Oare Marshes, Kent, May 2012

Something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it straight away, but something was different. It took a while, but then it suddenly occurred to me that the rain had stopped. Could Britain’s wettest drought since records began be over? The sun appeared momentarily and the sound of lawn mowers began almost immediately after. The Great Outdoors beckoned and I followed, choosing Oare Marshes which has recently been hosting a Grasshopper Warbler according to the Kentos website.

I arrived too late in the day to stand a real chance of seeing the warbler but just in case, I hung around for a while by the scrub along the path leading to the West Hide. There were plenty of Common Whitethroats as well as Linnets and Chaffinches. The Grasshopper Warbler has a distinctive song, said to be like the sound made by a fishing reel, but sadly it kept itself to itself today and was not seen.

A pair of Eurasian Coot had two chicks which followed the parents around and kept me entertained while I waited.

The West Hide can be found at Google Earth ref; 51 20 40N 00 53 04E . A Whimbrel had flown over as I approached and it was standing right in front of the hide as I opened the shutter. On a small island in the lake overlooked by the hide was a Eurasian Oystercatcher and a pair of Common Shelduck preened on the bank. The only Northern Lapwing of the day was seen to the west of the hide.

I had returned to the road and started to walk in a clockwise circle around the East Flood. A Little Egret landed very close and began to fish without being worried by my proximity.

The tide was at its lowest point so most of the waders that had not been struck by the urge to move north would have been out on the mud of the estuary. A few Black-tailed Godwit in their summer finery remained on a small spit reaching out into the water.

The Phragmites reed beds along the shore path were alive with Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers singing and a Cetti’s Warbler popped out of a bramble thicket behind the seawall hide to swear at passers-by.

A brisk wind across the east side of the flood kept the birds low in the reeds and only a Sedge Warbler in the shelter of a small dog rose was seen clearly.

The Reed Warblers proved to be very camera shy, staying down amongst the cover so that the auto focus could not catch them.

Birds seen; 48

Graylag Goose 25, Mute Swan 4, Common Shelduck 40, Gadwall 2, Mallard 6, Northern Pintail 3, Common Pochard 8, Tufted Duck 10, Ring-necked Pheasant 1, Great-crested Grebe 1, Great Cormorant 7, Grey Heron 3, Little Egret 5, Common Buzzard 1, Eurasian Kestrel 2, Eurasian Hobby 1, Eurasian Moorhen 1, Eurasian Coot 8, Northern Lapwing 1, Eurasian Oystercatcher 6, Pied Avocet 16, Common Redshank 3, Whimbrel 3, Black-tailed Godwit 45, Black-headed Gull 35, Herring Gull 4, Common Tern 7, Common Wood-pigeon 15, Eurasian Collared-dove 3, Common Swift 6, Green Woodpecker 1, Eurasian Magpie 5, Rook 2, Carrion Crow 30, Barn Swallow 15, Common House Martin 4, Cetti’s Warbler 2, Sedge Warbler 3, Eurasian Reed Warbler 4, Greater Whitethroat 7, Northern Wheatear 2, Eurasian Blackbird 4, European Starling 35, Reed Bunting 6, Chaffinch 5, European Greenfinch 1, Eurasian Linnet 10, House Sparrow 5.

There are more posts from Oare Marshes at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/oare-marshes-november-2011.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/04/kicking-my-heels.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/glossy-ibis-at-oare-marshes.html

Visit the dedicated UK page for more posts from the area, including, Mote Park and Harmondsworth Moor.

Oare Marshes, November 2011

Autumn is closing in on December and the mild weather is predicted to turn wet and cold by the end of the week. The family was committed to school and other irksome duties, so I was able to visit Oare Marshes to look for some photographs to illustrate an upcoming 10,000 Birds post.

Before turning up Church Road to reach the marshes, I took a quick side trip along Oare Creek. A large white heron flew over the car and I tried to find it again to exclude Great White Egret. A leucistic Grey Heron has been seen in the county, but it could also have been a Little Egret and poor depth perception.



 The heron had disappeared so I had to make do with one of the plentiful Black-headed Gulls. The Common Redshanks were being slowly pushed up the banks by the encroaching tide and show well along this lane with the sun usually coming from behind.

Church Road bisects the reserve with the East and West Floods found on their respective sides. A lay by overlooks the East Flood enabling birders to check the small island sanctuaries there that provided roosting spots for European Teal, Common Snipe, Common Ringed Plovers and Dunlin this morning.

The lay-by provides a temporary stop for a quick assessment of the flood before moving to the main car park by the launch ramp. The tide was due to reach its peak at just before midday at a height of 6 meters, so I had a little time to explore the rough grazing meadows of the west flood. Northern Lapwings and European Golden Plovers were roosting in the fields while Ruff actively fed amongst them.

