Stour Valley Sightings: January, it’s been quiet!

There has been very little to write about from the Valley so far this year, the weather has been against weekend birding (alright for part timers and retirees, eh?) and what has been about has been pretty much the same each time. There have been at least 5 Bitterns with a nice showy bird on the 1^st that flew close by the Reedbed hide but birds are being seen from Grove Ferry, Marsh hide and along the Lampen Wall with others at Westbere, 2-3 birds there.

Bittern at Reedbed hide on Jan 1st

Collard’s remains as bleak as last year with hardly any Ducks on it just a few Pochard, Tufted and Wigeon although, a couple of Goldeneye hve been present. The Harrier roosts contains at least 10 Marsh harriers but there is probably upwards of 16 birds plus 3 or 4 (possibly 5) Hen Harriers, a Peregrine has put in a show on some days and 3 or 4 Sparrowhawks are on the reserve. Steve Ashton had a Penduline Tit on the 5^th but, we were too far ahead and it had gone when we got back to him a minute or two later. On the 27^th (my last birding day of January I was lucky enough to encounter 3 redhead Smew from the Reedbed hide but otherwise, Peregrine aside, it was yet again hard work. I also saw two very close Smew (again redheads) on restharrow Scrape in Sandwich om my way home from Grove on the 19th.

Smew at Sandwich Bay

Smew from Reedbed hide

Today, the 2^nd February Alan and I had 23 Bewick’s Swans from the Ramp while 1 Woodcock, 12 marsh harriers and 2 ringtail Hen Harriers were seen there was very little else.

Stonechat at Restharrow on the ice

Fieldfare at Stodmarsh

Coal Tit Collie Corner Collard's

At 11.45 I thought it would be nice to run Alan over to Ramsgate Harbour as he’d never seen a Great-northern Diver before and this would be the first five lifers he’s hoping to see this year. On arrival the Diver was way of near the harbour mouth but it wasn’t long before it swam down closer to us. Being a good friend of the Harbour Master not Chiddy, that’s Dover!!) I was able to obtain a parking permit and, he gave me the gate codes to go down on to the pontoons amongst the fishing boats where Chiddy and I were able to get very close to it.

Great-northern Diver at Ramsgate Harbour

Last week I managed to purchase a car that I have been after for some while now after seeing one on a re-run of an old Randall and Hopkirk episode a few years back. The car in question was a 1968 Triumph GT6 MK2 and it will take me away from birding some weekends while I spend time restoring it.

1968 Triumph GT6 i'm restoring

Saturday 2 February 2013

January, it’s been quiet!