Wintering Black Cap - Jubilee Way, Sidcup
Maurice Ewart 4 December 2005

While watching Great Spotted Woodpeckers on my feeders I noticed movement in an ivy plant and spotted a male blackcap.

Two winters ago another blackcap set up home in the garden for four months feeding on sunflower hearts but this individual showed no interest in the feeders and soon disappeared.

Ruxley Gravel Pits
Eric Brown Thursday 10 November 2005, 10.00am-12.30pm
Guided tour by Kent Wildlife Trust staff

Tufted duck (50+), ruddy duck (6), pochard (4), shoveler (2), mute swan (2), cormorant (3), coot (120+), moorhen (8), grey heron, ring-necked parakeet, kingfisher, long-tailed tit (12), blue tit, great spotted woodpecker, black headed gull (30+), lesser black backed gull, robin (3), dunnock, sparrowhawk, redwing

Work is under way to make the pits more wildlife friendly and a new warden has been appointed. Plans mooted to open to the public if agreement can be reached with the fishing club.

Weather: Cloudy, mild

Crayford Marshes
Maurice Ewart Friday 4th November, 2005 10.30 – 12.45

Walk from Slade Green station to the Thames and back.

Cormorant, mallard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, moorhen, ringed plover (12+), lapwing (100+), dunlin (30+), black-tailed godwit (3), curlew (1), black-headed gull, Great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, common gull, collared dove, wood pigeon, stock dove, ring-necked parakeet, meadow pipit, skylark, wren, robin, stonechat, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, blue tit, great tit, jay, magpie, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, greenfinch (36 species).

Practically no wildfowl present. All waders were on banks of Thames

Weather: Sunny with strong SW Wind - mild.

Elmley Marshes RSPB Reserve
Doug Marchant, John Turner, Eric Brown Wednesday, 5 October 2005

Male Hen Harrier observed flying and then landing in field behind toilet block and across river. Landed approx 500 yds away and 100 yds from a peregrine in same field.

Marsh Harrier male, female and juvenile also seen plus 12 kestrels, wheatear, swallow (3) and house martin.

Almost 1,000 teal in Windmill Creek.

The reserve was almost entirely deserted by waders even at high tide with a single black-tailed godwit, two avocets, lapwing and a pair of fly through ringed plovers the exceptions. Water levels are very low where there is no pumping.

Weather: Cloudy, mild, little breeze.

Elmley Marshes RSPB Reserve
Eric Brown , Ian and Carol Moffatt Saturday, 3 September 2005 10.45 to 4.45

53 species including; wood sandpiper, sparrowhawk, hobby, peregrine, kestrel, marsh harrier (6-7) and Montagu's harrier(juvenile). Also black-tailed and bar-tailed godwit, golden plover (45), grey plover (14), ruff, ringed plover, common sandpiper, green sandpiper, snipe, wheatear, whinchat. Chiffchaff on farmhouse roof.

Sparrowhawk and hobby observed being mobbed by crow in field to left of A249 approx ½ mile before crossing Queenborough Bridge onto Sheppey. Montagu's harrier in flight to left of access track approx 800 yds after farmhouse clearly showing narrow white rump band and reddish-orange underparts. Golden and grey plover included males in breeding plumage.

Weather: Warm sunshine but hazy. Little wind.

Oare Marshes
Maurice Ewart Friday, 29 July 2005 14.15 to 18.15

Little grebe,cormorant,little egret, grey heron, spoonbill , mute swan, greylag, canada goose, shelduck, gadwall, mallard, tufted duck, pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, little ringed plover, lapwing, ruff, black-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank, green sandpiper, black-headed gull, herring gull, common tern, collared dove, stock dove, wood pigeon, green woodpecker, skylark, swallow, house martin, sand martin, meadow pipit, yellow wagtail, pied wagtail, blackbird, song thrush, sedge warbler, reed warbler, bearded tit, magpie, carrion crow, sterling, house sparrow, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, linnet, reed bunting, 7 seals on Horseshoe Sands

Weather: Warm, sun increasing, wind light westerly. High Tide 19.45

Elmley Marshes
Maurice Ewart Friday, 5 August 2005 10am - 4pm

Little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan. greylag, canada goose, shelduck, teal, mallard, shoveler, pochard, tufted duck, marsh harrier, hen harrier (male), kestrel, hobby, pheasant, red-legged partridge, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, dunlin, ruff, snipe, black-tailed godwit, curlew, spotted redshank (6) , redshank, greenshank, green sandpiper, common sandpiper, black-headed gull, collared dove, wood pigeon, cuckoo (juvenile), long-eared owl, swift, skylark, sand martin, swallow, meadow pipit, yellow wagtail, pied wagtail, reed warbler, magpie, carrion crow, starling , house sparrow, linnet, reed bunting, corn bunting (57 species)

Swallow and pied wagtail nesting in toilet block.Mole caught by marsh harrier.

