UK BIRDWATCH 2008

Un-motorised competition

The story of the ‘Cliffe Strollers' 17-hour day: a walk from

Northward Hill to Cliffe on May 11th

Report by Don Taylor

Settled, hot conditions, with an easterly influence had recently been producing a good variety of scarcer species in the county and the weather was set fair – in welcome contrast to the washed out effort in 2007.

I was accompanied by Keith Derrett, Stephen Mills and Gordon Allison, whom we joined at Bromhey farm at 3am, under a starry sky. Gordon had heard a Barn Owl calling just after mid-night, so we had hopes of noting this species early, on what was to be a long day in the field. While Gordon returned for his sunglasses, we quickly noted Cuckoo , Nightingale , Lapwing and Tawny Owl in his brief absence; the last named was still hooting when he returned and he quickly heard the others as we commenced our walk, with the rattle of a Lesser Whitethroat song at 3.09am – precisely as in 2007! A Cetti's Warbler sang clearly and the display calls of a Redshank could be heard from the marsh but in the next thirty minutes the local Barn Owl failed to call or appear. A Moorhen called, a cock Pheasant made his presence known and a Little Grebe (number 10 at 3.37am) winnowed distantly. A Mallard quacked, a Coot could be heard clearly and a Little Owl called. A distant Skylark sang, a Sedge Warbler could also be heard singing and the calls of an Avocet were heard as it flew by. The first Song Thrush commenced singing at 4.07am and both Reed Bunting and Robin were soon heard, as we walked towards Northward Hill from which a Grey Heron flew (number 20 at 4.20am). A Tufted Duck called as it circled overhead, a Reed Warbler sang and a Woodpigeon cooed. As we approached the bottom of the wood, a Blackbird and a Common Whitethroat sang, followed by the squeaky calls of a juvenile Long-eared Owl . A Wren and a Blackcap added their voices to the dawn chorus and we heard the barking ‘whoop-whoop' call from an adult Long-eared Owl.

Approaching the rookery and heronry Rooks were already calling and flying out to the marshes, a Carrion Crow also cawed (number 30 at 4.41am), Jackdaws flew from the roost and a Little Egret gurgled – a most inelegant sound from such an elegant bird. A Chiffchaff sang, the first Herring Gulls could be seen flying over, a Stock Dove flew by, a Garden Warbler sang and a few Black-headed Gulls could be seen flying over as we came out of the wood and walked back through the scrub. Two Sparrowhawks that flew out and high over the wood appeared to be of the same size, the first Chaffinch song was noted and a couple of Blue Tits were seen (number 40 at 5.16am), as we re-entered the wood in the hope of locating a Bullfinch – though it has only been recorded once before. Gordon hadn't been able to find any recently and none obliged us then, so we continued west along the northern edge of the wood and the first three of several sightings of mainly adult Mediterranean Gulls were noted. As we turned back up the hill towards the viewing point on the Saxon Shore Way a Green Woodpecker yaffled and the song of a Dunnock was at last heard. A Greylag Goose called from the marsh and a Turtle Dove purred.

We stopped at the viewpoint for about forty-five minutes from 5.45am, not only to refresh ourselves with some breakfast but also to scan the reservoirs, trees and surrounding marshes for new species, as the low-lying mist began to burn off. In quick succession the following were noted: Magpie , Shelduck , Canada Goose , Pochard , Ruddy Duck (number 50 at 6.12am), Gadwall , GC Grebe , Great Black-backed Gull , Oystercatcher , Long-tailed Tit , Starling and Swallow . We followed the Saxon Shore Way into the wood and an open clearing enabled all four of us to see a pair of Mistle Thrushes – an earlier bird had only been seen by two. In the wood we added Great Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker (number 60 at 6.46am) but failed to hear or see a Jay. A brief walk into the residential estate enabled us to add Collared Dove , House Sparrow and Greenfinch but nothing really special, like Goldcrest or Crossbill that earlier visits once produced.

