Deepest Kent

I have to start with an apology to Mike Hook, I promised that the next time we ventured deep into Kent I would e-mail him so that we could meet up. Sorry Mike, we sat outside my gate dithering about where to go today, West or East and finally Martin decided that we would again chase White Fronted Geese. 70 WFGs had been reported at Swale, so we left post haste for the Isle of Sheppey.  Road works on the A23 and M25, coupled with mist conspired to delay us but we finally crossed the shiny new bridge and I was filled with anticipation. I had previously told Mike that I hadn't visited Leysdown since 1967 and he told me that it probably hadn't changed much since then. Well Mike you were dead right, it is still the shanty town that I remember from so long ago, not a place to write home about but it does have a certain shabby chic.

The road down to Shell Ness provided a large measure of discomfort but the sign that greeted us was certainly a shock. I don't know which joker put the sign up but it is almost a perfect description of the place, a remote area. If the journey through Leysdown was depressing this forsaken place was the epitome of desolation. Hardly a bird present, just a few Meadow Pipits on the marsh, some lonely Pied Wagtails and 20 or so Shelducks out on the mud.

Dire warnings about deepest Kent

Somewhat crestfallen we made our way back to Elmley, another wide open space with very few birds present. However, I must explain that we only made the long drive to the visitor centre, not to the reserve itself. We passed plenty of Lapwings, Curlew and a handful of Black-tailed Godwits on the way. As we arrived we could see two birders peering intently over the wall, "What have you got?" we enquired. "Two owls in a box" was the reply and we scurried off for the cameras. Not the best of shots of a Barn Owl but I promised I would publish one for the birders who we met.

Thoroughly disheartened, with not many birds to be seen and even less captured by the lens, we decided to complete our foray into Kent at Oare marshes. Our last visit there was brilliant and we anticipated that we would, at last, get something for the blog. Slightly disconcerting was the "road closed" sign on the way in, I guess that the flooding had been fairly serious in these parts, but the barriers had been removed and we could actually get down to the reserve.

Yet again Oare came up with the goods, high water levels meant that most birds had decamped to the flooded fields rather than the customary pool. Lots of Ruff, Teal and Snipe to be photographed. Then, an obliging Water Rail squealed to let us know of its presence and boldly swam across in front of us, rather too close for the lens I fear. Finally a stunning display of a Marsh Harrier quartering the reed beds on the pool. We managed to view several altercations with the resident Crows - great entertainment.

 

 

 

Too close - move away

 

With the sun slowly sinking in the west and there being insufficient light for any more photography, it was time for home - cracking day after all!

 

Brambling and Barn Owl

Yesterday was full of pleasant surprises; wandering round the garden mid morning I noticed an instantly recognisable sound, a Raven "cronking" his way from the Gap towards Highdown Hill. Followed immediately by some very high flying Mediterranean Gulls. Next up was a visit from a Brambling, snacking on the black sunflower seeds. Grabbing the camera I managed a few shots before it retreated to the safety of the cherry tree.

Another surprise - the Blackcap population is still rising, six today, 5 males and 1 female.

A rarity - a bird in sunshine!

And finally a Willow Warbler visited the pond but didn't stay long, last year a pair nested in my next door neighbour's garden and were regular visitors.

Buoyed up by an encouraging morning and with the weather set fair, I decided to go to Waltham Brooks. A pair of Garganey had been reported the previous day and I was hoping for a tick, also hirundines had been spotted too. I made my way via the sewage works, which were very quiet visually but there were many Chiffchaffs calling in the hedgerow. Crossing the railway I was greeted by large and vociferous flock of Meadow Pipits, but sadly, little else.

On the lake were all the usual suspects, Shoveler, Tufted, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal  and Shelduck but no Garganey.  On the way back to the car park I spotted a very pale Barn Owl, it spent almost four hours continuously searching across the Brooks, making many pounces but not once did I see a catch. Finally it gave up and perched deep in the cover of an evergreen tree on the far bank of the river. I suspect that the extensive flooding has reduced the rodent population drastically and times are very hard.  

As always with owls, no really satisfying shots

Finally, year ticks in the form of Sand Martins and Swallows feeding as a mixed flock, really nice to see them as it has been a long winter.

