At last some signs of spring

Spring has finally sprung here on the coast, though I wish it would jump a bit higher.

A thorough search of the Sandwich estate and area down the the Chequers this morning was hard going but overall quite rewarding.

The day started along the Haven and around the Oasis ( i.e. the paddocks immediately toward the sea from the Observatory) where it was immediately clear that some warblers have now moved in with several chiffchaffs, blackcaps and a lone willow warbler being found. On the non-warbler front 2 brambling were heard calling from the Oasis then seen to fly north west and seen/heard were the resident tits, chaffinch, greenfinch and wrens.

The Elms in contrast was near silent with only one or two chiffchaffs and a few tits obvious though as we left a sparrow hawk cruised overhead.

The sea front had some siskin and chaffinch moving north but the main migration was provided by linnets. These went through in dribs and drabs most of the morning though never in large numbers with ~ 100 being seen in total.

The walk along the beach to the Chequers provided the first 2 wheatears of the day with 3 more being seen on the turf field adjacent to Restharrow Scrape.  Also along the beach were the resident skylarks and mippits and another sparrowhawk and 2 kestrels were seen.

Skylark

Restharrow had no new-comers and a lot of the ducks seem to be disappearing – only 2 wigeon are left now.

I had to go home for lunch but afterwards I popped down the rifle range at Kingsdown and found a reasonably cooperative wheatear who seemed to have made friends with a rock pipit. No sign of any raptors today on the cliffs.

Wheatear

Yesterday afternoon a mandarin duck had been seen (and photographed ) on Restharrow so at ~4.00pm I decided to return and see whether it would show again. Well it didn’t but on the way I found a ring ouzel in the bushes just north of the Cinque Ports Golf Club – the same bushes that held the red backed shrike last year.

I was driving along the ancient highway when I spotted it but an emergency stop saw me out of the car and making my way back towards it camera in hand when 2 horse riders trotted past the bushes. Needless to say the ouzel disappeared. I returned to the car and backed up to survey the area using the car as a hide but it didn’t show again. After 20 minutes I gave up and drove to the scrape seeing  3 more wheatears in the fields south of the Chequers.

Not a bad day overall though a picture of the ouzel would have been nice.

Crested Larks

Dylan (The Dumpton Non-conformist) made a comment about the bill size of the crested larks I photographed on Wednesday in Calais being shiorter than those he had seen elsewhere.
The same thought stuck me when I was processing the pictures but I went no further.
Below I have reproduced some of Wednesdays pictures and one from Spain last summer.
Calais Birds:

Spannish bird:

They are very different.

A Trip to Lower Kent

Today the Kingsdown Ornithological Club (KOC) went on it’s spring trip to one of the more distant parts of Greater Kent  -we went to Lower Kent (or Kent “Est” if you prefer); most of you know it as France.

This intrepid team consisted of Steve Coates (“Kingsdowner”), Pete Pearson-wood who seemed to spend most of the morning claiming he could see blue sky when us more vertically challenged could only see cloud and mist, and myself.

In today’s trip we took in Le Clipon – the outer breakwater and pier at Dunkerque, Oye and Calais. These sites are actually only 35, 28 and 24 miles respectively from Kingsdown (as the crow flies) so we are not talking long distant birding here. Indeed on a fine day you can see all three destinations from Kingsdown.

We always use the ferry to get to France that way we enjoy a pelagic. So after a quick cup of coffee it was all on deck to watch hoards of wonderful birds as they make their way north…….not.

It was dead out there. For 80% of the journey we only saw a few herring/BB gulls and a couple of gannets though as we approached the French coast a couple of dozen kittiwakes started following the boat and we steamed past a lone razor bill but that was about it. No med gulls, no little gulls, no terns, no ducks. Not a good start.

Kittiwake

Razorbill

Undeterred we set off the Dunkerque.

The outer breakwater at Dunkerque is nothing like the one at Dover – this one is ~ 7 miles long and is flanked by a huge expanse of sand dunes and scrub – mainly sea buckthorn – that looks brilliant for migrants.

