Elmley RSPB The Birds

I haven't been to Elmley for some time, it's a really nice reserve and I love the feeling of isolation and the big sky that comes from such a big flat landscape. I also like the long approach track from the road to the start of the reserve. I think it's almost three miles and this is best driven slowly with binoculars and camera to hand, just in case.

On this occasion the slow drive produced very little apart from the Carrion Crows endlessly foraging in every nook and cranny, Starlings pecking around amongst the cow pats searching for grubs and nearer the farm buildings a few Sand Martins hawking for flies over the fields. Just before the car park I saw a small flock of Yellow Wagtails and over the car park Swallows flew low and fast, one in particular was flying in and out of the ladies loos where there was a nest still in use. I thought about going in with the camera but decided against it after seeing in my mind's eye the possible headlines in the local newspaper if things went wrong.

The bushes on the right hand side where the Long Eared Owls sometimes roost held some Goldfinches and a Robin and also about 10 young Swallows (below) in a small tree being fed by adults, they stayed while I took a couple of pics and then all took to the air in unison.









It's quite a trek down to the first two hides, something like one and a half miles I think but the sun was out, it was a beautiful morning and I was accompanied by hundreds of butterflies and I mean hundreds. The whole site was alive with their brightly coloured wings flashing in the sunlight with sometimes up to a dozen individuals on a single plant. Needless to say I spent some time taking pictures of them which I will put on a separate post tomorrow.
In the meantime the birds weren't quite so plentiful but that wasn't unexpected. Coot, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Swan, Little Egret, Mallard, Sedge Warbler and a distant Marsh Harrier were all seen.

I reached the first hide and, with the reserve to myself and one other individual, was pleased to watch a small flock of Avocet feeding and preening in the now slightly overcast skies. I don't very often see these charismatic birds so i've included one or two shots plus a picture of a very cute little juvenile who was already displaying the same 'attitude' which the adults are renowned for.

Other waders making a welcome appearance here and at the adjacent hide (sorry, I cant remember what they're called) included Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, a single Ruff, Common Snipe and Lapwing. I tried to find the recently spotted Pectoral Sandpiper but to no avail.

LAPWING

As I left the second hide I was treated to good views of a Reed Warbler again, I seem to be doing well with this species lately and have found them quite accommodating on occasions. It seemed the longer I stood still the more accepting it was of my presence. Usually when you raise the lens you can hear the birds shouting 'look out he's got a camera!' whereupon the target bird disappears in a flash. But this one just carried on catching flies, although it never did the full monty for me and always made me work for a shot or two. A couple of which are seen below.

The walk back was pretty uneventful, apart from butterflies and a smart looking Grey Heron fishing by the reeds. But when I reached the car I was just putting the camera away when a couple of House Sparrows arrived on the scene. It's easy to overlook the humble 'sparrer' so I broke out the camera again and took the shots below of a very hungry and persistent Junior and a very unimpressed Dad.

And finally...............................as I said earlier, when driving along the Elmley track always keep bins and camera handy, just in case. I did and I soon spotted this tasty blonde who answered to the name of Marsha Harrier, what a cracker!

MARSH HARRIER

A Harty walk

There's a nice walk around Harty on the Isle of Sheppey that Carol and I like to do occasionally, it's about 8 miles long and there's a nice pub about halfway round. Given the weather forecast, today seemed like a good day to do it and we were right.
After parking at Leysdown-on-Sea we were soon heading inland along a farm track accompanied by the local Kestrel first of all and then by a pair of Marsh Harriers quartering the adjoining fields. We didn't object at all to the extra company.

BROWN HARE

At first the Brown Hare above seemed quite pleased to see us, even posing for the prerequisite photo. However, as the next picture shows, as soon as that was completed he decided enough was enough. I believe the technical term is 'showing a clean pair of heels'.

The terrain is pretty flat here, there's not much need for a Sheppey Mountain Rescue team if you get my drift, so the wind can be quite strong, as it was at times today. I mention this for a reason, as we walked on we noticed ever increasing numbers of small dragonflies along the path sheltering on the lee side of the hedgerow, there were literally hundreds of them, more than i've ever seen anywhere before. I took a couple of pictures but it was difficult as wherever they landed they were swaying in the wind making focussing difficult. I've looked in my books and can only assume, judging by their size that they are Common Darters. I await the verdict of my peers, who will also be needed at least once more, probably twice later on.....................!

COMMON DARTER

Some way further along we had our first encounter of the human kind. Nothing unusual in that I hear you say. And you're right, except that it turned out to be in the shape of Derek Faulkner of
Letters from Sheppey fame, click on his name to look at his blog. Apart from Derek we saw one other person on our travels, how good is that?

