Rye Harbour and Pett Level Car Trip
Tuesday 24 June 2008, 10.30 am to 4.00 pm

Leader: John Turner

Attendance: 6

Weather: Fine and sunny

The walk started to the accompaniment of the song of many reed warblers but we were unable to gain a sighting until one perched on the wire of a telegraph pole. As we approached the new diggings an obliging corn bunting sang from the top of a bush to be joined by a reed bunting and a linnet. The pools produced avocet with young, ringed plovers, oystercatcher, redshank, shelduck with young, many sandwich terns and common terns. On reaching the ternery pool, black headed gulls with chicks were in abundance but we were also able to spot Mediterranean gulls with chicks. We were also witness to a sustained attack by an adult black headed gull and its three large young on a fourth, young, injured gull. Its prospects were not good.

Unfortunately the little tern colony has failed this year, the first time since 2000, but the beach walk produced fine views of a pair of wheatear.

The afternoon was spent at Pett Level where we were surprised to find a lone wigeon, which was joined by three teal, while a flock of curlew rested on the bank. Walking along the sea-wall two gannets were spotted out to sea, and on reaching the cliffs five fulmar were found resting, while another gave superb views as it flew past. A peregrine was spotted in the sky, it stooped, and appeared from behind the cliff with a flapping pigeon in its talons. It then landed and its mate appeared in order to share the bounty. This however caused confusion which allowed the prey to escape, hotly pursued along the cliff face by the peregrine, which gave up exhausted to rest on a promontory allowing great views.

Bird List
Lapwing, curlew, avocet, ringed plover, oyster catcher, redshank, shelduck, cormorant, gannet, fulmar petrel, teal, wigeon, tufted duck, mallard, little egret, grey heron, coot, moorhen, peregrine, kestrel, herring gull, black headed gull, Mediterranean gull, greater black backed gull, sandwich tern, common tern, blackbird, carrion crow, wood pigeon, collared dove, swallow, sand martin, greenfinch, linnet, pied wagtail, reed bunting, corn bunting, reed warbler, blackcap, whitethroat, wheatear.

Nightingale Evening - Group Car Trip to Northward Hill RSPB Reserve, High Halstow
Saturday 10 May 2008, 6.45pm to 9pm

Leader: Chas Parr

Attendance: 22

Weather: Cool and sunny at times

As we met in the car park off Clinch Street and a nightingale could be heard in the distance; a good omen.

We walked into the woods accompanied by the song of blackcap and whitethroat. On reaching the top of the hill we were assailed on both sides by nightingale song. After listening and watching quietly for some time the nightingale on the northern side of the trail was spotted through the undergrowth but one needed to be tall to have clear views.

We progressed through the wood with good views of blackcap and whitethroat again, and with views of grey herons and little egrets regularly passing over. We stopped near the heronry but were only able to have partial views of birds on the nest. The rookery, however, was a hive of activity and a constant accompaniment to our walk. At dusk some of the group heard noises in the undergrowth which we thought were those of a badger but it was not sighted.

As we returned to the car park at least six nightingales were heard in full song and ended the best evening for nightingales for many years.

Bird List
Blackcap, whitethroat, nightingale, chiff-chaff, willow warbler, robin, wren, blackbird, grey heron, little egret, cuckoo (heard), rook, carrion crow, jay, magpie.

Other Mammals: Rabbit.

John Turner

Crossness Nature Reserve Group Car Trip
Saturday 26 April 2008, 10.00 am to 1.00 pm

Leader: John Turner

Attendance: 40

Weather: Warm and sunny

Having met in the Golf Centre car park we moved to the sea wall where whitethroats sang with linnets flitting among the brambles. On the walk to the reserve a lesser whitethroat was spotted in some rough vegetation and the river at low tide was full of shelduck and black-headed gulls. A common sandpiper was on the water’s edge with a kestrel overhead patrolling the tide line. A possible peregrine was spotted flying past on the far bank. Gadwall and a lone teal were found among the mallard in the creeks, two common terns were spotted on a buoy and a fine black-tailed godwit in summer plumage completed the observations as we met warden Karen Sutton by the reserve. The reed beds were very quiet and the walk was curtailed because of barn activity in the nest box. The paddocks produced a lone wheatear together with a swift, skylark, meadow pipit and a high flying sparrowhawk.

