November 2004

27th - a dull calm day often makes it easier to pick out birds on the sea. Numbers of Great Crested Grebes rose to eight and Red-breasted Mergansers to 13 including 11 drakes. However, against a backdrop of ten Red-throated Divers flying east were two Black-throated Divers offshore, that flew off east, and this winter's first Great Northern Diver lingering offshore (a typical arrival date). A single Little Egret was on the beach at high tide and the wader roost included 16 Grey Plovers, four Sanderling and c200 Dunlin. A flock of 14 Corn Buntings was the highest so far this winter.

26th - cloudy and mild with moderate south-westerly winds. No movement over sea or land. On the beach 333 Golden Plovers and 77 Lapwings were roosting. They left as the tide rose and other waders gathered together to roost on the shingle including 67 Ringed Plovers, 17 Grey Plovers, one Sanderling and 67 Dunlin. Six Great Crested Grebes and five Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore. With the marsh flooded again, Snipe numbers had risen to 21. Amongst the resident birds were single Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Stonechat and five Corn Buntings.

22nd - an immature Peregrine snatched a small wader (probably a Dunlin) from the beach, a Marsh Harrier flew west, three Snow Buntings were present whilst a lone Chiffchaff lingers on.  

20th - amongst a small westerly passage of ducks were three Goosanders, including one drake (160th species for the year), 18 Shelducks, 4 Wigeon and single Teal and Pintail. There were 120 Brent Geese on the beach and three Knot, with another five flying west.

19th - a fresh north-westerly winds succeeded in moving 34 Kittiwakes west but little else. There were 170 Brent Geese on the beach, six Snipe in the recently flooded marsh and two Snow Buntings feeding at the mouth of the brook.

18th - eight Snow Buntings circled around the beach at 9.05 a.m.

16th - a quiet morning but there were 360 Golden Plovers and 57 Lapwings on the beach.

15th    - nine   Red-breasted Mergansers was the highest count so far this winter.

14th - a quiet morning in the light north-westerly winds. A Red-throated Diver east, three Gannets , 13 Brent Geese and four Shelduck west was scant reward for the time put in. Counting 128 Oystercatchers on the beach was some distraction.

13th - little passage in the strong northerly winds. An adult Peregrine flew west over the beach whilst a fine male Snow Bunting showed well on the main path before being flushed by dog walkers.

12th - cloudy with light westerly winds. Quiet on and over the sea but a female Hen Harrier flew west at 0820, followed by a male at 0845 and a Marsh Harrier at 0920. Bearing in mind that the Hen Harriers were only 6 th and 7 th for this site in 15 years, two within the space of 25 minutes is unpredcedented. It is curious that this species has been so scarce but the last six records have been in the last three years. A flock of wild swans flew west well out to sea at 1100. A report of four Bewick's Swans later that day on the Swale NNR on Sheppey were probably of the same birds. A Snow Bunting that circled over the beach and then headed towards Hampton was the first of the winter. A Yellowhammer was present in the scrub at dawn and two more flew west later. Nine Corn Buntings were also present.

9th -    cloudy, calm and quiet. No sign of the Shore Lark. Seven Red-throated Divers flew west, 52 Brent Geese were on the beach and five Red-breasted Mergansers offshore. A single Lesser Redpoll circled over the area and eight Corn Buntings were feeding on the beach.

8th - a very dull drizzly morning with moderate northerly winds. It was barely light when I spotted a single Shore Lark on the shingle (what alliteration!) at the eastern end of the beach (see photograph by Andy Taylor). This is only the third record in recent years and the first since 199?. There were 36 Lapwings on the beach and two Snipe flew over. There is still insufficient water in the "snipe bog" to attract this species or its scarcer cousin. Apparently, many Redwings had been heard over Whitstable during the night and small numbers were to be found in the wood and churchyard whilst Fieldfares were still on the move with about 75 heading west including one flock of 50.

6th - a quiet morning. A trickle of westerly movement over the sea included 11 Gannets , one Shelduck , two Common Scoters , a Knot and two Little Gulls . Three Lesser Redpolls flew west and another two flew from the sewage works towards the churchyard. A flurry of Fieldfares around midday totalled about 22 birds many settling in the berry-laden bushes along the east bank of the sewage works.

Ian trapped a female Bullfinch which was the first this year of this increasingly scarce species at this site (no.157).

5th - a moderate north-westerly wind encouraged a trickle of movement over the sea. A Red-throated Diver flew east, whilst two Little Egrets battled against the wind in the opposite direction. Three Shelduck followed them but four Gadwall headed east. I was surprised that a flock of 42 Brent Geese on the beach contained only adults as previous flocks contained a good number of juveniles indicative of a good breeding season. A superb male Sparrowhawk hunted low over the scrub but the bird of the day was a Woodcock on an absolutely typical date but the first here for three years (156 th species). I must have walked close to it seconds before two dogs flushed it from the long grass by the brook.

4th - a quiet morning. There were three Great Crested Grebes offshore and a party of nine Teal flew west. About 200 Golden Plovers were again on the beach awaiting the daily flush from dog walkers. Corn Bunting numbers had risen to ten.

3rd - a calm and cloudy morning. Four Eider , the first for some time, flew east whilst seven Red-breasted Mergansers circled around offshore. The first Merlin of the winter zipped low over the sewage works and churchyard as Hobbies had been doing only a few weeks before. A single Brambling was heard overhead and this year's first Lapland Bunting flew east, over the beach, calling (155th species).

1st - the new month started cloudy with light north-easterly winds. Two Wigeon were present in the tidal ponds, 200 Golden Plovers and eight Lapwings were present on the beach. Three Common Scoters with an accompanying Velvet Scoter flew east landing briefly close inshore. A Sparrowhawk worried the local starlings but migrant passerines were few; a single Rock Pipit , three Fieldfares and two Redwings .