7th April

At long last!! It looks like I've got my blog working again.........well some bits of it.....I still can't access my list on the right....I'll keep trying.
Not been out that much the last 2 months anyway so I enjoyed the chance to be out this weekend. I spent yesterday afternoon at Stodmarsh where I found the little owl in the oak trees at the entrance to Stodmarsh Farm, the penduline was reasonably accomodating allowing a few shots to be taken. I did manage to struggle to the Marsh Hide too late for the crane, although I did spot it fly over on my return to the alder wood. A few redpolls were around, 1 goldcrest, a plethora of chaffinches, a few water rail squealing but unseen, all in all a lot quieter than expected but still an enjoyable afternoon.
Today I spent a couple of hours at Bossenden Woods as directed by Dave H yesterday which showed nuthatch and marsh tit (2 more year ticks) a sparrowhawk was circling above spotted through the trees and a buzzard was heard calling as it flew over. I did see 2 buzzards on the way there between Selsted and Denton.

Blackbird

Chaffinch

Common Buzzard

Marsh Tit

Nutchatch

Little Owl

Nuthatch

Penduline Tit

Redpoll

9th Feb

Started down at Hythe Imperial, but could only spot turnstone. Walland Marsh next and by the seed pile were chaffinch, 3 corn buntings, and 12 yellowhammer. Driving across the marsh produced over 1000 fieldfare, 27 tree sparrows, the large bewick swan flock in the same place as last week and also inc 1 black swan. In amongst 1 of the many flocks of lapwings was 1 extremely pale (leucistic?) lapwing, but after getting the camera out of the car I couldn't find it again. ARC next where the 2 drake smew were still showing well as well as 5 red heads. A male sparrowhawk flew by quite close to the hide and then headed across the lake, 1 female goosander and 1 great white egret also showed.
Boulderwall farm showed 20+ curlew and although I never saw them on the ground, there was a small flock of golden plover seen in flight when lifted by a marsh harrier cruising around.  Fieldfare in small flocks around the reserve, at least 5 marsh harriers, 3 great white egrets, a cettis gave a brief but visual show for a change, and a year tick came in the form of a barn owl off the track between denge and christmas dell.
A good light early sfternoon for photos but only managed a few distant iffy record shots.
Count for the day 63

Barn Owl



Smew
 

2nd Feb

Started off down at Littlestone to chance my luck at the snow buntings still being at the sailing club, but too late they've moved off, did see plenty of curlew and oystercatcher though. Off to wallander marsh, found corn buntings, 5 marsh harriers, flocks of fieldfare and I did manange to find 172 bewick swans. From there I went to Arc which showed all usual wetfowl plus M&F smew and a F red crested pochard, a kingfisher was also heard as it flew past close to the hide but out of view. Main reserve showed more marsh harriers and 2 great white egrets. I did chuckle at the moorhen sitting up on the feeders in the carpark.
Count for the day 55

Had a play with a new version of photoshop as can be seen below with a marsh harrier mix.

Teenager moorhen?


Photoshopped Marsh Harrier at Denge

26th Jan

 

A lot more comfortable today, so after a catch up with some mates at the cafe, I headed over to Dover to look around the harbour area but my car had other ideas, it wouldn't let me go to Dover it just kept on going and ended up at Oare Marshes.....well it is a nice day. It was nice to get out and finally managed a walk around the East circuit. Birds of note on the East side were 20 Ruff, green woodpecker a pair of song thrush, 8 fieldfare, snipe were eveywhere you looked, lots of redshank and dunlin, a few grey plover, turnstone, avocets and a oare marsh first for me was a red headed smew. West side held mainly teal and widgeon with 1 grey heron, little egret, kestrel an a few stock doves. Swale held plenty of shelduck on sheppy side, a few small groups of brent geese flying through and amongst  the avocets and dunlin on horsesands were 11 grey seal. Mockets was quite raptor happy with up to 5 common buzzard, 2 marsh harriers and 1 roughleg buzzard. At 1 point I had marsh harrier 3 common buzzard and 1 rough legged buzzard all in the scope together.
Count for the day 56.