The easiest way to get to it is via the bridge at Mardyke. Once on the breakwater we drove west a couple of miles then turned right to get to Le Clipon – the very lengthy pier.

As we drove (slowly) along the breakwater the dunes and scrub looked really good but we saw very little – a small flock of linnet, a stonechat plus mippit and skylark in decent numbers. At minimum we had expected a few wheatears and possible a crested lark but we saw none of either.

Toward the end of the breakwater we turned right towards Le Clipon and we spotted something on the sea - a group of 5 red-breasted mergansers. A few clicks of the camera later then we continued.

Red-breasted Merganser

Eventually we parked up and had a look at the beach of the “Basin de l’Atalantique”. Here we found decent numbers of ringed plover, a few dunlin plus oyster catcher and in the basin itself several gt crested grebes and an eider.

Overhead there was a constant movement of sandwich terns and sometime later we found a flock of ~ 400 on the beach - these were constantly flying back and forth. I assume they breed out there.

We then walked out on the Le Clipon itself.

Pete and Steve on Le Clipon

A little way along we heard a faint calling squeak and searched for the source – a goldcrest!!!!!! Then a wren turned up, then a black redstart. In total we had 3 goldcrests, 2 wrens and the black redstart actually on the pier. Most of the time they were in amongst the big blocks you can see in the picture above but they did come out to feed at times.

Concrete loving Goldcrest

Also as we walked out we had 2 more eider.

Eider

From a sea watching perspective though there was nothing going on at all so we didn’t linger.

On returning to the car we had another look at the shore line of the basin de l’Atalantique  and searched the beach and the dunes of the breakwater close to the pier and added sandling (~50) to the day list but there was nothing else. The lack of wheatears was a real surprise; in fact we didn’t see one anywhere during the whole trip – obviously Sandwich is not the only place suffering from a wheatear famine.

Next stop was Oye which we approached via Grande-Fort-Phillipe. The Reserve Naturelle du Platier d’Oye stretches quite a long way along the beach at Oye with some of the east-most pools being best viewed from the road as you appraoch. At the first stopping point we had all the ducks and geese you would have expected plus a bar headed goose. There is a duck/goose pond in the reserve so the suggestion was it was a domesticated one (kill joys).

Bar-headed Goose

Also we found grey heron, avocet, curlew, kestrel, a pair of marsh harriers and a buzzard that dwarfed the male marsh harrier as they had a little set to.

Marsh Harrier

Eventually we also spotted a spoonbill but it was always distant so no pictures I’m afraid.

We moved on to the main car park from which we had several chiffchaffs  and 2 more goldcrests and from the main hide it was more of the same with respect to ducks and geese though the main pool did hold a number of pintail and a couple of  redshank. Sandwich terns were constantly moving back and forth overhead and we had 5 swallows high over the main pool.

We started to walk the dunes/scrub inland of the beach and towards the pools where we had seen the spoonbill but it started raining and we scurried back to the car – we’re not very hard core!

Given the rain the decision was to go to Calais and watch the main ferry basin for gull from the safety of the car but on the way we found another lake/pit where there was a thriving colony of black headed and Mediterranean gulls – it was raining quite hard by now and I couldn’t be bothered to get some photos.

On the way to Calais we did stop at the hover port but no sign of any crested larks.

At the main ferry basin it was pretty slow and for a long time a lone, partially moulted, drake eider was by far and away the main attraction but then Steve spotted a tern. There then followed a long debate as to just what it was. It was incredibly dark underneath from some angles but had a very white tail. Personally I’ve opted for a common tern that looked very dark underneath due to the poor light though it might have been an arctic. I tried to get some images but they were near useless at helping with the id (other than ruling out some of the more exotic suggestions).

We still had a little time before check in at the ferry so we decided to drive along the prom – a few years back we had seen what might have been a crested lark along there but it had flown before we got onto it. Anyway within a few yards we got all excited but it was a sky lark but a little way further along there was one!!!!

