Elmley Marshes - July 2009

Reporting Your Sightings

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Autumn wader passage is in full flow, with returning breeding plumaged adults appearing throughout the month. The high tide roosts at Wellmarsh are the best opportunity to see birds like dunlin, grey plover, knot, bar-tailed godwit and turnstone, while black-tailed godwit, spotted redshank and a post-breeding avocet flock seem to prefer the area of the Flood visible from Southfleet hide. Other species regularly seen include greenshank, ruff, whimbrel, wood, green & common sandpipers and little ringed plover.

There is an obvious influx of duck during July, with often over 500 mallard present and smaller numbers of species like teal, gadwall, shoveler and the first pintail.

Garganey are regular, but can be tricky to pick out from the several hundred eclipse-plumaged teal also present.

Young marsh harriers will be on the wing, their plumage a much darker shade than the brown females and often appearing black at a distance. July is the peak month for Montagu's harrier at Elmley.

July is a prime month for a rare wader to turn up on the reserve. Over the years, Elmley has produced several pectoral and white-rumped sandpipers, 2 broad-billed sandpipers and long-billed dowitcher, sharp-tailed and semi-palmated sandpipers and an American golden plover.

24th: 1 curlew sandpiper, 50 dunlin, 17 spotted redshank, 5 ruff, 8 common sandpiper, 15 green sandpiper, 5 grey plover, 62 turnstone, 1 bar-tailed godwit, 38 black-tailed godwit, 1 whimbrel, 2 snipe, 4 greenshank, 1 buzzard, 1 hobby, 1 peregrine, 1 long-eared owl, 2 house martin, 1 sand martin

23rd: 7 garganey, 34 spotted redshank, 1 curlew sadnpiper, 6 dunlin, 1 LRP, 5 ruff, 3 snipe, 15 black-tailed godwit, 180 avocet

22nd: 1 curlew sandpiper, 7 dunlin, 1 LRP, 4 spotted redshank, 40 black-tailed godwit, green & common sandpipers, 2 garganey

21st: 34 spotted redshank, 30+ black-tailed godwit, 25+ turnstone, 1 greenshank, 1 ruff, 1 knot, 3 dunlin, common & green sandpipers

20th: 12 green sandpiper, 9 common sandpiper, 5 spotted redshank, 4 dunlin, 2 ruff, 1 snipe, 2 garganey, 2 hobby, 1 barn owl

19th: 1 long-eared owl, 3 garganey, 1 ruff, 10 common sandpiper, 1 LRP, 20 green sandpiper, 4 greenshank, 14 spotted redshank, 1 dunlin, 10+ turnstone, 1j Med gull, 50+ swift S, 2 sand martin S

18th: 30 spotted redshank, 20 green sandpiper, 8 common sandpiper, 5 dunlin, 1 long-eared owl, 3 sand martin S

17th: 1 little stint, 36 spotted redshank, 3 garganey, 28 little egret, 5 green sandpiper, 1 common sandpiper, 1 greenshank, 50+ turnstone, 2 hobby, 2F peregrine, 1 snipe

16th: 1 little stint, 7 dunlin, 6 common sandpiper, 11 green sandpiper, 3 LRP, 40 spotted redshank, 20 black-tailed godwit, 75+ turnstone, 5 ruff, 2 greenshank, 1 garganey, 1 snipe

15th: 3 ruff, 9 green sandpiper, 15 spotted redshank, 3 common sandpiper, 1 little stint, 60 black-tailed godwit, 2 dunlin, 25 turnstone

14th: 1 little stint, 12 dunlin, 30 turnstone, 1 spotted redshank, 65 black-tailed godwit, 3 common sandpiper, 2 green sandpiper, 7 garganey, 1 greenshank

13th: 19 spotted redshank, 2 greenshank, 32 dunlin, 4 green sandpiper, 2 common sandpiper, 1 ruff, 60+ turnstone, 11 sand martin S, 1 hobby

12th: 6 Egyptian geese E, 6 garganey, 9 spotted redshank, 14 black-tailed godwit, 2 turnstone, 17 dunlin, 2 greenshank, 19 green sandpiper, 1 common sandpiper, 33 little egret, 2 buzzard, 10 sand martin S, 2 barn owl

11th: 2 buzzard, 1 brent goose, 1 hobby

9th: 25 spotted redshank, 200+ black-tailed godwit, 1 greenshank, 2 common sandpiper, 4 ruff, 1 snipe, 2 LRP, 3 turnstone, 1 green sandpiper, 2 garganey, 1 sparrowhawk

8th: 10+ garganey, 225 black-tailed godwit, 24 spotted redshank, 1 greenshank, 18 turnstone, 3 ruff, 2 common sandpiper, 1 hobby

7th: 21 spotted redshank, 1 greenshank, 1 LRP, 12 grey plover, 1 ruff, 1 common sandpiper, 1 peregrine

5th: 245 black-tailed godwit, 6 common sandpiper, 28 turnstone, 30 spotted redshank, 22 green sandpiper, 4 ruff, 4 garganey, 1 hobby, 1 long-eared owl

4th: 230 black-tailed godwit, 1 ruff, 2 LRP, 11 garganey, 1 long-eared owl, 6+ spotted redshank

3rd: 14 garganey, 180 black-tailed godwit, 1 green sandpiper (Sharfleet); 30 spotted redshank, 37 turnstone, 2 greenshank, 1 dunlin (Flood), 22 green sandpiper, 1 hobby

2nd: 11 garganey, 183 black-tailed godwit, 1 barn owl, 4 corn bunting (Sharfleet); 13 spotted redshank, 1 ruff, 1 greenshank, 72 black-tailed godwit, 21 turnstone, 2 green sandpiper, 2 common sandpiper, 5 wigeon (Flood), 8 grey plover, 42 turnstone (Swale); 1 buzzard, 1 peregrine

1st: 7+ garganey, 26 spotted redshank, 1 greenshank, 3 ruff, 30 turnstone, 160 black-tailed godwit, 1 hobby