Arriving at the Entrance to a fog bound
Grove Ferry at 4.50am on Saturday I found Chiddy already waiting and although
he had to leave at 6.00 for work the completely still windless air meant the
fog didn’t lift until well past 7.30 and it was still a bit murky, a Whimbrel
flew over calling but we could not see it in the white out. Sunday morning was
far better with a clear view all round although a bit of a mist rose as the sun
came up. Both days were similar in the birding activity with 7 Grey Herons and
3 Little Egrets seen but no sign of last week’s juvenile Purple Heron but they
are a very elusive species anyway and this individual was playing by the book
so, it could still be around!! I did, however, see something purple from Harrison's on Saturday bt it wasn't the Heron.
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| Purple Balloon at Harrison's |
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| Reed Warbler Marsh hide |
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| Reed Warbler Marsh hide |
There seemed to be a lot more Reed and
Sedge Warblers about this weekend, probably making the most out of the hot
sunny weather while they can having said that though, there is virtually no sylvia or phylloscopus except a few Chiffchaffs, 1 Whitethroat was flitting about near Marsh hide
today and there was a particularly showy Willow Warbler along the Lampen Wall
yesterday. At least 6 Water Rails on show now but no sign, as yet, of any Spotted Crakes.
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| Water Rail near Alder Wood |
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| Water Rail near Alder Wood |
Two Common Terns and 4 Great-crested Grebes were all of note on the
lake and the Water Meadows had 1 Green shank, 1 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1
Little-ringed Plover and 3 Green Sandpipers while 4 other Green Sands and
another Greenshank and Ruff were at the Ramp.
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| Green Sandpiper at Harrison's in the fog |
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| Sparrowhawk in the Jungle |
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| Sparrowhawk in the Jungle |
There was a family of 4
Sparrowhawks messing around at the Jungle and other raptors included 3
Kestrels, 2 Common Buzzards and a Hobby. Bearded Tits were plentiful with small
parties seen and heard in several places, 5 Turtle Doves were noted as were 3
Ring-necked Parakeets, a trickle of Swallows, a couple of Bullfinches and a
single Treecreeper noted and there were 4 Green Woodpeckers including two
juveniles and 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers.
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| Grey Heron Feast hide |
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| Marsh Harrier near the Alder Wood |
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| Marsh Harrier near the Alder Wood |
There were 2 Garganey from the Ramp
on both days while Teal, Shoveler and Mallard numbers are beginning to rise.
Saturday was a better day for odanata With
Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonflies all seen as well as Common
and Ruddy Darter, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common Blue and Small Red-eyed
Damselflies and several Banded Demoiselles.
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| Brown Hawker near the Ramp |
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| Common Darter |
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| Black-tailed Skimmer female |
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| Ruddy Darter |
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| Ruddy Darter female |
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| Ruddy Darter female |
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| Small Red-eyed Damselfly |
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| Common Blue |
Restharrow Scrape at Sandwich is still not
producing much although the drake Garganey that pitched up last Wednesday
morning was still present this Friday morning and I even managed to grab a
couple of shots of it when I popped in on the way home from work on Thursday,
it was virtually the only bird there except a couple of Coots and Moorhens. A
Common Sandpiper has been present all week and a Green Sandpiper sometimes
shows up and after last week’s post about Med Gulls building up I have to say I’ve
not seen one this past week, oh well.
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| Garganey drake at Restharrow |
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| Garganey drake at Restharrow |
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| Meadow Pipit by Restharrow |
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| Meadow Pipit by Restharrow |