Crested Lark

We actually found 3 and although they gave me the slip on the crazy golf course I managed to get close to one on the kiddies playground – no kids around so I wasn’t arrested for possessing a big camera in the presence of children.

A beer and something to eat on the ferry and that was that. Another enjoyable day came to an end.

Still Scratching around for some Migrants

Monday 27th

I started at Sandwich stopping at Restharrow on the way. At Restharrow I immediately found one of yesterdays Little ringed plovers - it's nice to start the day with a year tick then it was off to the Obs.

After meeting up with Ian  we started the rounds by going back to Restharrow because Ian had missed them at the weekend then we walked the beach to the Chequers.............. still no wheatears!

Actually there was not much at all on the entire walk other than skylark, mippit and linnet with the highlight being ~ 20 goldcrests around the estate – Elms, Little Elms and Middle Field, a lone tree sparrow at the Chequers, and a few white wagtails, one of which showed well at the sailing club.

After lunch I went to Stodmarsh and went straight to the Marsh Hide. Chiff chaffs could be heard from Alder wood and in the hedge rows of the path. This was a welcome sound as we have none to speak of on the coast. A couple of Cetti’s were also heard on the walk out.

At the Marsh hide, as well as Steve Ashton,  there were snipe (~6) lapwing and redshank (2) and an Oyster catcher – somewhat of a rarity at Stodmarsh. On the duck front there teal and  mallard, plus grey lag and coot but no sign of the weekends white fronted geese and no garganey. A lone swallow flew past mid afternoon.

A water pipit showed up pretty soon after I had arrived and eventually moved to just in front of the hide and provided some decent photo-opportunities. The bird was showing a distinctly grey head but the pink flush was still in its infancy. Some of the best shots were when it stopped to preen then had a good stretch of its wings.

Water Pipit

Marsh harriers were regularly seen but most of the time they were very distant.
At one point two birds locked talons which was pretty spectacular but a little too distant for the camera

Marsh Harrier

On the way out we heard then found a brambling but it was too distant /obscured to get an image.

Goldcrests provide the highlight

Normal routine again today – the rifle range at Kingsdown then Sandwich to walk the circuit with Ian.

Kestrel

Still no sign of any migrants on the rifle range but the kestrel still provides a few photo-opportunities.

The tour of the estate at Sandwich got off to a good start as we spotted a  swallow  flying north over St Georges golf course (a year tick for me) but soon things settled into the normal routine – a few mippits, skylarks and reed buntings  but no viz mig to talk of.

The sea front did not provide the hoped for wheatear though there were 4 eider and about a dozen gt crested grebes on the sea and on the sand (the tide was way out this morning) there were a few waders in the form of dunlin, ringed plover, turnstone and a lot of oyster catchers.

By the sailing club we found the black redstart that was first spotted yesterday but it soon disappeared and we couldn’t re-locate it.

We walked south along the beach then inland to the Chequers where a lone tree sparrow was spotted in the gardens and 24 lapwing were in the adjacent field but there was little else of note other than a sparrow hawk out on Worth Marsh.

On the walk back to the scrape there were a couple of “singing” corn buntings and the scrape held teal, mallard, tufties, shoveller, little grebe, coot, moorhen and Canada geese – no sign of the barnacle goose however.

The shoveller gave a fly-past and a lapwing walked within a few feet of the hide.

Shoveller

Lapwing

We checked out the Elms but it was very quiet - just a few tits and 2 great spotted woodpeckers.

The photographic highlight of the day was on the corner of Kings Avenue where we found 6 goldcrests in conifer. They then moved into the hedgerow allowing some decent images to be obtained.

Goldcrest

Last spring goldcrest were like hen's teath on the estate with firecrests being far more abundant; this year it's totally the opposite. Ours is not to reason why........

Still no migrants

22nd - A scrappy day due to chore/errands.