After the obligatory stop at the excellent Harty Ferry Inn we headed for the path on the top of the flood wall that winds it's way along the marshy, desolate, bird filled shoreline of the Swale. This is the Swale Nature Reserve that Derek is a warden for and very nice it is too, apart from the fact that it's a bit overgrown at the moment and the grass is very long. That's not really a problem except that we had both got our legs out today so they were at the mercy of every stinging nettle, thistle and biting insect, not to mention the terrifying prospect of one of the millions of Grasshoppers trespassing on 'private property'!

Sedge and Reed Warblers, Skylarks, Harriers, Shelduck, Greylags, Reed Buntings, Oystercatchers, Little Egrets and Grey Herons were just some of the species seen along the track. Bearded Tits were also heard, but only the shortest glimpse was had, mainly due to the strong breeze I suspect.

MALE MARSH HARRIER

The butterflies were really struggling here, again mainly due to the wind. Meadow Browns were I think the main species but I did find this Green Veined White sheltering in the grass.

GREEN VEINED WHITE

Also around in good numbers were what I think are Small Skippers (below) but again i'm happy to be corrected. A more open winged shot would have helped but it wasn't to be.

SMALL SKIPPER

Another one who wouldn't open his wings is the little chap below. I'm really confused with this one, it was very small and first I thought Gatekeeper but i'm not so sure now, in fact i'm veering towards Small Heath but who knows? Seriously, who knows?!

Since we're on the subject of butterflies, I thought I'd show you this picture of a Peacock........! It was wandering about in Harty churchyard and no Warren, I won't be adding it to my Kent list!

PEACOCK

And finally.....................I couldn't resist this Oystercatcher, just asking to be photographed, along the sea wall at Leysdown on our return.

OYSTERCATCHER

A couple of Jars & Oare Marshes

Tuesday evening I went out for a couple of Jars with Eddie Denson and Den and Doreen Capeling, Nightjars that is, not beer. We made our way to a location somewhere in Mereworth Woods at about 8.30pm, i'm not being secretive, I was just totally lost. Thankfully Eddie was in charge and he knew the route. It took quite a walk through the woods to get to the right area during which time we heard a solitary Tawny Owl call and a few Songthrushes singing in the evening halflight. By about 9.15 we were standing on a deserted track with nothing but late songsters to keep us company but about ten minutes later we heard our first 'churring' Nightjar (my first ever). We only heard one more later on and didn't actually see any but we did see three Woodcocks low overhead as darkness descended and a solitary bat before making our way back to the car by about 10.15 I think after a very interesting and quite exciting evening.

Today I have been at Oare Marshes with Alan Roman the first bird I saw as I put my boots on was a Reed Warbler in the car park, Alan didn't see it as he was busy filling his water bottle from the piped spring adjacent to the car park. I think it's this water that keeps him so youthful, I might try it myself next time!

The tide was right out when we arrived so the walk along the front to the seawall hide didn't produce too much, but there were plenty of Reed Buntings in the opposite reedbed as well as more Reed Warblers while on the other side Black Headed Gulls were busily pulling out lug or ragworms from the soft mud. From the hide we saw about 12 seals hauled out on the distant point and Avocets, Shelduck, Common Gulls and the ever noisy Oystercatchers all added to the scene.

The path to the East flood hide gives good views to the flood itself and we picked out among others, Little Grebe in fine 'whinnying' voice, Grey Herons, Greylags, Swallows, Pochards, Tufties a couple of Buzzards soaring gracefully on the thermals and about a dozen Black-Tailed Godwits looking great in their summer plumage. Best of all was when I heard the indignant call of a Mediterranean Gull and looking up saw two flying just overhead. The Common Lizard pictured below was found happily basking in the warm sun despite having apparently lost it's tail at some time in the past.

COMMON LIZARD

The East flood hide was surprisingly deserted when we arrived which left just us to appreciate the Teal, Gadwall, Redshank, Skylark, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit and Shovelers among others, all going about their business in the sunshine of a glorious afternoon.

MARSH HARRIER

Almost immediately after leaving the hide we saw three or four Hobby's giving their own version of the Red Arrows display team. Twists, turns, rolls, dives and stoops all played their part in the capture of their insect prey on the wing over the West flood. Unfortunately they were too fast and too far for the camera and anyway, even if i could have got a picture or two I didn't want to stop watching the great spectacle going on above us.

