Bluethroat at Samphire Hoe Kent

White Spotted Bluethroat

We made a 90 mile trip to Samphire Hoe today. This is a pretty unique nature reserve in Dover where you have to wait at traffic lights to drive through the "white cliffs" to gain access to the car park and reserve itself. On arrival at 7.30am two locals where already on site and within minutes we'd located the White Spotted Bluethroat (190) in brambles at the rear of the car park. The bird came forward to feed in a drainage trench giving me the chance to snatch a record shot and then it retreated to the brambles where it stayed for the next hour until I left for Dungeness.

At Dunge a quick, very cold walk around the moat produced nothing and I mean nothing!
The drive out delivered up to seven Black Redstarts plus Wheatear and Stonechat.

Black Redstart

Tree Sparrow

Reed Bunting