We returned to the wood but there was still no sign of a Jay by the time we stopped at the viewpoint for another scan over the marshes, where a Mute Swan was now clearly visible. While scanning, a Swift flew across our optical visions, the ‘known-to-be-present' drake Wigeon suddenly appeared on the reservoir bank and it was time to walk out on the marshes towards Decoy Fleet. The first of a good number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over, a female Marsh Harrier appeared over a reedbed, a pair of Red-legged Partridges flew up in front of us and two Greenshank (number 70 at 8.05am) had been attracted to a shallow scrape. Sharp ears picked up the rattling song of a Corn Bunting , which was perched clearly for all to see and the first of several summer plumaged male Yellow Wagtails added some bright colour to our viewing. A perched Cormorant could be seen and a Meadow Pipit performed a display song. As we walked beside a reedbed we had the pleasure of seeing several male Bearded Tits at close range, having located them by hearing their ‘pinging' calls. Two Hobbies flew overhead and a drake Shoveler was present on the reservoir. Two Kestrels then offered a challenge, as one appeared to have the central tail feathers protruding and showed almost unmarked underwings, apart from black tips to the primaries. Gordon and I couldn't get the bird in our scopes and consequently failed to get a good view of the upperwings, though Steve considered that there was no grey visible.

I picked up another, larger falcon, flying towards St Mary's Hoo, which was eventually identified as a Peregrine , while we viewed the surrounding area from a conveniently high mound of soil and noted three Marsh Harriers in the air together, a pair of Goldfinches also flew over (number 80 at 10am). It was getting warm, with just a light easterly breeze and sweaters were transferred into our rucksacks, before heading for Egypt Bay. Two Linnets flew by as we approached the seawall, from where we scanned the mud in the bay and beyond to the water's edge. A flock of 15 Grey Plover was present in the bay – one in full breeding plumage was particularly attractive – a lone Black-tailed Godwit rested on the mud and three Curlew fed along the edge of the river. We left Egypt Bay at 10.45am and embarked on our long walk towards Lower Hope Point – our traditional lunch spot.

A distant scrape held an adult Ringed Plover with three chicks and a Common Sandpiper was seen to alight on the rocks below the seawall at 11.15am. Fifteen minutes later a Common Buzzard flew N across the river, mobbed by a Carrion Crow – the first sighting for a Bird Race on this route. A few Common Terns were seen feeding along the water's edge, followed by a welcome bonus at 11.45am, when a Little Tern flew down the river (number 90 at 11.45am) – another first on this route. By mid-day we were just halfway to Cliffe Creek, when we sighted at least three distant falcons close to a barn at the end of the Cooling Track, one of which was proving difficult to identify satisfactorily at that range, but was showing possible characteristics more suited to a female Red-footed Falcon. We walked towards the barn and confirmed that two of the falcons were Hobbies but failed to get sufficiently good views of the one we were struggling with. On returning home and checking Dick Forsman's The Raptors of Europe and the Middle East , the photograph – plate 589 – on page 468 was identical to the image I had retained from a view at precisely the same angle: the upperparts were essentially brown and on one occasion, when the bird was perched, the underparts also appeared to have a fairly uniform pale wash. One that got away, sadly, but we did see a male Pied Wagtail (number 90 at 12.55pm) collecting food near the barn. By the time we returned to the river wall we were about an hour behind our usual schedule and we stopped for lunch on the river wall another kilometre or so up river, well short of Lower Hope Point. The wind had freshened and it was a pleasant temperature for walking. Constant scanning through the numerous gulls on the river mud, eventually paid off when Gordon found a Common Gull .

We continued our walk, keeping half an eye on the river in case the Pomarine Skua was still present and ever hopeful that a Sandwich Tern might fly by, while also scanning the marshes for a possible Red Kite, as several had been seen around the county in recent days. We passed Lower Hope Point at 3pm and I was almost convinced that I had found a pair of Rock Pipits, but I was a little behind, walking on the river side of the wall and I was unable to alert the others soon enough to check the birds thoroughly. The outer tail feathers appeared off-white and the legs seemed to be dark, though I failed to get sufficiently good views to be sure and the call was more like that of Rock Pipit.

