Sightings can be Emailed to:

Martyn Wilson - martynwilson@talktalk.net

Brendan Ryan - brendan.ryan@yahoo.co.uk

Marc Heath - Heathym007@aol.com

Number of species seen so far this year = 177

For more of Marc Heath's photographs, please click here

                                   30th September

A brief 30 minute visit to the ramp this morning at Grove Ferry produced 8 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, at least 7 Song Thrush evident with more Blackbirds noted in the paddock, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Stonechat and good numbers of Lapwing and Teal from the main pool. I made another brief visit late afternoon for 40 minutes and noted c400 Lapwing, 3 Ruff, 3 Golden Plover, 1 Greenshank, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay, 3 Swallow, 1 Stonechat and 2 small waders flew into the back pools with the Lapwings, may have been Ruff but did not get alot on them but appeared quite small.

(Marc Heath)

I arrived just as Marc was leaving and stayed for an hour. In addition to Marc's sightings I had 3 gt spotted woodpeckers in the paddock and ~12 bearded tits just west of the Green Hide.

(Steve Ray)

I was lucky enough to get two stonechats just in front of the hide, apart from that, not alot to note, at stod end apart from 4 little egrets from the reed hide and 1 Greenshank,loads of Long tail Tits and Chiffs and 2 Treecreepers, 2 Marsh Harriers, pale male and 1 juv, 1 Great spot and 2 Green Woods

(Mark Chidwick)

                                 29th September

A visit to Grove Ferry this morning produced 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Grey Heron, 8 Long tailed Tit, 4 Bearded Tit, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, c100 Lapwing, 4 Cetti's Warbler, c75 Wigeon flew west, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel, 1 water Rail, 4 Snipe, 1 Little Egret, 4 Golden Plover, 2 Swallow south and the first 2 Stonechat of the autumn were at the base of the ramp.
A brief look at Collards in the afternoon produced 4 Common Buzzard together, 97 Mute Swan, 1 Chiffchaff, c46 Great crested Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 4 Hobby, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Jay.
(Marc Heath)

22nd September

I made two visits into the valley today at either end of the day. Birds seen at Grove Ferry this morning for an hour were 1 Peregrine, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Water Rail, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Grey Wagtail over, 1 Golden Plover in with c40 Lapwing, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Black tailed Godwit, 11 Wigeon west, 3 Ring necked Parakeet, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Bearded Tit, 3 Snipe, 3 Pochard, 2 Jay, c30 Meadow Pipit west, c150 Teal and c30 Swallow north. A quick look at Collards produced c54 Great crested Grebe, c100 Wigeon, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Little Egret, 109 Mute Swan and a steady trickle of Swallows and House Martins west.

(Marc Heath)

We walked the Westbere/Fordwich circuit to-day on a beautiful sunny morning. Early on, there were hundreds of House Martins over Westbere Lake, flying low over the water. One Marsh Harrier flew through and we heard at least 15 Cetti’s Warblers calling. A total of 65 Great Crested Grebes were recorded and other ducks seen were 7 Shoveler, 36 Mallard, 25 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard, 13 Gadwall and 2 Teal. Rather disappointingly we saw only 1 Kingfisher, but there were the usual mixed parties of small birds and Chiffchaffs were numerous. Bird of the day was a Pied Flycatcher seen from the path alongside Fordwich Lake, this being the first we have seen in the valley.

(Sue Morton and Pauline McKenzie Lloyd)

21st September

I almost added another rare species to the valley today when at 2.45pm whilst teaching PE outside, I had a Tree Pipit fly over calling. Unfortunately, it was about 200 metres outside of the valley boundary but one day it will hopefully get on my list.

(Marc Heath)

15th September

I made a visit into the valley this afternoon to see what might have been blown into the reserve in the last few days. Birds noted were 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Black tailed Godwit, 5 Pintail from the ramp, 3 Ruff, 3 Wigeon, 5 Dunlin, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Bearded Tit, 25 Black headed Gull from the ramp with c150 in the fields near Hersden Industrial estate, 2 Little Egret, 2 Tufted Duck and 3 Pochard. The Glossy Ibis showed well in the newly cut area from the Marsh hide before flying to the water meadow area. Other bits included 1 Greenshank, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Kestrel, 5 Snipe, 4 Water Rail, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Grey Heron and 16 Greylag Geese. A few Sand Martin trickled west and numbers of Teal continue to grow with c170 present with good numbers of Mallard with a few Shoveler, Gadwall and c25 Lapwing.