Back at the lay-by and viewing verge I was able to take a more leisurely look and found Cormorant, Shoveler and Pintail on the centre island with Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet in the distance.  More Northern Lapwing were seen with an occasional Grey Plover enhancing the appearance of their Golden Plover kin by comparison.

Three hides allow birders to scan the reserve in comfort and out of the wind. From the East Hide, which, naturally enough looks out onto the East Flood, I noticed a tiny bird in the distance and was able to pin it down as a Little Stint.

The tide was nearly up to the top of the dyke which made me think that a 6 meter tide at Oare is quite a substantial one. There was little to be seen out on The Swale, but a Little Egret, some Common Shelduck and a Eurasian Oystercatcher were seen from Sea Wall Hide.

As the tide began to ebb, small parties of birds set out on sorties to see if any mud had yet become exposed. I positioned myself on the dyke where the birds would pass overhead and tried to get a few shots of them inflight. A delightful picture that presented itself but never quite came to be was the flying birds as they passed in front of the sunlit reeds.

Dunlin, Golden Plover, Common Redshank and Bar-tailed Godwit passed over in small flocks and a few moments later returned when it was plain to them that the tide was still quite high. Sadly, each time they crossed in front of the reeds, the sun went in.

By luck rather than by minute calculation, the first piece of mud to emerge from the water was just on the other side of the dyke and less than 20 meters from where I stood. The birds responded quickly and very soon there was a mixed feeding flock following the rapidly receding water out into Oare Creek.

On returning to the car park by the launch ramp, I took a quick scan across towards Mockett’s. This is a low hill on the Isle of Sheppey, across The Swale. Above the western slope of the hill was a buzzard. Even with a scope it was very distant and I could not discern any plumage details, but Rough-legged Buzzard is often reported from that very spot during the winter. It was holding its position against the wind absolutely perfectly, but it was gliding rather than hovering. I will have to wait for a better sighting before including this one.

Species seen; 45

Little Grebe 6, Great Cormorant 8, Grey Heron 2, Little Egret 2, Mute Swan 2, Greylag Goose 15, Common Shelduck 25, Eurasian Wigeon 4, Mallard 35, Northern Pintail 4, Northern Shoveler 1, Eurasian Marsh Harrier 4, Common Kestrel 1, Common Pheasant 6, Common Moorhen 6, Common Coot 8, Eurasian Oystercatcher 6, Pied Avocet 70, Northern Lapwing 800, European Golden Plover 400, Grey Plover 15, Common Ringed Plover 20, Common Snipe 14, Bar-tailed Godwit 150, European Curlew 1, Common Redshank 500, Ruddy Turnstone 3, Little Stint 1, Dunlin 150 Ruff 40, Common Gull 3, Great Black-backed Gull 2, Herring Gull 15, Black-headed Gull 40, Common Woodpigeon 6, Eurasian Collared Dove 4, Pied Wagtail 3, Dunnock 2, Common Blackbird 3, Jay 1, Eurasian Magpie 4, Rook 70, Common Starling 30, Reed Bunting 2.

To find other posts from Oare Marshes, follow the links below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/04/kicking-my-heels.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/12/glossy-ibis-at-oare-marshes.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/07/oare-marshes-kent-uk.html

Visit the dedicated UK Page for other posts from Kent and the UK.

Oare Marshes, Kent, UK

I unexpectedly found myself with no parental responsibilities this evening, so I quickly responded to the call of the outdoors. A Hobby flashed across the road in front of me as I reached the top of the Southern Downs.
It was late, but I hoped for a chance of a Barn Owl perhaps at Oare Marshes. For other trips to Oare Marshes, see;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/12/glossy-ibis-at-oare-marshes.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/04/kicking-my-heels.html ). Oare Marshes Reserve is run by Kent Wildlife Trust and features in http://www.kentos.org/  Consult this address for details and recent sightings.

A good number of Black-tailed Godwits were roosting on the West Flood, while other waders included Common Redshank, Avocet and a couple of Ruff with some breeding mottles on their flanks.
Common Shelduck were being very attentive to their brood and the Little Egrets were feeding into the gloom.

I did not manage any photographs of note except for a Little Grebe which was pointed out to me by a young man named Toby. While one parent sat with the brood of 5 chicks, the other ran relays to keep them nourished. 

 As it turned out, I did not see a Barn Owl, but in a most unlikely stroke of luck, a Tawny Owl flew across the M2, right across the front of my car.