As normal for the last couple of weeks I started on the rifle range but all I got for my troubles were fleeting vies of peregrine and kestrel; the black redstart seems to have disappeared and nothing else (and I mean nothing) has turned up.

Back home by 8.00 but the carpet man arrived earlier enough for me to pop down to Kearsney.

No sign of the yellow wags alongside the ornamental lake but there were a decent variety of ducks at Bushy ruff so I sat on the bench and enjoyed the sun.

Coot

The coots were their normal belligerent selves but they were fighting too close for me to get a picture. I did try to get some flight shots but this "landing" was the most interesting shot  I managed.

2 pairs of gadwall were present but they refused to come close and 2 little grebes did likewise.

Gadwall

There was one strange looking duck out there – I assume a hybrid but of what is anyone’s guess – it was a big lump.

Ruddy Big Duck

Whilst sitting there 2 buzzards circled high overhead then 2 grey wags turned up.

I got closer to get some images hiding behind the sluice gate. One of the birds walked along the water edge towards me getting very close but nearly always head on – though a few decent images were obtained.

Grey Wagtail

After that it as back home awaiting an afternoon delivery but I did have another visit to the rifle range – no change though one of the kestrels came close.

The 23^rd was another day confined to barracks “supervising” home improvements. Well I make the tea and type this whilst others do the working.

I did manage to get down to the rifle range first thing (6.30 am) and although there were no birds to be seen this example of trick parking by this Jag was amusing.

Hardly dented at all!

No Migrants but who cares!

All week I have been searching the sea front at Sandwich and Kingsdown for a wheatear or a black redstart and today was no different.

I arrived at the rifle range, Kingsdown, at 6.45am in bright sunshine. Immediately I spotted a male  kestrel and as I walked south 2 peregrines came into view from the south. I fired off a few shots and although the quality is pretty rubbish you can see from the pictures one of the birds had very worn secondaries.



Tatty Peregrine



That was about it other than a few chaffinch, mippits and pied wagtails seen/heard going north but the numbers were very low.

I then moved on to Sandwich and again searched all the normal places for wheatears etc with the same success as I’d had at Kingsdown. There was one unusual sighting at Sandwich – a fulmar flying around the beach front houses.

After a brief visit to Restharrow scrape (no change on the rest of the week) I returned to Kingsdown as did Steve Raynaert, who was birding the same sites as myself.

Fog was rolling in by this time and in places was pretty thick however at Kingsdown it was thinning.

At the Rifle Range the kestrel was on a sign post but didn’t allow us to get close and both mippits and rock pipit were seen but otherwise it was much as before.

At the southern most end of the rifle range I had just stopped to have a pee when Steve shouted “peregrine”- it’s timing could not have been better!  I did manage to fire off a few pictures but it’s difficult to concentrate on photography with your trousers slipping down your legs!!!!!!! This was the best I could manage. The bird has a colour ring on it but I can’t read it from any of my pictures.

Peregrine (ringed)

The bird eventually landed on the cliff face ~200yrds south of the Rifle range and sat there for ages.

Steve gave up waiting but I was determined to try and get some better shots of it now that my trousers had been fastened.

Eventually it came off the cliff face and flew overhead but it was immediately joined by a second bird that came off the cliff face a little north of me. The 2 were flying out to sea when a lot of screaming took place and a 3^rd bird appeared.  I lost track of who was whom but 2 of the birds locked talons and spiralled a couple of times before disengaging.

Whilst all this was going on I was clicking away with the camera however the patchy low cloud/fog meant the birds were continually disappearing and undoubtedly prevented some superb shots being obtained.

After a few moments 2 of the birds returned to the cliff landing about 20 yrds from each other.

Eventually they flew off – one north and the other out to sea but both were lost from view.

I decided it was time to go home but as I was walking back to the car I heard a kestrel call and spotted it flying along the cliff face. Needless to say I fired off some shots of him!

Kestrel (male)

So a good day for the local raptors even if the migrants are staying away.