Shellness (north kent)

Had a Raptor fest day on Sheppey today, started at Shellness early doors and connected with the Rough-Legged Buzzard that has taken up residence around the muswell manor area, had terrific scope views of this bird.

A ringtail Hen Harrier kept company as well as 4 Short-eared owls and both Peregrine and Merlin hunting nearbye.

What a superb place for raptors, also adding Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.

Capel fleet hosted a flock of sixty strong Corn Bunts, two Green Sands and many Bearded Tit and again picked up the rough leg towards the manor.

Back to the Patch

Early morning start at the bay today saw some finch movement with small groups of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and odd Redpoll amongst the regular Linnet flock and an increase in Blackbird and Songthrush was unusual.

The regular Cetti's warbler was in song and several Blackwit and Redshank in the bay, but star bird was an almost certain Dartford Warbler seen twice in flight but very elusive assosiating with a single Stonchat, hopefuly it will stay for the winter and provide better views.

Gull Ringing at Rainham

Met up with the NTGG (north thames gull group) this morning for a gull catch at rainham landfill site and special thanks too Paul Roper and co for inviting me along.

The small group of us met up at 7am and we were escorted to our favoured location on the tip where a fresh disposal was awaiting, so we set up the cannon netting and stood back until Paul was happy to fire, waiting until most birds gad settled on the freshly tossed rubbish.

setting up the canon net.

laying the bait.

BANG!! net fired we rush to the net and begin bagging our catch, an hour later net safely away and birds bagged we move to a safer area where we begin too ring the birds.

net is fired.

bagging the catch.

GBB getting ringed....

GBB not happy at being ringed and measured!!

2nd year Yellow legged gull

All large gulls caught with mainly Herring (c150) half a dozen Lesser Black Backed with a single Greater Black Backed, several Yellow-Legged Gulls and a single Caspian.

1st w Caspian(left) with yellow leg, note classic all white head, steep forehead, and long bill

note Caspian bite harder than herring!!

1st year yellow legged gull (left) and Caspian gull underwing, note caspian paleness almost white.

Again a big thankyou to all the team for a fantastic morning.

Izzy Shrike

Sunday morning pager goes of Isabelline Shrike, cliffe, kent. mmmm not seen one of those for over twenty years (sandwich bird late 80's ??) early afternoon still showing well and is a Male!!

Forty minutes later arrive at cliffe shrike showing well all though a little distant, an absolute cracker and by far my best bird of the year so far.

Shrike's are awesome birds though this digiscoped effort doesn't really do it justice.

Beardies on the Patch

Saturday while i was in Norfolk dipping an unreliant robin, Mo was on the patch and scored with a pair of Bearded Tits, a great record considering the amount of reedbed habitat on site.

Luckily me and young Jack scored yesterday morning as the pair remained faithful to the middle ditch where dave had originally found them, and was a welcome addition to the patch list, and a lifer for Jack.

bearded tit......

Mo, finder and fellow patchworker.......

Unreliant Robin

With totally clear skies and a big moon (and with the dip monkey) it was no wonder that the Rufous-tailed robin had departed.

We worked the surrounding hedges of Warham Greens and find several Brambling, Sisken and plenty of thrushes moving as well as a single Tree Pipit, Little and Barn Owl and Peregrine and Marsh Harrier over the saltings.

Onto Stiffkey Fen where a distant Bluethroat was seen in company of several Stonechat and a vocal Yellow-browed warbler along the footpath and two Curlew Sandpiper on the flood, a female Merlin getting harassed by local corvids.

A Raddes Warbler in the hand at weybourne showed well !! all thanks too monkeys rally driving.

Robin dip

With totally clear skies and a big moon (and with the dip monkey) it was no wonder that yesterday's Rufus Tailed Robin had departed.

We work the surrounding hedges of Warham Greens and find several Brambling, Sisken and plenty of thrushes moving as well as a single Tree Pipit, Little and Barn Owl and Peregrine and Marsh Harrier over the saltings.

Onto Stiffkey fen where a distant Bluethroat was seen in company of several Stonechat and a vocal Yellow-browed warbler along the footpath and two Curlew Sandpiper on the flood and a female Merlin getting harassed by local corvids.

A Raddes Warbler in the hand at Weybourne showed well !! all thanks to Monkeys rally driving skills.

Home via Suffolk and East Tilbury.

On leaving North Norfolk Sunday morning some of the group split, me, jono and monkey carry on birding, the other lads head home. We head home via Horsey for Common Crane (having seen the sandhill again on Thursday on the way up so non twitcher Mo can add to his list!) We find two together in a field just south of Bogrove farm on the seaward side of the road.

News on the pager that the juvenile Woodchat Shrike is still showing in lowestoft, half an hour later we are treated to stunning views of this bird in the links road car-park and even attracts a male Brambling which wasn't so happy of its presents!

Then it was on too Minsmere to filthy twitch a Gloosy Ibis (or ebis if your shaunboy) and a heard of Red deer just outside the reserve including a monster of a stag.

And finally onto East Tilbury, Essex where the half a dozen or so birders are already looking for the long staying Semi P which puts in a brief appearance before flying west with two Dunlin, and with a supporting cast of 3+ Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper the weekends trip took a welcome boost.

Norfolk cont.....

After crap views of a Yellow-browed warbler at well's wood on friday we enjoyed fine fish and chips in the harbour, where the local Starlings were a bit more obliging!!

A seawatch a cley previously was a bit more promising with good numbers of auks and red-throated divers on the move with odd common scoter and brent geese and a few skua's thrown inn.

dave mo stays in to watch the rugby........

shaunboy and redsy dicuss tactics.......

jono hard at work....

monkey adds up his norfolk trip list !

Norfolk 6-9th Oct

Had a long weekend with a few of the boys to North Norfolk where we struggled to find any good birds (probably due to the winds being predominately from the south west for about the last three years!!) but we had great time none the less with good company and plenty to drink!!

Some wader pics from Titchwell.

battle of the bar-wit

Playing it Cool !!

After turning down a lift to Aberdeen last week for the Sandhill Crane i thought i must have been Mental!! but i just couldn't bare the thought of sitting in a car for the best part of 24hours so jokingly said Na thanks ill wait till it comes a bit closer!!

OK, yesterday the Crane has relocated to Suffolk around lunch time and on one of the hottest days of the year myself, shaunboy and monkey all have family commitments all involving BBQ's and Drinking, all texing each other " r u going ? can u go ? shit not really she will kill me !! after 30,000 texe's and 3 billion phone calls we decide not to go and play it cool and wait for after work tomorrow.

Tomorrow comes the bird is still there ! monkey cracks has half day goes with billy no mates, me and Shaunboy wait till 3pm before and then panic and head to Boyton, why all the panic?? the bird shows superbly and only 200yds away and even get a fly pass !! SUPERB.

some dodgy digiscoped pics