Common Gull
 

Dunlin
 

Mallard

Turnstone
 

22nd Jan

My first trip to Dungy this year. Spent about 1 1/2 hours in the visitor centre looking over a rather quiet Burrowes, usual coot and tufted ducks, a small flock of shoveller flew past and round towards Scott hide area, 2 great white egrets, a sparrowhawk landed on the concrete under Dennis's hide briefly, 1 drake and 2 female goldeneye, 2 marsh harriers and a goldcrest stayed a while on the gate adj entrance to centre watched at close quarters by many. A drive up to Denge added a common gull and little grebe to the day list. On my way out spotted 5 snipe near boulderwell farm. Then over to Scotney to add barnacle geese and 2 bean geese.
Considering I didn't go very far a day count of 49 wasn't too bad.

Friendly Goldcrest

It never crosed my mind that sheep had a camouflage mode!
 

20th Jan update

4 Fieldfares just dropped in briefly, only managed a pic through the patio doors..I must get the windolene out!

Filedfare - through patio doors (dirty glass)

20th Jan

A new tick for my garden...a fieldfare. This now makes a garden count for 2013 on only the 20th day of the year a very surprising 26. This is more surprising when you learn that the count for the whole of last year in total was also 26.
I never managed any pictures of the fieldfare (yet!) so here is a couple of passable record shots from whitstable tesco on thursdays visit. As mentioned before, the light was terrible so the pics are a bit "blown out".

18th Jan

After a prompt from Pete, I am of the same conclusion that the owl from yesterday was after all a long eared owl.........life tick!
Felt a little better today so decided to have a drive to Whitstable Tesco to try and see the waxwings before they disappear. I had a look around for a while and then found a small flock of about 10 birds which showed for approx 5 mins before flying off again, weather was so dark and grey today that I couldn't get any half decent pics. Drove back through Seasalter, stopping for 2 mins near the Sportsman for a quick look over the sea wall where there were curlew, redshank, turnstone and grey plover and lapwing on the marsh.

17th Jan

Still stuck indoors continuing my year list from the comfort of my settee. Numbers reached 25 today with the addition of goldcrest (2 today), wren and sitting in neighbours large conifer....long eared owl!!!! Wow! A few dunnock around as are blackbirds, 6 blue tits, 8 chaffinches, the odd greenfinch and goldfinch coming through. A regular song thrush showed again today, not seen the blackcap for 6 days now.
Feeling desperate to get out now, If I feel up to it, I might try a trip to Dungy over the weekend, even if it is just to sit in visitor centre.
Spent the last 2 days resetting my laptop back to factory settings, reloading programs etc after getting a rather nasty virus even though I have anti virus software. I have most of it back up and running, lost some pics that I hadn't yet backed up elsewhere, lost all my emails and friends addresses, lost my 2012 year list from Sept onwards - I must back up files more often!

Long eared owl playing peek-a-boo
 

2nd Jan 2013

I hope everyone made use of the good weather yesterday to start their new year list off with a good session. I'm still recording my list today and have so far managed a mind boggling number of.....wait for it.......15! Yep that's not a typo it really is 15. I'm stuck at home being a comfy birder again, sitting on settee coffee in one hand, bins in the other. Oooh wait a minute....make that 16, a male black cap just came in by the feeders, that's the second time I've seen him in a week, he lands by the feeders but I've never seen him eat anything yet.
Last years list ended at 171, so that's already a big target to aim for but I would love to get 200. My garden list topped out at a respectable 32 beating 2011 by 4 birds.
Magpie.....No. 17!!!
I am due in to hospital Friday for my next operation, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can clear ths infection enough so that they do not postpone it, so I won't be posting any more on the blog until I have recovered enough to go out again. Fingers crossed, once recovered from the op I will be a bit more mobile again and so will definately be pushing to break the 200 count this year.
So the only thing left to say now is Happy New Year to you all, and I hope you all have as good a year as I want!