Bird Species; 29

Little Grebe 3, Cormorant 8, Little Egret 2, Mute Swan 4, Greylag Goose 4, Common Shelduck 4, Eurasian Teal 4, Mallard 30, Common Pochard 6, Eurasian Hobby 1 enroute, Common Moorhen 2, Common Coot 20, Eurasian Oystercatcher 1, Pied Avocet 8, Northern Lapwing 6, Black-tailed Godwit 80, Common Redshank 12, Ruff 2, Woodpigeon 6, Tawny Owl 1enroute, European Swallow 8, Common Blackbird 2, Eurasian Magpie 4, Rook 6, Carrion Crow 6, Common Starling 12, House Sparrow 2, European Goldfinch 4, Reed Bunting 1.

Glossy Ibis at Oare Marshes

December 1st.
What with one thing and another, I have not been out with my binoculars for nearly 6 weeks! That is a very long time to be indoors. So I found a window and scrambled out into the December chill. I headed for Oare Marshes at Faversham on the Thames Estuary.
I stopped on the road that bisects the reserve and had a quick scan across the eastern floods. A number of small islands give good roosting at high tide for the many waders that love to feed in the estuary. On the islands today were Golden plovers. They out-numbered everything else combined it seemed. One still maintained the remnants of it’s summer black. Northern Lapwings are always abundant here and made up the next most populous species. The bronze award went to the Redshank. One island appeared to be the sole domain of the Black-tailed Godwit. There are often a few bar-tails amongst them, but I couldn’t winkle one out today. Closer inspection showed a few others such as Dunlin and Ringed Plover.
Other numerous species were; Cormorant, Greylag Goose, Shoveler, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal and Coot.
I set out from the car park along the path that runs beside the estuary, heading towards the Sea Wall hide. The estuary to my left was just approaching high slack water.
A couple of Bearded Reedlings bent the reed stalks over as I approached the hide, but they did not come into the open for a good view. Out on the water were Herring, Common and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great Crested Grebes and a few Cormorants flying over.
Beyond the hide, the path bears south along the eastern side of the reserve.The light is much preferable in this direction although the sun was weak in the early December morning. Looking back across the eastern floods I was watching the island covered in Godwits when suddenly everything took to the air. Is there a term for the sudden take-off of all the birds? We use expressions like “something has put the birds up”, or the like, but is there not an onomatopoeic word like a “whoomph” or an indication of panic like a “flapper”?
So…, the godwits whoomphed in a flapper. Hmmm?
There was not a bird of prey obvious, but flying over was a Glossy Ibis (a newby for my UK list), it’s long, curved bill easily visible. It was flying north towards Sheppey. There are a few ibis around at the moment with a handful staying over at Dungeoness currently.
I noticed another small group of reedlings and settled on the bank hoping that they would come out for a picture. I had to wait quite a while, but eventually one of the males found a clear place to sit. I continued on the path leading along Faversham Creek as far as the outflow where a Rock Pipit watched from the rail.
Another whoomph signalled a big flapper(this isn't working. Any sensible suggestions will be considered). Looking round, there was the ibis flying over again. As it came towards me, head-on, it did have the look of a raptor about it. I feel that the birds were reacting to the ibis. Perhaps they were being cautious and whoomphing in response to the perceived threat of a big, unfamiliar shape. I returned the way I had come to take advantage of the dropping water level and watched the birds flying over on to the freshly exposed mud. Redshanks were first out. Soon there were Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits too. A Ruddy Turnstone picked amongst the seaweed on the rock by the seawall.
The afternoon darkened very quickly and my internal clock was telling me to head home, but when I got to my car it was only 14.00 so I took a quick walk onto the western scrape.I had hoped that Short-eared Owl might put in an appearance. Apparently it is a poor year for short-ears, but a Barn Owl put in a great performance as understudy.

Bird species; 53

Little Grebe 8, Great Crested Grebe 4, Cormorant 20, Little Egret 3, Grey Heron 1, Glossy Ibis 1, Mute Swan 4, Greylag Goose 25, Brent Goose 40, Shelduck 35, Mallard 6, Pintail 5, Shoveler 60, Wigeon 30, Teal 150, Tufted Duck 12, Marsh Harrier 1, Common Buzzard 1, Kestrel 3, Peregrine Falcon 1, Pheasant 5, Common Moorhen 15, Coot 50, Oystercatcher 4, Ringed Plover 2, Golden Plover 1200, Northern Lapwing 600, Turnstone 3, Dunlin 200, Redshank 500, Black-tailed Godwit 300,Curlew 6, Snipe 6, Ruff 2, Lesser Black-back Gull 2, Black-headed Gull 8, Common Gull 4, Herring Gull 10, Wood Pigeon 6, Barn Owl 1, Kingfisher 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Rock Pipit 1, Pied Wagtail 1, Robin 2, Blackbird 4, Blue Tit 3, Bearded Reedling 6, Magpie 6, Carrion Crow 6, Starling 60, Green Finch 12, Reed Bunting 10.