The Stour Valley list for 2025 stands at 146 species so far
Please send your sightings to martynwilson@talktalk.net
May 28th
A White Stork was seen over Westbere on Friday 24th, a second Red-footed Falcon, a 2nd calendar year male, was found on Sunday 25th and 2 (a pair?) of Common Cranes were discovered near Undertrees Farm on Wednesday 28th.
May 22nd
Almost halfway through the year with new year birds still coming through with recent additions including Avocet, Oystercatcher, Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint and Red-Footed Falcon. The Falcon possibly being present since the 3rd of May.
April 29th
Additions to the year list keep coming with Whimbrel (4), Bar-tailed Godwit (2), Osprey and Arctic Tern added over the past week
April 25thth
I did the circuit this morning and a Nightingale was in full song in the scrub leading to reed bed hide. There were 10 Common Tern at the raft. At the oxbow were 5 Cattle and 5 Little Egret's I reckon after next week's mini heatwave forecast it will be bone dry there at middle drove I had 3 Curlew and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. At marsh hide there were 2 Yellow Wagtail and 1 Green Sandpiper.
April 22nd
New additions are arriving almost daily with Common and Wood Sandpipers added as well as Common Swift and a smart male Ring Ouzel. There should still be a few more arrivals over the next couple of weeks.
April 18th
Last week while sitting on the bench in the field by the metal bridge i watched 5 Buzzard's and a female Sparrowhawk soaring together above me, this morning on the bench i had a Raven, Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard soaring together a lovely sight on a perfect spring morning. I also had my first Hobby of the year over marsh hide and there were 20 Cattle Egret at Harrisons. A Nightingale was calling near reed bed hide and a Whitethroat was heard/seen near the Alder wood.
April 17thth
New migrants appear to be arriving almost daily with new additions to the list such as a (plastic) White-tailed Eagle, Hobby, Common Tern, a Hoopoe part of a southern counties' influx and Common Whitethroat.
April 8th
New additions to the year list so far this April are Little-ringed Plover first seen briefly at marsh hide on Saturday 5th was relocated on the Oxbow on the 6th and still present on 7th. Also new were House Martin, Nightingale, Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler. Hopefully some more migrants to come over the next couple of weeks.
March 31st
New additions to the year list by months end include Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Yellow Wagtail. The Cattle Egret flock has now reached an incredible 40 birds. A new record for the Stour Valley and, quite possibly the highest count ever in Kent. The Drake Scaup first discovered on Collard’s on August 19th was still present on30th. In 2018 a Drake Scaup was also on Collard's and still present on April 1st that year.
March 20th
The Black Swan flew across the marsh hide this morning with a flock of about 15 Mute swans, its white flight feathers clearly visible as was the deep red bill, a nice contrast against the white Mute's. Do not hold your breath on the "launch" of the new Tern raft, I have been told due to funding issues it will not be sited till this winter, as Sue said to me this morning perhaps, we should have whip round to get it done before the Terns arrive.
(Bryan East)
March 17th
David Feast had a Redshank on the reserve during the past week. The first Garganey of the year was discovered by Sue Morton and me on Saturday, a Curlew flew over the carpark calling early on Friday morning and a Goshawk was over the Alder Wood last week. Good numbers of Cetti’s Warblers (27) and Chiffchaffs (12) singing on the reserve and still high numbers of Cattle Egrets about with 18 joining the Belted Galloway’s at the Oxbow. The Heronry has at least 5 off its 8-nests occupied now.
March 6th
I did the circuit this morning in perfect weather and met up with Dave Feast we had 6 Wigeon and 2 Snipe at marsh hide and a Brimstone near dads' bench. There was only 4 Cattle Egret with the Galloways with 11 seen earlier in the week Richard Hills had 2 Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage at the oxbow. The Heronry is getting well established considering there was only one nest 3 years ago, with 8 visible nests, possibly more further back in the trees. There were 7 birds around the nests this morning p.
February 23rd
This morning David Feast had two Sand Martins over the lake at Stodmarsh. This is by far our earliest ever and may even be the earliest Kent record.
February 19th
A flock of Brent Geese over Grove @ 01:32 this morning
(Marc Heath)
February 12th
There were 6 Barnacle geese in the fields outside the village this morning among a large flock of Greylags. Not much else to report but i did find an old Hornet nest a few weeks ago near the tower hide.
(Bryan East)
January 30th
The species list to the end of January currently stands at 95. Mostly common birds seen regularly but the drake Scaup still resides on Collard’s Lake, the Cattle Egrets topped 34 making a new Stour Valley record and, 6 Hen Harriers have been leaving roost at Grove Ferry although, only up to 4 are seen coming in in an evening! Best bird so far was on the 24th when a juvenile/second calendar Glaucous Gull that flew down river, just before the road bridge, past 3 of us before turning back and gaining height before heading over the houses towards Upstreet. The Cormorant numbers remain high with up to 5000 birds streaming out towards the coast each morning. Three Long-eared Owls have regularly been seen in a roost not on public view and, there seems to be less Water Pipits around this year with up to 7 being seen. Usually get between 12 and 25? Three Russian White-fronted Geese and 5 Barnacle Geese have been with the Greylag Geese near Undertrees Farm Hopefully his year will be better than last year and some good species turn up.
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