Bird List
Black-tailed godwit, common sandpiper, Canada geese, greylag geese, shelduck, teal, gadwall, mallard, great crested grebe, little egret, grey heron, kestrel, sparrowhawk, coot, moorhen, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, greater black backed gull, common tern, robin, wren, dunnock, starling, blackbird, swallow, swift, blue tit, great tit, carrion crow, wood pigeon, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, meadow pipit, skylark, wheatear, chaffinch, greenfinch, linnet, reed bunting. TOTAL 41 species.

Swale Reserve Group Car Trip
Wednesday 26 March 2008, 10.00 am to 3.00 pm

Leader: John Turner

Attendance: 8

Weather: Overcast with sunny spells

We met at low tide on the seafront past Leysdown and saw a sparrowhawk hunting a meadow pipit. The walk towards Shellness produced a varied set of waders with many gulls of several species. A large flock of golden plover were seen in the distance and closer there were many meadow pipits some of which were song flighting.

With the tide coming in we continued walking along the embankment towards the reserve where we rewarded by a large flock of lesser white fronted geese (150+) as well good views of black tailed godwit and golden plover both showing some summer plumage.

On the return we diverted to view the wader roost at Shellness Point which was reduced in the numbers of grey plover, ringed plover, knot and dunlin although oystercatchers were very numerous. Walking back along the sea wall we spotted a stonechat and had close views of a flock of sanderling with dunlin and turnstone allowing comparisons of size.

A quick visit to Capel Fleet produced marsh and hen harrier as well as corn bunting on the telephone wires.

Bird List
Lapwing, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, knot, grey plover, golden plover, ringed plover, redshank, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, turnstone, oystercatcher, sanderling, marsh harrier, hen harrier, kestrel, sparrowhawk, white-fronted geese, brent geese, greylag geese, Canada geese, shelduck, common scoter, teal, wigeon, shoveler, pochard, tufted duck, mallard, mute swan, little grebe, little egret, grey heron, cormorant, coot, moorhen, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, blackbird, carrion crow, woodpigeon, stonechat, meadow pipit, skylark, corn bunting, reed bunting, starling, house sparrow, pheasant.
Total 53 species

Mammals
Hare, rabbit, stoat.

Elmley Marshes RSPB Group Car Trip
Saturday 22 March 2008, 9.30 am to 2.30 pm

Leader: John Turner

Attendance: 8

Weather: Very windy with sun, rain, hail and sleet

The foolhardy souls who ignored the forecast or did not see it endured all the weather had to throw at us and still enjoyed a very good day’s birding. The drive in produced merlin and possible grey partridge for various group members.

The walk down produced reed bunting, meadow pipit, curlew, little grebe and many wigeon and two march hares. From the Wellmarsh Hide we witnessed the arrival of a large flock of grey plover on the flood. Other waders were avocet, ringed plover, dunlin, lapwing, turnstone, oystercatcher, redshank and a few black tailed godwit, one showing considerable summer plumage.

The Counterwall Hide is closed as it is roofless. The walk to the South Fleet Hide missed the bad weather and as well as the many duck species on view the highlight of the day was a lone spoonbill as well as a lone pintail. Marsh harriers were again on view battling the strong winds.

Unfortunately we were caught in stinging horizontal sleet as we approached the Swale Hide and were glad to reach shelter. Six red breasted merganser were seen on the Swale with great crested grebes, and a large flock of brent geese were found grazing looking towards the Spitend Hide.

Bird List
Lapwing, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, grey plover, ringed plover, redshank, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, turnstone, oystercatcher, avocet, marsh harrier, brent geese, greylag geese, Canada goose, shelduck, teal, wigeon, shoveler, gadwall, pintail, pochard, tufted duck, ruddy duck, mallard, mute swan, great crested grebe, little grebe, spoonbill, little egret, grey heron, cormorant, coot, moorhen, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, greater black backed gull, blackbird, carrion crow, woodpigeon, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, reed bunting, starling, house sparrow, skylark, pheasant, partridge (possibly grey).
Total Species 51

Mammals
Hare, rabbit, stoat.

John Turner

Dungeness RSPB reserve Group Car Trip
Saturday 23 February 2008 09.30am to 1.30pm

Leader: Tony Banks

Attendance: 15

Weather: Bright and cold, mainly dry, brief light showers after midday, wind fairly strong from the west.

