Wednesday 24 October 2012

Indian Tree Pipit Resurrects an obsolescent Weekend


 

 

This weekend just gone 20th/21st was a rather jejune one with very little bird life and not much to point the camera at however, on Tuesday (16th) I finished work early and took the short trip to South Swale Nature Reserve at Seasalter near Whitstable to have a look at the adult Red-breasted Goose that had been found on Sunday. A 1.5 mile walk and I was watching my second Kent Red-breast in glorious sunshine. There were a couple of thousand Dark-bellied Brent Geese around, 15 or so Little Egrets a few Wigeon and a scattering of Waders. A few photos of the Goose in the bag and I was heading for home.
Grey Plover enroute to Red-breasted Goose

Adult Red-breasted Goose South Swale
On Saturday I met Alan Ashdown at the Grove entrance gate and we pitched ourselves on the Ramp and waiting for the light to break through while watching the comings and goings of a pair of Pipestril Bats. Not much to worry the note book except for 5 Pintail amongst the 872 Teal, 5 female Marsh harriers out of roost and the 5000 strong flock of Starlings still present but, again no sign of the pale one. We had a quick look in Feast hide and moved on to Harrison’s where there was not a single bird. While in the hide we got talking about the Red-breasted Goose and as Alan had never seen one before we went up to add it to Alan’s life list. Very good views of it despite the gloomy weather plus a dozen Bearded Tits and a couple of Stonechats to add to the day’s highlights.
Red-breasted Goose in the gloom


Red-breasted Goose in the gloom
After spending some time with the Goose we headed back to Stodmarsh where a stop in the Reedbed hide revealed virtually nothing so we wandered around the Alder Wood for a spell where along the footpath near Undertrees Farm a Tit flock had with it a beautiful Firecrest.
Firecrest in the Alder Wood at Stodmarsh

Firecrest in the Alder Wood at Stodmarsh
On the way out we walked through the Nature Trail back to the car park where we had the first 5 Fieldfares of the Autumn just before we got back to the car. Sunday was a right washout and I gave up before 8.30 but was back out again late afternoon when Marc Heath called to inform me of an Olive-backed Pipit, also known as Indian Tree Pipit, at Chambers Wall Reculver. This being a British first for me and a Kent tick meant some hair raising speeds that a greying diesel Volvo driver shouldn’t really be doing but, it meant a good hour plus was spent watching this super bird. It certainly makes up for not being able to see the week long staying one that was supressed at Sandwich Bay a year or two back.
Olive-backed Pipit at 2500 ISO in the evening gloom and drizzle at Reculver

Olive-backed Pipit at 2500 ISO in the evening gloom and drizzle at Reculver