I see from Trevor's Blog that Garganey were seen on Breech Pool, my alternative venue. However, if I had gone there I would not have met Dick  who introduced me to his wife Sue, really nice to meet you both.

Barn Owls

It was like Torvill without Dean, Smith without Wesson and Morecambe without Wise, or as my wife said unkindly Tweedledum without Tweedledee. Unfortunately Martin called me this morning and said he was indisposed therefore I was on my own (get well soon - I miss the banter). First problem - What to do?? We had planned to visit some Sussex Commons and then on to Waltham Brooks for another shot at the Barn Owls. Finally, I  decided to stick with the plan and made my way to Ambersham Common; to say it was lifeless would be an understatement, hardly a bird moving, though the Chaffinches are finding their voices. The lack of birds gave me an opportunity to explore some of the common's flora but I soon became bored and decided to move on.

 

I wasn't hopeful that any other common or heath would be more productive so I decided to make an early start at Waltham Brooks, giving me a chance to call in to the SF where Martin had previously found plenty of birds. I soon located a couple of Chiffchaffs who duly obliged, most odd ticking that box so early in the year.

I was concentrating on getting some Long-tailed Tits in the viewfinder when I was aware of a much bigger bird flying by - Barn Owl  - at 1300 precisely. I eventually located him sat on a fence post by the railway line, too distant for a shot.

Photographing owls is one of the most self delusional pastimes available to the birding photographer. Low light, high ISO, mobile and largely distant targets are a recipe for soft and noisy captures. The self delusion comes from the view you have on the LCD screen, what appears to be the action shot of the year on downloading to the computer, becomes another discard. Presented below are what I managed to rescue - and I thought I was doing so well.

 

There are definitely four owls present, probably five as I disturbed one on a fence post in the car park. On the way back to the car park an added bonus as I flushed a Bittern from the bank of the old canal.

Seabirds and Owls

Yesterday was a revisit to Princes Park in Eastbourne for another go at the Bonaparte's Gull, Martin being insistent that I should get this tick. Well, soon after we arrived the bird duly turned up and was captured on pixels. Feeding bread turned it into a bit of a nightmare as the bird then became very mobile and I found it difficult to track it amongst all those Black-headed Gulls, especially through a viewfinder! Considering the scarcity of the bird I should have been elated to have a lifetime tick but it was a bit of  an anti-climax and I don't know why that should be.

 

BHG for comparison.

 

A big bird....

 

..... with things on his mind.

 

Having achieved our main objective so early we decided to go on a coastal tour of likely venues, not necessarily for birds today, more an exercise in putting places to names that we find on the SOS sightings page.  First stop was Belle Tout  wood, which of course at this time of the season was fairly deserted, just a vociferous Great Tit and some lazy Crows. Up above the downs several Skylarks were soaring and singing - a sign of things to come.

Onwards through Birling Gap and Newhaven Tidemills which were equally lacking bird life, a bonus was a year tick for Martin in the form of a Rock Pipit below the cliffs. Seaford Head gave three Meadow Pipits but precious little else was moving apart from large numbers of corvids. Splash Point was heartening as there were at least six Kittiwake pairs on the nest sites already. Next was West Beach and Quay, where upon leaving the car we heard a familiar sound that wasn't Jackdaw or Pigeon, at least ten pairs of Fulmars were in nest holes and some were doing pair bonding displays. Of course such birds demanded to be photographed, a search of the harbour revealed no exotic variety of gull.

 

 

 

We were keen to get on to Arlington Reservoir to find the Slavonian Grebe that has been staying for some time. We didn't relish a walk to the hide in the quagmire that is the path and fortunately some kind birders who had just seen the grebe put us on to it. So, standing just below the car park with the scope we found our subject. This after I had caused a stir by mistakenly identifying a low lying mooring buoy with a red hook on top as a red top Smew, my appointment with Specsaver's is next week. The day had picked up and we decided to go hotfoot to Waltham Brooks to see if we could firstly locate a Barn Owl and secondly get a shot. As we walked south along the river bank I was confident that we would see an owl but the light was going down rapidly, the discomfort of standing in wet mud and a chilly westerly breeze disappeared as Martin spotted an owl which was subsequently joined by another. Neither bird came very close but we had one final treat in store as, at the death, the two owls were joined by a Ring-tailed Hen Harrier