and a Speckled Wood butterfly.
It has been a good day!
(Derek Faulkner)
Wednseday 7 May Haysden
One Common Sandpiper and one Common Tern were at Haysden.
(Andrew Appleton)
Wednesday 7th May White Horse Wood & Burham
A walk around the Burham area last night (6th) was very disappointing with only 3 nightingales heard and about 20 calling reed warblers, but very little else.
Today at White Horse Wood near to Thurnham castle 1 yellowhammer, 2 willow warbler, 1 blackcap, 1 chiffchaff, 3 skylark, 1 turtle dove and about a dozen splendid male pheasants. Apart from this very little and quite disappointing.
(Bill Stoneham)
Tuesday 6th May New Hythe
A quick half an hour visit to New Hythe post work principally looking for butterflies.....suprisingly few around but a patch tick as 3 Crane drifted over for around 10 mins.
(Steve Nunn)
Tuesday 6th May Eastchurch
While surveying one of my BTO Atlas tetrads at Eastchurch this morning I witnessed a north-bound Osprey flying over pursued by a Carrion Crow. I was also happy to see another Sheppey rarity in the form of a single House Martin - my first for this year!
(Ian Davidson)
Sunday 4th May Knole Park & Bough Beech
Knole Park - 2 redstarts (male & female). Also tree pipit/willow warbler/yellowhammer
Bough Beech - black tern/5 common terns, Also 2 common sandpipers, nightingale, lesser whitethroat, willow warbler, garden warbler and cuckoo.
(Maurice Ewart)
Sunday 4th May Dartford Marshes
Grasshopper warbler still singing and showing well.
(Phil Royston)
Saturday 3rd May Elmley RSPB
News of the Black-Winged Stilts at Elmley had me over them by 10:30 and watched them until five had a relief break and returned back to the hide only to find that they had been so close, and i missed them but managed some copulation shots, twice they mated and the male was very territorial...!!!
Absolutely Stunning Birds !!
(Mick Southcott)
Thursday 1st May Kingfisher Lakes, North Medway
10.30 to 14.00 hrs. Conditions variable, cool SW 2 - 3, two long thundery showers, lasting c. 75 minutes, with hail during visit. Also brief calm periods of warm sunshine. 12 oC. at 09.30 hrs. HT. 09.45 hrs. Ebb tide. Hoo Marsh not visited.
Great Crested Grebe - 1 NM.
Little Egret - 2 KL.
Mute Swan - 3 KL.
Canada Goose - 1 KL.
Grey Lag Goose - 1 KL.
Brent Goose - 48 NM. at SW. area.
Black Brant - 1 with Brent.
Shelduck - 2 KL.
Mallard - 3 ads. also 1 f. with 7 ducklings, KL.
Pochard - 8, inc. 5 dr. KL.
Tufted - 5, inc. 3 dr. KL.
Moorhen - 13.
Coot - 13.
Water Rail - 1, seen from shelter of pill box during heavy rain. ( an ideal hide ).
Oystercatcher - 22 NM. at LT.
Avocet - 2 KL.
Greenshank - 2 KL.
Whimbrel - 2 along tideline , NM.
Turnstone - 1 NM.
Swallow - 8.
Sand Martin - 18.
House Martin - 4.
Swift - 1.
Cuckoo - 1.
Yellow Wagtail - 3 in field of lettuces.
Cetti’s Warbler - 1 singing from flooded woodland area to west of KL.
Reed Warbler - 1.
Whitethroat - 6.
On the ebb tide 16 Brent were present in the bay opposite the pill box in the SW. area.
After the first long shower we emerged from the pill box to find 48 Brent present with a
Black Brant. The flock were very close to the sea wall & can be quite tolerant of walkers
along the wall, but not always. We have seen Brent collecting there on previous visits,
usually on the rising tide.
( Janet & Trevor Bowley)