August'04

Wood Sandpiper, 3 Little Stints, at least 3 Garganey, 1 Grey Plover, 300 Golden Plovers, 3 juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpipers, Whinchat, Kingfisher, several Bearded Reedlings, single Wigeon, c900 Black-tailed Godwits

2 Lesser Whitethroats, several Whitethroats, Turtle Dove & a Little Owl near the west side

260 Knot was a record count for Oare Marshes (numbers of this species normally do not exceed 50).

Single adult Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Garganey, 1 Curlew, 20+ Snipe, 120 Teal on the East Flood

West Flood - single Little Stint, Wigeon, Ruff, 6 Golden Plovers, 1 Wood Sandpiper.

East Flood - 2 Greenshanks, 1 Little Stint, 1 Common Sandpiper, 46+ Ruff, 3+ Garganey, female Ruddy Duck with brood

Also 4 Green Sandpipers, Wheatear, juv Stonechat (scrub near cottages), Kingfisher, Lesser Whitethroat.

Wader numbers were down on the previous day. In the scrub behind the west flood, amongst the many warblers, including Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, was a juvenile Red-backed Shrike, two Whinchats and two Stonechats. At the evening high tide, six Little Terns rested on the west flood and were joined by a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

An adult Temminck's Stint was present on the west flood. There were up to four Little Stints, four Curlew Sandpipers and six Wood Sandpipers.

3+ Wood Sandpipers, 3 Garganey, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 50 Golden Plovers (West Flood). Very attractive escaped cage bird (bright yellow & black finch, species not known) in reedbed near sea wall hide.

3 Common Buzzards hunting on Harty Hill (Sheppey), Peregrine, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, several Knot, 2+ Garganey, single Grey Plover, 6 Green Sandpipers.

Little Stint, Whimbrel and 3 Wood Sandpipers on the west side, 2 Wood Sandpipers later on East Flood.

Also 16 Greenshanks, 6 Green Sandpipers, 36 Ruff, 1 juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Plover, 2+ Bearded Reedlings, Kingfisher, Little Owl, Water Rail

At least 6 Black Terns flew south over the reserve with Common Terns in the evening. Also 5 Wood Sandpipers on the East Flood. 5 Greenshanks, 1 Common Sandpiper, 50+ Redshank,10+ Ruff.

Juvenile Spotted Crake showing well again c150m south of sea wall hide in the evening. Also 9 Greenshanks and 2 Curlew Sandpipers. A few Wheatears at nearby South Swale LNR.

No reports of the Spotted Crake. 4 Black Terns flew over, 22 Ruff, 2 Little Stints, 5 Sandwich Terns & 3 Garganey on the East Flood. Water Rail, 2 Blue Tits, 2 Little Owls near the cottages.

Juvenile Spotted Crake showing well East Flood c150m south of sea wall hide in evening.

The two Garganey (adult male and juvenile) were again present but a brood of about five very small Ruddy Duck ducklings was more of a surprise. Amongst the masses of godwits were four Knot and two Turnstones but Dunlin numbers were low and there were no Curlew Sandpipers. Three Sandwich Terns were on the east flood and two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers on the new scrape. Four Whimbrel circled overhead and 10 Common Terns flew west.

2 Garganey, 2 Golden Plovers, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Common Sandpipers, 4 Green Sandpipers

Two Great Skuas flew over Oare marsh from creek on towards Elmley at about 1315. High tide roost on East scrape provided 900 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Knot, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 4 Whimbrels, 2 Common Sandpipers, 40 Dunlin and 4 juvenile Little Ringed Plovers. A Wood Sandpiper was also reported.

An impressive flock of 43 Little Egrets on the West Flood, plus 2 Golden Plovers. 25 Common Terns roosting on adjacent mudflats, 4 Sandwich Terns flew south, juvenile marsh harrier.