(Marc Heath)

14th September

The Glossy Ibis was again seen from the Marsh hide this morning though elusive as per the RBA pagers

13th September

The Glossy Ibis was showing well mid afternoon today as was the Green Sandpiper and a male Marsh Harrier.

(Stephen Palmer)

10th September

Encouraged by the change in wind direction, I made an early morning pre-work visit to Grove. It was disappointingly quiet with one Dunlin and Green Sandpiper and five Ruff from the ramp, another Green Sandpiper but nothing else from the Green and one Lapwing and the imm Glossy Ibis from Marsh Hide. Passerines were represented by a meagre 2 Chiffchaffs and a single Sedge Warbler. Sadly no sign of the Curlew Sandpiper reported on the pager yesterday

(Brendan Ryan)

8th September

I made a couple of visits into the valley today, mainly to get better views of the Glossy Ibis as I did not have alot of time over the weekend. Birds noted were 5 Cetti's Warbler, 10 Dunlin, 6 Ruff, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 3 Bearded Tit, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Marsh Harrier and 1 Kingfisher. The Glossy Ibis was again present and showing well at times from the Marsh hide although not from the cameras point of view. Other birds were 3 Grey Heron, 1 Water Rail, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Egret, 3 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 11 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Chiffchaff, c250 Lapwing and good numbers of mainly Swallow flying south through the reserve. As I was leaving 3 Common Buzzard appeared above Grove Hill.

(Marc Heath)

6th September

I spent another magical few hours in the valley this morning. I met Martyn at the entrance at 5.40am where we were soon joined at the ramp by Pete and Mark. I had received a call the night before from Barry Wright telling me of a probable Glossy Ibis seen by a fisherman near Reculver. I had just told the group this and all Cormorant type birds were being checked when I picked out a distant bird flying in from the Seaton direction. As it banked I saw immediately what it was, a Glossy Ibis, another Mega for the valley. I quickly shouted the news out and we all watched as it flew towards Stodmarsh and soon was lost to view near the main lake at Stodmarsh. We all drove around to Stodmarsh carefully! and after a scan of the area, Martyn picked it out again in flight over the water meadow before it landed by the Marsh hide. I had to return home but left a very happy person, this being a new Kent and valley bird for me. Martyn, Pete and Mark made their way to the Marsh hide where hopefully some better shots and views of the bird can be obtained. Other birds noted this morning were 38 Black tailed Godwit at Stodmarsh on the main lake, plenty of mud here, 2 Ruff, 1 Green Sandpiper, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail and a few Cetti's Warblers. 5 Dunlin were noted at Grove with 7 Marsh Harrier, 2 Kestrel, 1 Wigeon, 98 Canada Geese and c300 Greylag Geese out. Of interest there were reports yesterday of the Glossy Ibis at the Marsh hide but I don't know if any news made it out to locals or bird services.

(Marc Heath, Martyn Wilson, Pete Solly and Mark Chidwick)

Excellent find by Marc who seems to have the magic touch this year. It was 35 years since my first Glossy Ibis in the valley and about 17 years since the long staying bird disappeared. To add to Martyn and Marc’s account above there were 45 Black-tailed Godwits at Stodmarsh along with 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper and 2 Ruff. There were 60 Yellow Wagtails with the cows behind Harrison’s Drove and a single Wheatear near Stodmarsh village. Julian Russell et al saw the Ibis leave the Marsh Hide area and fly towards Seaton at 7.20pm

(Brendan Ryan)

1st September

I arrived at Grove Ferry this morning at 6am and spent 3 hours birding the Grove end. I managed to note 62 species. Birds logged were 6 Cetti's Warbler, c350 Greylag Geese, 82 Canada Geese, 2 Green Woodpecker, 44 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Grey Heron, 3 Little Egret, 9 Mute Swan, 5 Wigeon, 2 Hobby, 1 Pochard, 2 Water Rail, 4 Green Sandpiper and 6 Dunlin. There were 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Turtle Dove, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Spotted Redshank from Harrisons, 3 Snipe, 2 Greenshank, 3 Bearded Tit, 3 Ruff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Jay and 2 Garganey from the ramp. There was a steady passage of Swallow west through the reserve and good numbers of House Martin around the white house.

(Marc Heath)