Oare Marshes - Latest Sightings (December)

AGGREGATES LEVY FUND

Kent Wildlife Trust has been awarded a grant to fund the following:

• Reprofiling and improving the network of dykes, including widening selected sections

• Excavating 'wader scrapes' in the field to the south of the visitor centre

• Enhancing the East Flood by creating additional shallow margins for feeding waders

• Extending the reedbed in the north east corner.   This will particularly benefit species like Bittern, Bearded Reedling and Water Rail.

• New reserve signs and information boards for the car parks, viewing hides and visitor centre

• Tools such as brushcutters and wheelbarrows

Excavators and a bulldozer are working on the site on weekdays and Saturdays. Please observe the safety notices posted on the gates, put dogs on a lead and keep to the path where work is taking place. 

December in General

The following species are currently resident or wintering in the area:

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe*, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Brent Goose*, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser*, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher*, Avocet*, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit*, Curlew, Common Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Little Owl, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Water Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest, Bearded Reedling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Twite, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting

*usually recorded on the adjacent mudflats or Swale channel (not normally seen inside the sea wall)

Rough-legged Buzzards can sometimes be seen on the Isle of Sheppy from the reserve.

A variety of sea ducks such as Eider, Common & Velvet Scoter, all 3 species of diver and the rarer species of grebe have been recorded on the Swale channel in this month in the past.

December 30th

A Red Kite flew west over the back of the east flood, across the road and drifted slightly inland as it crossed the scrub heading towards Uplees at 11.40 a.m. Numbers of Tufted Ducks on the east flood had risen to 12 and four Pintail and a pair of Gadwall were also present. 73 Avocets were feeding in the creek as the tide came in. A flock of 35 Greenfinches was present and three Stonechats and a Fieldfare were also noted. All the waders and ducks were disturbed from the east flood by shooting on the west side right up to the southern edge of the reserve.

December 23rd

At high tide there were 235 Black-tailed Godwits roosting on the East Flood and 5 Red-breasted Mergansers at the mouth of Faversham Creek.  A Cetti's Warbler called from the reedbed near the car park.  The 2 Water Pipits were on the West Flood along with several Twite.  Two Peregrines hunted on the Isle of Harty opposite the reserve.  A male Marsh Harrier, a pair of Pintails, 2-3 Little Egrets, 2 Stonechats and several Rock Pipits were also seen.

December 21st

The number of Avocets continues to increase with 73 counted near the mouth of Faversham Creek today.  There were also 2 Red-breasted Mergansers on the creek and 2 Peregrines perched on pylons.

December 20th

The 2 Water Pipits were feeding on recently excavated areas near the car park along with at least 4 Rock Pipits, c30 Greenfinches, a pair of Stonechats and a solitary Turnstone. There were about 50 Avocets in front of the sea wall hide and a Kingfisher at the sea sluice.

December 12th

The piles of silt generated by recent excavation work are attracting various passerines: 2 Water Pipits, a Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipits and 8 Pied Wagtails came very close to the west hide and the regular flock of 14 Twite also visited the West Flood in the early afternoon.  A Grey Wagtail flew over.

Waders roosting on the East Flood at high tide included approximately 500 Black-tailed Godwits, 1000 Lapwings, 16 Golden Plovers, 100 Redshanks, 150 Dunlin, a single Ringed Plover and small numbers of Turnstones. They were continually harrassed by a Sparrowhawk.  A total of 403 Teal was well above average for the site.  Several Stonechats, Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher and Water Rail were also present. 

December 9th

At high tide in the morning there were 120 Golden Plovers, several hundred Black-tailed Godwits and a single drake Pintail on the East Flood.  There were also 4 Corn Buntings on the reserve and a Grey Wagtail flew east.

December 8th

A single Lapland Bunting flew north over the reserve.  Short-eared Owl, ringtail Hen Harrier, Merlin, 4 Stonechats, 2 Bearded Reedlings, 1 Corn Bunting and 2 calling Cetti's Warblers between the car park and sea wall hide.

There was a Common Seal on the Swale channel.

December 6th

49 Avocets at the mouth of Faversham Creek, 3 Ruff on the East Flood

December 2nd

Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Kingfisher, 3 Turnstone

November 30th

Spotted Redshank on the East Flood