A visit to hide No.1, with its panoramic view of Burrowes pit, produced common ducks, cormorants and gulls but also male and female smews including two females in an unfamiliar pose, standing on an island. After popping into the visitor centre (open at 10) we made our way in a clockwise direction around the reserve visiting all of the well-appointed and spacious hides. The next three hides gave further views of Burrowes pit but with closer views of smew and a number of goldeneye, some engaged in courtship display. On the small pit behind Scott hide a Slavonian grebe, at very close quarters, stimulated much discussion over its ID. The new excavations at Christmas Dell hide were characteristically quiet and we soon moved to Denge Marsh hide, where the birds were numerous but common. A couple of Cetti’s warblers called loudly from bushes near the raised viewpoint by Hookers pit and soon after we assembled on the top a small flock of bearded tits were noted in nearby reeds. Once these cracking little birds had disappeared we managed to pick out some distant barnacle geese and a female merlin perched on a fence post. For most of us light refreshment and a comfort stop was followed by a visit to the Hanson ARC hide and, as is often the way here, while we scanned the numerous ducks and gulls so did the local peregrine falcon from its perch on the water tower. An excellent half-day.

Bird List
Black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull, coot, woodpigeon, robin, chaffinch, reed bunting, goldfinch, great tit, tufted duck, smew, gadwall, shoveller, cormorant, pochard, ruddy duck, oystercatcher, little grebe, shelduck, grey heron, marsh harrier, goldeneye, Canada goose, greylag goose, carrion crow, kestrel, magpie, wigeon, slavonian grebe, mallard, lapwing, stonechat, teal, dunnock, Cetti’s warbler, bearded tit, merlin, barnacle goose, starling, blackbird, pied wagtail, meadow pipit, peregrine, little egret. (Green woodpecker – heard.)

Total count of species for the day – 46 (47) species.

TB

Bird List
Lapwing, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, grey plover, ringed plover, redshank, dunlin, bar-tailed godwit, black-tailed godwit, greylag geese, shelduck, teal, wigeon, shoveler, tufted duck, mallard, great crested grebe, little egret, grey heron, coot, moorhen, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, robin, wren, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, woodpigeon, meadow pipit, rock pipit, chaffinch, greenfinch, pied wagtail, reed bunting, Cetti's warbler (heard). Total 38 species.

Lynford Arboretum/Lackford Wildfowl Reserve Group Coach Trip
Sunday 27 January 2008, Lynford 10am to 11.45 Lackford 12.30pm to 4.15pm

Leader: Maurice Ewart

Attendance: 37

Weather: Bright sunshine, mild, little wind

Two new venues for the Group were instant successes with a variety of interesting birds seen. At Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, the main target bird, hawfinch, was seen at fairly close range in the Paddocks area within five minutes of arrival at 10am. Other woodland species such as coal tit, nuthatch and treecreeper were also seen. Siskins were more elusive with only a few high in the canopy. The wintering firecrest did not show in its preferred area.

At 11.45am the coach continued on to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve at Lackford arriving 12.30. The original venue Ouse Washes was mostly under water but here helpful staff directed the group to Bernard’s Hide where a roosting jack snipe was observed. Later a water rail was seen here in the open, briefly joined by a second bird. Highlight for many was the bittern seen on the far bank of the Slough from two different hides. It was thought people were seeing the same bird until late in the day when suddenly two bitterns were seen together. Kingfishers showed at various stages during the afternoon. Goosander and goldeneye on the main sailing lake added to an enjoyable visit although the former became very elusive as the afternoon progressed. The reserve has a starling roost of up to 20,000 birds and these were just starting to arrive when we left for the 1 ¾ hour return journey to Bexleyheath.

Bird list: Little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, bittern (2), little egret, grey heron, mute swan, greylag goose, Canada goose, Egyptian goose, shelduck, wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, pintail, shoveler, pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, goosander (2), kestrel, red-legged partridge, pheasant, water rail (2), moorhen, coot, lapwing, jack snipe, snipe, black-headed gull, common gull, great black-backed gull, woodpigeon, collared dove, kingfisher (2), green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, blackbird, fieldfare, song thrush, redwing, mistle thrush, goldcrest, firecrest, long-tailed tit, marsh tit, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch, treecreeper, jay, magpie, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, siskin, bullfinch, hawfinch (4+), reed bunting. (68 species).

General Observations
Muntjac deer, hare also seen.