LITTLE EGRET

From the West flood hide we watched the male Marsh Harrier harassing all and sundry, putting everything up including another flock of at least 30 Black Tailed Godwits which sparkled and flashed in the sun as they flew in tight formation up and away in a panic. Sand Martins, Swifts, Linnets, Stock Dove and Pheasant contributed to the picture while we had a lunch break.

We returned via the East flood and watched this Egret fishing in the shallows and the Greylag Geese pictured below being chased by a bad tempered Swan before walking back to the car park and adding Bearded Tit and Sedge Warbler to a list that finally totalled fifty species and some really good sightings.


GREYLAG GEESE

Stodmarsh NNR 28th April

CUCKOOFLOWER OR LADIES SMOCK

I was torn between a visit to Dungeness or a visit to Stodmarsh today. I chose Stodmarsh in the end for two reasons, the first was to try and see my first Hobby of the year and the second was to try and see my first Grasshopper Warbler ever, there have been two there recently.

The walk from the car park down to the river was alive with birdsong, Common Whitethroat, Chaffinch, Chiffchaffs, Great Tit, Dunnocks, Reed Bunting, Wren and Cetti's Warbler, who were again quite showy today, all laid claim to their own piece of air space in the warm sunshine. I also heard at least three Garden Warblers along here, one of which I managed to see deep in the tangled undergrowth. my first of the year. The big lake was home to about a dozen Common Terns, their rasping calls filling the air as they circled daintily overhead. Gt Crested Grebes and a few Shelduck shared the rest of the lake with a few Mallard and Coots.

CHAFFINCH

Just before the path turns away from the river at the Grove Ferry end I was pleased to hear a sound not heard since last summer, the screeching calls of about half a dozen Swifts flying past overhead. For me this is one of the most evocative sounds of the year which along with the Skylark song, which I heard a few minutes later, conjures up instant pictures in my mind of warm, halcyon summer days. Their visit unfortunately is all too short and they will depart as 'swiftly' as they arrived by the end of August or very early September, and who can blame them. Here also I noticed the plant below growing beneath the hedgerow. I think it's Lesser Periwinkle, please let me know if i'm wrong.

LESSER PERIWINKLE

Butterflies were few and far between today surprisingly, a few Peacocks on the wing as ever, still looking a bit ragged as below and I did see a few Green Veined Whites but they weren't inclined to let me take their picture, always dashing past as if late for some very important meeting somewhere.

PEACOCK

From the viewing mound I could see that the adjacent paddocks were host to Crows, Jackdaws a few Rooks and a Green Woodpecker but not much else. The pools also were virtually uninhabited, only the reedbeds showed signs of avian presence, from where the incessant chatter of Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers emanated but only one solitary Sedge was brazen enough to show himself on the top of a small Hawthorn bush.

The David Feast hide aka the Green hide was equally disappointing with just two Common Terns (below) a sleeping Greylag Goose and a Moorhen to entertain me. Although I was pleased to see the first of many Hobbys fly over the hide and also one of about five Marsh Harriers also float by.

COMMON TERNS

As I made my way to the Marsh hide I noticed lots of small shiny beetles along the side of the ditches (below). Since getting home I think I have identified them as Mint Leaf Beetles but again i'm happy to be corrected if necessary!

MINT LEAF BEETLES

I was also very pleased to see five more Hobbys all in the air together close to the Marsh hide. I managed to get a couple of action shots, not brilliant but they'll do. The second one I believe shows the bird feeding on the wing having caught an insect in flight.

HOBBY

HOBBY

It was standing room only in the Marsh hide. I had a quick scan from the back to locate a single Greenshank and a couple of Lapwings and an elderly lady asked me if I could see the bulge in a Heron's neck caused by it just swallowing a Marsh Frog? I replied that I could and suggested that maybe it just had a Frog in it's throat. I then left while the going was good. I was glad that I did actually because once back outside I heard a Bittern booming close by, another first for me. Also this Marsh Harrier soared quite high overhead while I listened.

MARSH HARRIER

Have you noticed what a spectacular year it is for Dandelions? They are everywhere, presumably something has caused this but I don't know what. All I know is they look much better in the wild than they do in my back lawn.

The sound that greets you at Stodmarsh above almost everything else is the 'singing' of the Marsh Frogs, it's spectacular, it's incessant, it's loud, it's raucous and it eventually gets on your nerves. This is one of the thousands of culprits!

MARSH FROG

Final bird of the day was this magnificent male Marsh Harrier below, one of about five seen, all males. Presumably the females are now sitting on nests somewhere.

So, no Grasshopper Warbler seen or heard today but the Hobbys were spectacular. A pretty interesting day all round with over 40 species seen.

MALE MARSH HARRIER