Oare Marshes Latest Sightings

July 2006

Species Omitted from Daily Accounts

The following have been present for some time and have not been included in the daily  accounts:  Bar-headed Goose (escapee), 2 drake Wigeon, Ruddy Duck

Other species in the area at the moment include Little Egret, Water Rail, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Hobby, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Cetti's Warbler and Bearded Reedling

July 31st

8 Greenshanks and 1 Whimbrel on the East Flood, at least 5 Green & 2 Common Sandpipers on the west scrape (A Swandale)

July 30th

A Red Kite flew north over Faversham Creek at 08:45 (Keith Cornish) and west over the reserve 09:25 - 09:32 (Murray Wright)

July 28th

1 Curlew Sandpiper, Garganey , 2 Snipe, c50 "Comic" Terns and 2 Little Terns flew south over Faversham Creek plus another 25 Common Terns and 2 Little Terns on the Swale (A Swandale)

July 27th

4 Common Sandpipers, 1 Knot, 5 Greenshanks, 4 Turnstones, 3 Sandwich Terns on the East Flood mid afternoon, 5 Green and 1 Common Sandpiper on the other side of the road, 2 Corn Buntings in territorial dispute, Little Owl heard near the cottages

One Shrill Carder Bee Bombus sylvarum on the near the West Hide

(A Swandale)

July 26th

1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 adult & 1 immature Mediterranean Gull, 4 Knot, 40 Whimbrel (mostly flying west), 5 Greenshanks  (plus at least 20 flying over), 2 Green and 3 Common Sandpipers

(Peter Heathcote and Sean Huggins)

July 25th

2 Arctic Skuas flew high over the far side of the Swale, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 21 Whimbrel flying over, 10 Clouded Yellow butterflies (Martin Warburton)

July 24th

At high water early this afternoon:  5 Curlew Sandpipers in summer plumage, 5 Greenshanks, 1 Knot, 2 Whimbrel, 20 Ruff, 1 Garganey.  Also today a Hobby, a Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, 1 Corn Bunting singing on the west side again, 1 calling Cetti's Warbler near the west hide, 5 Common Sandpipers (including 3 on the mudflats), 1 Golden Plover, 2 Turnstones and 4 Whimbrel on adjacent mudflats.

Other wildlife:  2 Grass Snakes and 2 Brown Argus near the East Hide

(A Swandale, Jim Bloor & Mike Stevens)

July 22nd

1 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Green & 1 Common Sandpiper (Dylan)

9 Black Terns on the Swale (Murray Wright)

July 20th

At high water this morning there were 5 Curlew Sandpipiers, 4 Common Sandpipers, 5 Green Sandpipers and 1 Bar-tailed Godwit (Murray Wright)

The overland passage of Whimbrel continued with 58 counted at nearby South Swale reserve between 06:00 and 09:00 plus a flock of 25 Greenshanks (A Swandale)

July 19th

At high water this evening 2 Curlew Sandpipers in summer plumage, 1 Spotted Redshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, 20 Ruff, 4 Greenshanks, 2 Bar-tailed and 750 Black-tailed Godwits.  Also 1 Garganey, a Kingfisher, 1 singing Corn Bunting and 5 Green Sandpipers on the new scrape on the west side of the road.  Overhead 33 Whimbrel and a few Curlew were observed migrating in a westerly or south-westerly direction (A Swandale).

In addition there were 2 Grey Plovers on the East Flood in the morning (Murray Wright)

July 17th

At high water this evening a single Knot was again on the East Flood plus 4 Greenshanks, 5 Turnstones, 1 Whimbrel, 325 Redshanks, 15+ Ruff and the eclipse Garganey.  Also today a male Sparrowhawk, 2-4 Green Sandpipers on the west side and 200+ Sand Martins (A Swandale and D & C Hird)

July 16th

A single summer-plumaged Knot was new for the autumn.  Also this evening 30+ Ruff, 1 Green Sandpiper and the eclipse male Garganey (Dylan)

July 14th

At least 700 Black-tailed Godwits, 8 Little Egrets, 1 Snipe (A Swandale)

July 13th

Eclipse Garganey again, 2+ Green Sandpipers, 3 Greenshanks, 2+ Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Sandwich & 1 Little Tern on the Swale (Richard Drew)

July 12th

Numbers of passage waders continue to increase.  On the East Flood at high tide this afternoon there were 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Greenshanks, 16+ Ruff, 3+ Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Snipe, an estimated 800 Black-tailed Godwits and an eclipse male Garganey.  Also at least 3 Whimbrel and 1 Green Sandpiper in the area (A Swandale, Adam Whitehouse, D & C Hird)

Ruff with coloured rings/flags from the Netherlands (white-red flag-white right leg, blue over yellow left)

July 10th

Single Hobby

July 9th

7 adult Little Ringed Plovers (Murray Wright)

July 7th

On the East Flood mid afternoon: 2 Greenshanks, 11 Ruff, 5 Little Ringed Plovers (4 adults & 1 juvenile)

2 Green Sandpipers on west side near the road, Hobby, 2 juvenile Bearded Reedlings

(A Swandale)

July 6th

4 adult & 3 Juvenile Little Ringed Plovers (Murray Wright)

July 5th

10 Ruff, 6 Greenshanks, 3 Little Ringed Plovers (2 juveniles), 1 Curlew (Sean Huggings)

Butterflies:  8 Clouded Yellows, Painted Lady

July 4th

On the East Flood late afternoon:  4 Little Ringed Plovers, 1 Green Sandpiper, c10 Ruff, 1 Greenshank, 5 Avocets and 2 Whimbrel (8 also flying over) (A Swandale)

In the evening, 4 Greenshanks, 1 Dunlin, 1 Sandwich Tern and 5 Bearded Reedlings (D & C Hird and Mike Stevens)

July 3rd

Waders are using the fresh north-easterly wind to make their return migration and each day brings new arrivals.  Numbers of ruff have increased to 12, many of them in breeding plumage, 3 Whimbrel flew over the reserve and there was a single Greenshank on the East Flood.

On the East Flood late this afternoon there was a male Garganey in eclipse (white eye stripe still visible), 1 Snipe, 1 Curlew and a Turtle Dove.  Lesser Whitethroat singing near the west side.

2 Clouded Yellow butterflies near the car park.

(A Swandale)