Alpine Swift

Day off today (and tomorrow) the initial plan was to go to grove ferry and see what was happening over there, but the rain hammering against the window saw me being lazy. I had a walk around reserve x and managed to see 3 Brambling, including one full summer male, a real peachy bird, also in the vicinity were 18 Lesser redpoll singing and calling continuously. After arriving home and checking the internet I saw that the Alpine Swift was back on Thannet so a short twitch was on! I do not know the Thannet roads at all so got lost a couple of times, just as I thought I must be getting close the bird flew over my car giving superb views. I found somewhere to park and joined the other Thannet regulars and enjoyed prolonged views of the bird, albeit into the light for a lot of the time I managed a few record shots but there are far better ones out there of this bird. While watching the bird there was a fairly steady flow of Swallows passing over, probably totalling about 30 in the hour I was present, also 2 White Wagtails flew onto the golf course for another sub sp. Yr tick. A good end to what I thought would be a very poor day. Tomorrow Pallid swift and Penduline Tit at Grove Ferry??...Dream on!

A rather quiet couple of days, yesterday was spent at Reading University who were hosting Butterfly Conservations woodland conference, a very intresting day, always good to keep up with he times- coppicing, glades and dead wood are the key!
Today I managed a Pegwell year tick in the amazing form of a Greylag goose. Having already seen pink-foot and white-front it seems odd to have 'needed' greylag, apparently 2 Canada's were also seen a bit further North...another good bay bird.
Hoping for a good weekend now!

CBC at Reserve x

Another early start today and 2 additions to the X list, 2 Oystercatchers flew in briefly and a Little Ringed Plover was having a look at a new flooded area. Pegwell was a bit more lively with a noticable inrease in waders, still no Sandwich Terns, where are they all!

Survey in the mist

A 05.30 start at Pegwell for the first of 10 CBCs this year was pretty poor. I left home in glorious sunshine only to be met by a big wall of fog a mile or so before the survey area, so instead of bright and warm it was dull and cold...at least some bird were singing!
Later on I managed to add (3) Wheatear to the year list at Sandwich Bay and a quick stop at the Obs got me the first few moths of the year. Twin spotted quaker, Pale Pinion, Oak Beauty and Red chestnut. I'll dust my trap off soon...


You aint seen me....right!

Early morning stroll

Having been woken up fairly early I decided to have a walk around Worth Marshes, its just opposite my house so has the added benefit of no car involved. It was overcast, windy and fairly damp underfoot but the Firecrest was still singing in the garden as I left. about half an hour later I had another Firecrest singing away at Roaring Gutter closely followed by the Great White Egret that has been in the area for some time now. Apart from these two there was sod all worth a mention, a nice walk all the same.

Great 'Grey' Egret

And so it all begins

I have decided to keep a blog of my sightings, outings and general daily life in Kent working on a nature reserve. So no time like the present....

This morning was pretty overcast and the Chiffchaff singing in my garden showed that there may have been a bit of movemet last night. The Alpine Swift on Thannet (that I did not see) agreed with that fact. A busy day working meant that nothing worth noting was seen, until I was locking the Pegwell hide. I managed to have a little look at the mud, there seemed to be waders everywhere including 72 Sanderling, a flock of 16 Brents landed closeby all dark bellied but the first I ave seen in the bay for a little while. All of a sudden my eyes clamped onto a coffee coloured gull with a stonking black tipped pink bill, GLAUCOUS GULL! It made a nice change from tring to ID Caspians at some distance. To top it off as I got out of my van when home I had a FIRECREST singing away opposite my front door, not a bad end to a busy day.