13th August

Managed a few hrs today, started at ARC with 3 greenshank, 4 little egret, 2 common sandpipers, 2 ringed plover, 1 redshank, 6 blacktail godwits didn't last long though, Lucy and the crew turned up to give the landscape in front of the screen a much needed haircut. Over to main reserve where I sat in Firth hide for a while watching 2 wood sandpipers keep their distance so that I couldn't get a good shot of them! another redshank noted, the 6 blackwits settled there from ARC as well. Ringed plover, juv pied wagtails, linnets and oystercatcher and a female Garganey also in view. 2 Black neck grebes still hanging around, a little gull and 2 Egyptian geese also dropped in. A splendid summer plumage grey plover was also in front of Makepeace.
Just watching my garden while typing this up just as a sparrowhawk slammed into a bush and grabbed a house sparrow! Finally saw the green woodpecker which has been very vocal over the last few days fly over.

Egyptian Goose

Little Egret

Redshank

Wood Sandpiper with 2 Blacktailed Godwits

Wood Sandpiper

Greenshank

6th August

Managed a trip down to Dungy today. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of butterflies today, inc red admiral, peacock, small copper, small heath, gatekeeper, speckled wood, brown argus just to name a few. 2 black necked grebes were showing well in front of Dennis's hide, and from there I drove up to the viewing ramp but very quiet except for a few bearded tits pinging in the reeds but keeping out of sight, 1 juvenile marsh harrier quartering at a distant and not much else really. Moved on to Denge hide where the juv harrier was a bit closer getting mobbed by common terns. Still a few juv terns around, nice to see that they have been more successful this year in raising many young on the rafts. The great white egret was visible from the track just before the hide and as I came out of the hide a bittern flew straight towards and then over me from Christmas dell area. Back to the visitor centre to try and find the swallowtail butterfly that was first seen by Dennis's hide about 5 mins after I left there earlier!!!!! Typical!! but to no avail.
Sitting back at home I noticed a young song thrush in the garden, and managed a quick shot of it.

Brown Argus

Gatekeeper

Juvenile Common Tern



Peacock

Juvenile Song Thrush

July 24th

Finally got kicked out of hospital for a few days, then back in for a few days, out for a week...ooh looking good...no!....back in again for another few days....definitely staying out for a while this time (famous last words!) so not been out with the camera much this last month so not much to post. I have managed a couple of short visits to Dungeness so just a few pictures to post just to prove my camera is still working!
Items of note is that the bittern has been showing well at Hookers on its food runs, 3 juvenile marsh harriers active but staying at a distance and the terns on denge rafts have been much more successful this year with many chicks fledging.
Fox cubs have been regularly playing in my garden of late and our badger still comes on the patio for his nightly feed!
Here's just a few odd pictures....

23rd June

Yet more blank news for the blog, unable to get out again. Been stuck inside 'enjoying' the hospitality of Will Harv Hospital yet again since Weds. I thought i had got past most of this last year but apparently not! I'm not even by the window, so nothing to see from here......hold on a minute.....I see a bird!.....it's a wood pigeon! Woohoo!!! Hint of sarcasm there i believe! Oh well.....i won't be posting anything much for a little, unless i get a good garden view when i finally get home.

14th June

Having been stuck at home the last 2 days it was nice to be able to get out for a while. I decided to try my luck at Stodmarsh...you never know the osprey might still be there......yeah righto! No such luck. I did manage to see a garden warbler in the car park, lots of cettis calling loudly but no osprey. I surprised myself by managing to walk as far as the tower hide (although it did take me about 30 mins to do it - 45mins to return). Plenty of marsh harrier activity with a total of 5 food passes witnessed shared between 2 females. No hobbys around to start with, but then around 1 oclock when the wind died down a bit, at least 8 appeared over the far side of the lake. 2 buzzards passed in the distance harried by corvids and 1 little egret seen. I was watching a male blackcap feverishly collecting food and taking it to the nest for about 1 hour until the female came out of the nest area and then 3 fledglings followed and disappeared. I managed a few shots of the male but he was very active and was never still for very long.