As we headed away from the river wall towards the second ramp at Cliffe Pools, an adult male Sparrowhawk streaked low over the ground and perched momentarily on the remains of a brick wall. Wheatear-like habitat didn't produce that species and there was in fact no evidence of any diurnal passerine migration. If I had checked my blood-sugar level before following this route, I would have suggested the alternative that I had in mind, which was to walk as far as Cliffe Creek, with the possibility of finding Turnstone and possibly the Pomarine Skua – which was apparently still present – and then check the roosting waders at the northern end of the Flamingo Pool, before heading for the second ramp. As it happens, we might also have been in the right area to see a Wheatear, as well as the Sandwich Terns and the Red Kite, that we learned about later!

We were happy to rest our legs and sit on the seat at the second ramp from 3.30pm and scan the pools in the hope of adding a wader or two to the list. I thought I could see a shank with red legs, but it turned out to be a Greenshank, with a bright red ring on its tibia! At least eight Whimbrel could be seen at rest on a more distant pool, with a few more Greenshank and a fox waded its way across the shallow pool hardly disturbing them. A small flock of Feral Pigeons flew around the area and Gordon eventually found a cock Stonechat perched on a hawthorn bush. While walking towards the first ramp, Keith thought he heard a Sandwich Tern calling but none of us did and we couldn't see any sign of one flying by – we learned later that two had flown nearby at about that time and not only that but a Red Kite had also flown over, mobbed by a Peregrine!!

We were unable to add any more species at the first ramp from which we could see another 15 Black-tailed Godwits, another seven Whimbrel, a Greenshank and probably many more than 20 Avocets, but there was no sign of any Teal or a Garganey and the wind was blowing a little too strongly for us to anticipate that the local Grasshopper Warblers would sing. We continued round the track towards West Point, stopped to look over the Radar Pool around 5.10pm and heard a Tawny Owl hoot – just wished a Barn Owl would screech! The local Willow Warbler sang well for us and included a ‘chiff-chaff'-like introduction to its song. We scanned all the pools for waders and ducks from West Point and could just make out a distant flock of Dunlin at the far end of the Flamingo Pool and wondered whether there might be another small wader species amongst them. Three of us legged it to within closer range, while Gordon kept scanning and maybe finding a Jay or a Kingfisher in the vicinity, where they both were seen during the Big Sit a week earlier – but he saw nothing new. We counted some 120 Dunlin, with a few Ringed Plovers, Redshank and a lone Whimbrel, but nothing new. However, as we walked rapidly back a most attractive 1st summer Little Gull flew by and alighted on one of the pools, where Gordon was also able to see it. Yet another Sparrowhawk was seen from West Point. The North Quarry was probably going to be our last opportunity to increase the total to 100, but it was a little disappointing. We eventually did glimpse a Sand Martin and a short while later a Kingfisher called (number 99 at 7.15pm), as it flew over our heads and down across the quarry. We walked round the east end of the North Quarry, checking the South Quarry briefly for any sign of a Little Ringed Plover – they had been seen there on previous occasions. A quick scan over Cliffe quickly produced our 100th species at 7.42pm – a small flock of House Martins .

We were back in the village car park shortly before 8pm pleased to have reached 100 species but just a little disappointed that we hadn't got close to our best of 108. Although we were above average for the numbers of raptor and gull species seen – six, almost seven raptors being a new high, but marginally below the number of duck species and a disappointing total of just 12 waders. It was the first year when a Jay was not included on the list. Bar-tailed Godwit and Wheatear have been recorded in all but one other year, Common Snipe and Turnstone in four of the seven, but Sand Martin on only three other occasions.

It is really the lack of the typical woodland species that limits the potential for this route to ever produce 110 species, whereas east Kent does have a wider range of habitats, including woodland, with Woodcock, Nightjar, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper, within about a similar twenty-mile walking distance.