Monday 25 March 2024

Back to Whetsted

 Last visit before off to sunnier places.....


0600 - 0745 overcast, cool WSW

Not a huge amount to speak about really.....very quiet.  Chiffchaffs seemed to take a while to get going.  Linnets and Song Thrushes were obvious as were a couple of Green Woodpeckers.

Cettis Warblers around as well.

One Blackcap was in the copse by the crash barrier slightly east of West Pit.

On the way to West Pit, walking past Middle Pit, I thought I had heard a Willow Warbler briefly.  On my return it was singing more brightly.  Though a few repeats and it went quiet.  Probably feeding having arrived over night.


Saturday 23 March 2024

Across The Border

 Rye Harbour....one of my favourite stomping grounds for birding.....

Rather colder even before setting off....DH and I headed south to the coast.....and blimey, when we got there cold was not the word....eye watering....

A stop at the viewing point..as we got out of the car a Buzzard went over....now...when we visited some time ago it was blocked off and a notice up about work going to be undertaken.  Then it was simply one piece of wood across the entrance which we stepped over.....this time....there was a big wire fence section secured with pieces of wood, nails and screws....they really meant it this time....but really?...Sussex Wildlife Trust....really?....one of the most important viewing sites on the reserve and you STILL havent done anything about it.  

So we just stepped off the walkway, walked round the it of fencing and climbed back on the walkway.  And just as well we did.

Plenty on offer.  Fabulous views, close, of Marsh Harrier, couple of Teal flew in, Tufted Duck, Coot, Cormorant all obvious.  In the distance across the fields we could see Curlew, Magpies, Greylags...and....a Wheatear!  Extremely distant, but coudnt be anything else from its size and behaviour.  

Meantime a Bittern decided to 'boom' a few times.  Then gave up and wasnt heard again.

There were also plenty of Chiffchaffs around and a Cettis Warbler.

We moved on to the main site.

Reed Bunting was first up as we walked toward Limekiln.....Skylark singing.  Avocets were obvious white blobs on the distant water.  A Red Kite, most unexpected, put many birds up and caused a short panic.

In the hide we spied....Pintail, Great-black-backed Gulls, Wigeon, Brent Geese, plenty of gulls...Herring and Black-headed......19 Sandwich Tern was a nice surprise, though of course they arrive this time of year.  Dunlin, Grey Plover, Oystercatchers, Shoveler....and a single Turnstone.

We meandered to the end to see if we could find some more Turnstone...and decided to sit down behind a wall out of the wind.....we were mulling over why there were so many shells at that point when DH called out as a bird flew past us.....white rump...Wheatear....just arriving.....immediately plopped down on the stone a way away.....we were the first to see if in the UK.....

It didnt stay long, there was a number of people around and as usual, dogs running all over....so off it flew....and we gave chase....we found a couple of Skylark and nearby re-found the Wheatear, looking for and finding food.  It even chased off one of the Skylark....we watched for a while....then made for the car to get away from the wind and the c-c-c-c-c-cold....

We decided to head to Winchelsea Beach to try along the cliffs....slightly out of the wind, but still cold....a bit of patience paid off.....we found Fulmars and Peregrines.....just about nothing out to see other than gulls, cormorants and one Great-crested Grebe....

Off again with a much discussed decision to stop at Brede Woods.....unsure of what we might find...really hoping for a Blackcap...which we failed on....

Instead we were favoured by 15 Common Crossbills....absolutely fabulous....they fed happily in a near by larch tree.  It poured....but the birds remained.  As we watched we then found a Marsh Tit....amazing ten minutes.....

We meandred to the reservoir at the far end of the woods....noting Nuthatch along the way....followed by great views of a Treecreeper that hung around for five minutes.....

Walking back to the car we found ourselves in the spot where the Crossbills had been and they were still present....then joined by a flock of Siskins....in amongst them were a few Lesser Redpolls....2 Marsh Tits were calling....

For a stop in 'hope' of one species that we failed on...we were handsomely rewarded by great views of several others we never expected and mostly new for the list this year...

All in all....a grand day out....

Whetsted...several visits

 18 - 22 March........several early morning but quick....2 hours or less....visits to Whetsted...


We are at the cross over point....summer visistors are beginning to turn up and winter visitors havent left yet....

Chiffchaffs were in good numbers already during the early part of the week....by the end of the week the place was drenched in them.  There must have been a big fall....there were birds singing already in most places but so many were simply passing by, feeding up and getting ready to move on.

Redwings were seen twice during the week...first time 2...second time, 3.....all from the roost at the northern end on the eastern side of the site.  A couple of weeks ago there were around 50 out of the roost early morning.

Goldeneye were still on site....first time this week 1 male 3 females....then later in the week this had changed to 2 males 2 females.....

Friday finally saw Blackcaps on site....3 sang very briefly at various points around the area.

Other birds during the week included Yellowhammer, Barn Owl (at West Pit), 3 Cettis Warblers, 4 Little Egrets out of roost.  A Great White Egret was seen early in the week.

Saturday 17 February 2024

Morocco Trip

 10 - 17 February....a trip to Morocco...do I need to tell you about the weather....ok then...

Early mornings this time of year are chilly, definitely jumper weather and long trousers.  My sandals couldnt stop my toes from being cold....and im not a lover of wet or cold toes!!

View to the Atlas...earliest I have been to this area, so snow is a bonus!

However....as the morning progresses it becomes lovely and warm...25 degreees by the afternoon....fantastic....the last full day was 28 degrees....way above cold, grey, damp and miserable UK.

The week was divided between driving from Ouarzazate, where I flew in to, over the Atlas to Ourika for a couple of days....then back to a small village called Tikirte a few miles outside Ouarzazate.