Weather: Dull, wind moderate westerly. High Tide 13.45

Elmley RSPB Reserve, Sheppey
John Turner and Eric Brown Wedneday, 3 August 2005

48 species including red-necked phalarope, long-eared owl, avocet (50+), little egret (2), black-tailed godwit (40+), marsh harrier (10), kestrel (10), poss ring tailed hen harrier, peregrine (2), greenshank (2), turnstone, common sandpiper, green sandpiper, spotted redshank (4 in winter plumage), ruff, snipe, ringed plover, yellow wagtail.

Gatekeeper and small white butterflies, marsh frog

Weather: Bright sunshine, warm, little wind

Bexley
Eric Brown Thursday 28 April 2005

A hobby was seen from the A20 high over the area of Ruxley Gravel pits.

Footscray Meadows
Jim Butler Tuesday 19 April 2005

There was a Tree Pipit about 100m from the stable block, in the area bordering playing fields, for at least 1.5 hours. Two days later it had disappeared.
Click Here for more information on Footscray Meadows

Woodlands Farm, Shooters Hill near Oxleas Woods
Sheila Danes Sunday 3 April 2005, 5pm

A group of 20 waxwings seen resting in birch tree.

Picture courtesy of Maurice Ewart

Dartford
Timothy English Monday 11 April 2005, 11.13am

Around 90 to 100 waxwings were in and around the car park of the Holiday Inn Hotel near the Dartford Crossing. Later in the day they had moved on.

Crayford Marshes
Maurice Ewart and Eric Brown Wednesday 30 March 2005 12.30pm to 14.30pm

House sparrow, starling, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, chaffinch greenfinch, carrion crow, blackbird, robin, wren, dunnock, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, ring-necked parakeet, woodpigeon, stock dove, collared dove, reed bunting (5), skylark (3), meadow pipit, pied wagtail, canada goose, cormorant, grey heron, lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher, magpie, mallard, teal, shelduck, black-headed gull, lesser black backed gull, herring gull, common scoter (4 on Thames towards Aveley Marshes) Total 36.
Weather: Dull, light rain, misty
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Blue tit courtesy of Monique Bogaerts

Sidcup
Eric Brown Thursday 24 March 2005

A cock pheasant trotted down Christchurch Road, central Sidcup, at approximately 1pm. It hopped over a wall into the front garden of no. 33, reappearing a couple of minutes later to continue strutting down Christchurch Road in the general direction of Sidcup Station!

A flock of 30 waxwings fed on pyracantha berries in a shrubbery at the river end of Thames Way, Gravesend , on an industrial estate near B & Q. The birds, spotted at 14.30, gathered in the same tree and dropped down to feed on the berries. They allowed a fairly close approach.

Waxwing Hatrick
Andy Meaton March 2005

Most of us are content with one sighting of waxwings in a year but Andy Meaton chalked up three separate records in 16 days in March 2005 as these birds continued sweeping south from their arrival point in Scotland.

Thursday 10 March 2005; 25 at Churchyard, Sutton At Hone.
Tuesday 15 March 2005; 7 at Ruxley Golf Course.
Wednesday 16 March 2005; 20 outside Swanley station.

Picture courtesy of Maurice Ewart

Footscray Meadows
Eric Brown Thursday 17 March 2005, 1pm to 4pm

Blackbird, chaffinch, carrion crow, coot(on nest), collared dove, dunnock, gadwall (6), goldcrest (2), little grebe (6), greenfinch, gull blackheaded, heron grey, jay, kingfisher (6 sightings around lake area of two males), magpie, mallard, moorhen, parakeet ring necked, redwing (3), robin, sparrow house (flock of 13), sparrowhawk, starling, swan mute (fem on nest), thrush mistle, tit blue, great, long tailed, woodpecker great spotted, green, woodpigeon, wren. Total 32

Also two bumble bees plus a black terrapin with a red or pink head marking basking among tree stumps at end of lake.
Weather: Bright sunshine, 18°c
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Footscray Meadows
Phillip Cliffe Saturday 26 February, 9.30am to 12.30pm

Water Rail (in swampy area just above footscray lake), Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail (on walk down to water lane bridge), Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher and Little Egret at the bridge and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (North Cray woods near the main ride).
Weather: Cold, sunny
Click Here for more information on Footscray Meadows

Frank’s Park, Belvedere
Eric Brown and John Turner Saturday 26 February 2005, 11am to 1pm

Blackbird, C. Crow, Dunnock, Goldcrest(2), Gull BH, Jay, Magpie, Nuthatch, Parakeet R-N(5), Robin, Sparrow House, Starling, Thrush Song, Tit Blue, Great, Long-tailed, Woodpecker Gt Spot(3), Woodpigeon, Wren. Total 19 species.
Weather: Cold, dull, damp
Click Here for more information on Franks Park

Footscray Meadows
Eric Brown Tuesday 15 February 2005

On a bitterly cold day with bright sunshine the following 32 species were recorded on a walk along the River Cray between 11am and 1.10pm despite much disturbance from kids (half term) and dogs.

A party of 21 Waxwings was in trees bordering Leigh City College opposite the Apollo office building in Green St Green Road, Dartford, approximately a quarter of a mile from Princes Road roundabout at 10.20am on 8/2/05. After about 10 minutes they flew off into the College grounds. A group of 18 Waxwings was seen in the same area by John Turner at 2.30pm the same day.