Other Travels & Photographs

29th January

I braved the sleet, drizzle and low cloud this morning in the hope of finding something at S.Swale and lady luck came the rescue and finally put me onto the 30-35 plus flock of snow buntings just past the white post. Unfortunately, they soon moved off west out of sight, very flighty, I didn't even get my camera out! Also I saw 12 linnets, 2 marsh harriers, 3 reed buntings, a couple of beardie calls and met Neil Burt and Co who saw a sparrowhawk earlier. Apart from that the cupboard was bare, there was of course the odd wader but the mudflats were a blank canvas!

 An afternoon visit to Hampton pier produced a couple of purple sandpipers on the rocks with several redshanks.

24th January

A quick look over the fields around the Sportsman this afternoon produced; 1 short-eared owl, 4-500 golden plovers with c.200 lapwings. In front of the chalets the tide was just leaving the beach attracting c.1000 knot and similar dunlin numbers along with a few of all the other usual wader species plus 1 g.c.grebe out on the sea.

Turnstone

19th January

Sat in the car for a good while waiting for the rain to stop at Seasalter this morning and finally got out at 10.30ish. Walked along the S.Swale hoping to find the snow buntings and again they didn't show but it wasn't all bad as behind the beach huts a SE Owl was quartering the grassy section next to the beach and it landed on a post. As I walked along the beach the small 'cliff' formed by the big tides hid me from its view allowing a close approach for a few photos. On the mudflats c.1000 knot, 62 shelduck plus a few other common waders and on Horse Sands c.2000 brents landed after coming over from Harty. Otherwise pretty quiet although I saw 3 gadwall in the pumping station dykes. The field opposite the Sportsman held 200 golden plovers and a few curlew.

 

Short-eared Owl

PM. Geoff Burton found 3 twite on the seawall near C.Coote this afternoon plus a merlin and a ringtail harrier.

17th January

After getting Murray's news from yesterday I thought I had better return to the bleakness of S.Swale and look for the snow buntings. Whilst getting togged up by the car the phone rang resulting in a long call but I thought I would carry on with the walk. Finished the call near the start of the concrete wall when I realized I had my camera but forgot to pick up the bins, but knowing S.Swale I thought I might get away without them!  Walked up to C.Coote and apart from c.60 knot close to the beach and a couple of barwits and redshank etc there was virtually nothing....I didn't need bins after all or the camera as the snow buntings were not there either! However, things perked with half a dozen linnets and a bearded tit calling from the reedbed.

Knot

I moved onto Dunkirk where I saw a couple of lesser spots, 2 firecrests, 2 nuthatches, 1 goldcrest, 2 treecreepers plus the usual tits etc.

Late news tonight, Mike Roser walked along the Swale this pm and saw c.25 snow buntings! Perhaps hightide is the time to go?

16th January

I had a walk along South Swale late afternoon today to see if there were any Marsh Harriers roosting on Nagden Marshes - needless to say there weren't! However, it was a superb winter's  afternoon and further compensation came in the forms of circa 30 Snow Buntings feeding on the beach around 400 yards west of the white post, and a Short-eared Owl perched on one of the KWT signs just west of the west end of Castle Coote.   Murray Wright

I did the trek along Sandbanks Lane to Faversham Creek and the back fields near the sewage works finding 38 species inc., c.50 fieldfares, 2 mistle thrushes, 3 green w.kers, 1 grt spot., 4 skylarks, 52 teal in the creek plus 2 little grebes, 11 reed buntings, 2 short-eared owls, 1 kestrel and opposite Graveney hall, 3 golden plovers with a few lapwings.

Reed bunting feeding along creek flotsam

14th January

Back to Broomfield Gate this morning and walked the circuit but didn't see much more then yesterday's short visit with a pair of lesser spotted woodpeckers, 12 siskins, 1 treecreeper plus the usual tits etc.

Not much for the camera, just this robin.

13th January

A very short visit (20 minutes) to a part of Clowes Wood near Chestfield  only walking in 75 yards but found; 8 siskins, 1 treecreeper and a pair of lesser spotted woodpeckers then my plumber rang wanting to service the boiler now!

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker female

 

10th January

Went over to Bossenden Wood this morning and did a short circuit seeing; 2 nuthatches, 2 lesser spots, 3 goldcrests, 1 grt.spot., 2 treecreepers plus good numbers of great/blue and l.tailed tits.

Nuthatch

9th January

Went over to Sandbanks Lane at Graveney this morning and walked down to the creek. Along the way a flock of 25-30 redpolls feeding in the birch along the roadside, several grt and blue tits plus 3 long-tails.

A large flock of redpolls were feeding on birch trees

At the creek I scanned over towards Abbeyfields seeing a short-eared owl plus 21 magpies around the field edge. On the way back a chiffchaff was calling and flitting about on the side of the road. Back near the car at Graveney one mistle thrush on the 'tunnels' and the orchards attracted lots of chaffinches and tits plus 2 fieldfares and one redwing.

8th January

After a couple of good days away I thought I better pay a visit to SS. Starting at Wraik Hill, I happened to be on the phone in the carpark when I saw a weasel racing and jumping around the car which prompted me to get a photo. The light was very low so I needed high ISOs which still didn't freeze it properly but you don't get many chances!

Weasel in Wraik Hill carpark

Birdlife was pretty much extinct apart from 2 grt tits, 1 blue tit, a few blackbirds and a grn w.p.ker somewhere close by. Down on the levels no duck in the main dyke, just 1 heron and on the field, 16 stock doves, 29 curlew and c.200 starlings. At the seafront, the roost was held c.150 dunlin plus a handful of ringed plovers, redshank, turnstones, 2 sanderlings and 1 grey plover etc..

Some of the dunlin roosting near the beach huts

Moving onto the Sportsman area, there were 78 curlew in the field opposite plus c.200 lapwings, 2 goldfinches and a marsh harrier flew over. Walking westwards on the beach I immediately saw c.400 dunlin, 110 ringed plovers roosting on the beach by the huts and chalets.

Turnstone on the seawall apron

Moving up to the concrete seawall and a little way beyond birdlife appeared to cease, I walked on a bit further but nothing except a few waders along the beach as it was high tide. The walk back along the top path and reedbed revealed nothing except people and dogs.

Redshank

4th January

I started at the 'island' high tide roost finding; 20+ redshank, 9 sanderling,136 dunlin, 21 turnstones, 39 brents, 8 barwits, 6 common gulls, 8 curlew, 4 g.b.b.gulls, 12 + b.h.gulls, 30 herring gulls including one of the larger, darker grey winged, Baltic 'argentatus' race, 1 grey plover, 157 oystercatchers and on the sea, one lone female wigeon.

Herring gull of 'Argentatus' race

Met up with Ted Lee who accompanied me on a walk down Sandbanks Lane to Faversham Creek. Rather uneventful, plenty of blue and great tits feeding on the beech mast lying in the road at one section plus a great spotted woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

No sign of any redpolls this morning but a kingfisher was sitting on its usual perch in one of the dykes plus 4 reed buntings and a couple of l.t.tits were alongside the creek. A marsh harrier, heron and lapwings were on the other side of the creek plus on our return c.20 chaffinches and 6 fieldfares were back near the village hall.