10th and 11th June

Monday and Tuesday afternoon spent at Dungeness, both days very quiet with only 1 hobby seen on each day, 3 cuckoos on mon, 2 on tues. Marsh Harriers more active on Tuesday seeing 2 food passes, in all Hookers showing 3 female marsh and 1 male on mon, with an additional non breeding young male on tues. The 3 females are distinguishable with 1 having a much more golden colour to her cap than a more silvery one and of course the obvious 'white' female as seen in photos below of a food pass. Sedge and reed warblers very active at Hookers also. Tuesday I continued to hear the bittern booming although not as often as per the last 2 weeks, one female was seen 3 times in the morning on food runs and I managed to see her once at 1pm leave the nest area and fly right across in front of me to feed at denge. A few blue butterflies around on mon as seen below.
Monday evening I went on a mission to locate nightjars at Hemsted Forest. 2 birds heard and good views of one so very successful, thanks Pete. Too dark for pictures, just one silouhette shot which could be anything, so I'm not even going to post it!



Sedge Warbler

Chaffinch

Common Blue - Female



Common Blue

Holly Blue

Food Pass stage 1

Food Pass stage 2

8th June

A quick trip to Oare Marshes today, but got no further than the East Flood. Birds of note were 6 little egrets, 1 hobby, usual mix of ducks inc mallard, shoveller, shelduck, tufted, plus coot, moorhen etc. Also blackwits, redshank and avocets. Youngsters inc swan, coot and greylag geese. High tide roosting among the black headed gulls was the Bonapartes gull too far for a decent photo but managed a rough record shot.

Very distant Bonapartes Gull
 

1st June

A brief visit to Dungy today. After a quick visit in the centre, went up to viewing ramp as usual and on the way saw a cuckoo on the entrance track. Plenty of swifts around today, 4 hobbys hunting successfully right in front, 2 male and 2 female marsh harriers and a pair of buzzards showed. A quick glimpse of a bittern to my right was only my second this year.
Sorry Wendy as soon as you got in your car 3 bearded tits showed quite well!
The most surprising sight was a guy walking through an area obviously not an open track, right through where the harriers are nesting, he must have got within 10 feet of the nest, while the female circled overhead obviously agitated (the 'white' female) which then did come back to the nest after the guy continued on past. Apparently he is known on the reserve so is not naïve to the accessible areas, but why go through there anyway?


Hunting Hobby

??????

The 'White' female Marsh Harrier

22nd May

Went for a drive today, usual place first through Walland Marsh, picked up 3 turtle dove at the seed dump, only one yellowhammer though. through the marsh birds of note were 2 cuckoo, one male marsh harrier, usual suspects at Midley feeders inc. tree sparrow. Got to Dungy started at Denis's hide where I found 2 little gulls, visitor centre also showed redshank, also greenshank from makepeace. drove up to viewing mound for at least 4 hobbys, 2 cuckoos, spotted flycatcher, bearded tits and the bittern was booming constantly. 3 ruff were reported from hayfield 3, but I cant get there so I missed those. No sign of the cattle egret regretfully. Back to visitor centre for a rich roast and 2 sanderling were found on the low bar in front the centre.
I had to miss ARC yet again, I cant manage the walk at the moment, hopefully I can do it soon or maybe borrow a key to drive up there.

Iffy record shot of Turtle Dove 'Purring'
 

11th May

Just wanted to give apologies to all who look at my blog, I've not been too lazy to update it, it's just that yet again ill health has kept me from venturing out. I have been out in the car a few times, but not been able to get out and have a walk around.
I did get to Dungeness last weekend and drove up to the viewing ramp over Hookers, and watched my favourites, the marsh harriers. One pair giving away their nesting area, with the male being very territorial towards 2 other females, inc, the partially white one. A bittern was heard booming a few times in close proximity but went unseen. No Great white egrets around, presumably flown off for breeding sites.....oh well better luck next year perhaps, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they breed here. Saw my first cuckoo of the year on the way to Dungeness as I went through walland marsh, and watched a peregrine flying round and round a field.
No chance of any pictures though. Oh, and I have spotted my first brimstone of the year as well, always nice to see.
My garden year list is currently rounded off at 30 and my total year list is 125, which reflects how little time I've managed to get out this year.
There's no indication, that I will be able to get out and about probably for the next month or so, but I'm definitely going to try my best.