Actually, it wasnt a totally birding holiday, more a bit of a get away just to....get away.  Personal circumstances having somewhat done my head in over the past few months.

But...back to the birds, which is what this blog is about....

There were certainly some highlights for me....a few new lifers as well....

THE highlight of the trip was driving in to the lower Atlas and seeing 150 Black Kite circling, gradually gaining height, to go over the mountains.  Many were already high up, others quite low.  Mass migration, like this, is something I have never seen.  Huge numbers of birds of prey cross from Africa to Europe near Gibralter as its narrow crossing with no ability to find thermals to climb, so all climbing is done before the short crossing either way.

Rock Sparrow was another highlight.  A lifer.  Just over the top of the Atlas mountains, having passed Tichka.  Fabulous.  In breeding plummage they show a small yellow patch under the chin at the top of the breast, it was a bit windy and chilly, so they were not overly keen to stand upright to show this patch.  Luckily the wind would occasionally catch their feathers and give a brief glimpse of the yellow underneath.

Levaillants Green Woodpecker.....some birds you just arent expecting.  This was a total surprise.  I just happened to catch a bird drop to the ground in a small grove of Olive trees, it disappeared from view as the ground was quite undulating and some of it had been ploughed.  

Levaillants....

Initially I thought it was a Green Woodpecker, but a few seconds observation and....it definitely did not look like your average Green Woodpecker.  A great find indeed.  Very exciting.

Moussiers Redstart.  Ive been chasing this bird since I started coming to Morocco  a few years ago.  This was my first encounter with not one...but after a few days....two...birds.  But...infuriating...all I got was quick glimpses.  And the bird was gone.  I spent a few hours meandeting the fields and searching to try to re-find both birds on two occasions....but to no avail.  It was great to finally see one....but....yes it counts...but...I will certainly be looking for better views next time out.


Almond blossom

Beautiful colours of Morocco...

The list then....red, seen before in Morocco....blue lifer....

Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel.....

Kestrel

Common Snipe, Corn Bunting.....

Corn Bunting

Barn Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Cattle Egret, Crested Lark, Linnet, Hoopoe, Red-billed Chough, African Chaffinch, Rock Sparrow, White-crowned Wheatear....

White-crowned Wheatear

Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Stonechat, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Sardinian Warbler, Levaillants Green Woodpecker, Alpine Chough, White Stork....


White Stork

Black Redstart, Moussiers Redstart, Great Grey Shrike, Thekla Lark, Common Redstart, Laughing Dove, Rock Dove, Alpine Chough, Sparrowhawk, Black Wheater, White Wagtal (Alba), Serin, Cettis Warbler, Spotless Starling, Blue Tit, Green Sandpiper


Pomegranite

Thursday 18 January 2024

In the Garden

 Garden....cold....very cold...just walking to the shed...


Coal Tit.  Nice.

Back to Sheppey

 Sheppey...the return...thsi time....armed with DH....lets just say....it was cold....but at least it wasnt too windy....

A slow drive down the hill provided plenty of Fieldfares and a few Redwing....always entertaining....

A stop on the corner as usual...on the way to the raptor viewing point....spent a fruitful 20-30 minutes here....good for ducks on the water and always near for good views....picked up a few species whilst standing there, Raven always good to get...best result was a Whooper Swan flying in to land on the water....result indeed!!

On to the raptor viewing point.....the usual suspects located....Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel....and a few small birds flying through....

At Mocketts there is a definite lack of finches, though we did manage to pick up Siskin....the place has been tidied and very little food dropped as it has been in past years....mostly just Chaffinch and House Sparrows.....theres a fine view across the Swale Nature Reserve from the farm and a good place to try to get Hen Harrier.....so we spent quite some time waiting and ticking off a few more species....thankfully a marvelous male Hen Harrier appeared swooping away from us, across the field and to the next one where it was joined by....another male Hen Harrier....we watched as they fle off to our left and out of site...what a treat!!....a short wait provided a number of geese flying on to the reserve....looking through them we eventually found 2 White-fronted Geese....there is usually a big flock but this winter very few birds have turned up.....

A bit of time spent down by the shooting club looking for waders again provided lots of thrushes and several wader species...

Then....off to Elmley...

 A grand couple of hours was psent driving slowly in to the reserve...Short-eared Owl..

....rather distant....

...further away....

....luckily they owls did come much closer...

.....then having a look round the school house area....Barn Owl one side, Short-eared Owl the other, lucky to watch the Barn Owl catch some prey only for a Kestrel to bully it in to giving it up...

....in the car park good views were to be had of Long-eared Owl....on the way out Shorties were not really playing....but over all a great visit....


Sunday 7 January 2024

Pegwell and Sandwich

 So, with the weather forecast as dry....it rained.....on the way....and when I was there....though it stopped eventually and just became windy with a lot of cold in it.....


Headed for Cliffsend, Pegwell Bay....


Because this is where the Twite have been located....out on the saltings in the photo above and in the scrub behind....which is where we found them eventually....probably had to wait about an hour but well worth it....beautifully coloured up for winter....creamy orange chin and chest....

Hit number 1.....

Off to Ebbsfleet for the Long-tailed Duck....another winter visitor....easy to find....happily diving in a small dyke....


Hit number 2.....

Onward to the fishing reservoirs at Minster, this time for a Sawbill....


Goosander.....third hit.....great start to the day.....add to this Avocet on the beach near the Twite and Rook later at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory and a few new species to add to the list....

Sadly dipped on Waxwing...again.....and Ravens werent playing ball either.....the Short-eared Owl numbers have gone down to two and not been seen for a couple of days so missed there as well....

But over all, a grand day out even if it rained....