Oare marsh Kent

I could have driven the 500 miles to see the Long-tailed Shrike in Fife today but I would also have had to drive 500 miles home and I just couldn't be bothered to do it so instead I booked a trio to Oare marsh in Kent with Dad and Jim. We set off at 5am after watching England beat Mexico in the early hours and arrived at Oare around 6.15am.

We set up to scope the east flood only for another birder to tell us exactly where the Bonaparte's gull was among the c350 Black-headed Gulls which made the search a lot easier for us. (The Bonaparte's Gull is now 16 and has been returning to Oare for 14 years. I first saw this bird in 2013 I've seen it in 13 of those 14 years it's been coming to Oare.) A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling in front of the viewing area and two Turtle Doves were sat on wires behind us. 

Out on East flood we had c150 Black-tailed Godwit along with good numbers of Redshank, Lapwing and Avocet. I picked out a few Knot and Dunlin along with singles of Greenshank, LRP, Common and Green Sandpiper and a few Med Gulls. We saw four Cattle Egrets on west flood and a Peregrine sat on a distant pylon too. Before the walk around to the hide we added Raven and Sparrowhawk.

Along the walk we had Bearded Tits, Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warbler along with Reed Bunting and a fly over Bunting that was very likely a Corn Bunting. We refound the Bonaparte's Gull out on the mud later in the morning allowing a couple of record shots. Two juvenile Yellow Wagtails were seen to finish the day and I added a few other ticks bringing the days total to 69 and making an enjoyable few hours with Dad and Jim before we headed for home. 

Bonaparte's gull

Bonaparte's Gull

Black tailed Godwit

Godwits

Godwits

Med Gull

Year list now 224

Time for another KGV update

If you think reading my diary here is boring try walking four miles round the King George v reservoir counting ducks a few times a week but I'm still finding some reward for my effort and still to my own amazement finding the motivation to go do it on the days I have a couple of hours in the mornings.

Since the last diary entry (blog post) I've been over the reservoir just three times.

The 30th June see me give it one last go for the month and I bagged 56 species for my trouble and the highlights were a couple of Little Ringed Plover on the causeway, 2 Common Sandpipers, the continuing Redshank and a new bird for the month as a Hobby flashed up the channel towards the Girling at 5.15am and then an hour later it or another bird flew north along the channel too. Harry pointed out a Peregrine on one of the distant pylons too which was nice as I haven't seen one for a while now on the reservoir. A Little Grebe was again seen on south basin where it has been popping up on the odd visit this month. Having recently found a young Mistle Thrush with an adult bird on 30th I found five birds in the same field. I had a high count of 27 Blackbirds too as they seemed to be dropping out of bushes all along the four mile circuit.

The view of London at 5am from KGV

Little Grebe

The Fishers Green Black headed Gull

2K54

Common Sandpiper

Buzzard

I visited again on 1st July to get the month off and running and here the surprise for the day was a large flock of Canada Geese in the top field along with a single Greylag and a hybrid offspring. The Redshank was still present for its tenth day now and I found a couple of Common Sandpipers again. A juvenile Black headed Gull had a leg ring which showed it to have been ringed as a nestling at Fishers Green on 26th May this year. Again Blackbirds were very evident with a count of 27. 

Common Sandpipers

Common Sandpiper

Cormorant and Sandpiper

Today 3rd July I walked it again despite the heat. The walk was quite rewarding as I found four Common Sandpipers, four Buzzard, two Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel. Tufted Duck and Coot numbers continue to build with 99 and 233 counted today. I was enjoying watching the five resident Ravens when two more birds came over calling from the Girling and to my surprise they dropped to the floor with the three young birds before they went to sit on the pylon with the two resident adults and then all seven took off north calling as they went. A new high count for the reservoir. As I returned along south bank I picked up three birds on the wall and scoping them they revealed themselves to be Yellow Wagtails. An early record for the reservoir but when I got to to the car park I bumped into Harry who said that he and Dominic had one fly over the sailing club too and Harry had seen the sixth Raven come in but missed the seventh bird. A decent walk and I'll probably have a few days off now before giving it another go next week.

Yellow Wagtail

Two Yellow Wagtails

Two of the seven Ravens present on 3rd July

Raven

Raven

Raven

Raven

Black headed Gulls

Reed Bunting

Reed Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Blackbird

Common Tern

Swift

Buzzard being mobbed by Starlings

Common Sandpiper

The 5th July saw another visit where I added Osyercatcher and Jay to my KGv July list which now stands at 67. 

Year list still 222 with a distinct reluctance to go chasing year ticks further afield at the moment.

King George V reservoir

I didn't manage to get to the reservoir yesterday as I was otherwise committed helping my daughter in law with a hospital visit which lasted over ten hours but I woke early this morning hoping to be able to give the reservoir another walk but the problem with that plan was the weather. We're in the middle of a heat wave with temperature of around 36 degrees all week. It rained heavy all night with thunder and lightning which was still going at 5am this morning. I waited for the rain to stop at around 6am and headed over to the George. The problem with being later meant it got hotter before I'd completed the four miles which made for a bit of a slog on the last mile or so.

My reward for the effort was good views of the five Ravens that remain a tight family group still. A Redshank remains and has now been present for a week and one of the Ostercatchers that breed locally was seen heading south whilst another or the same Lapwing I've see twice this month headed high to the north. Three Common Sandpipers were present with two on the causeway and one at the north end and I picked up a total species count of 60 for the day but nothing new for the month of June.

Redshank

Raven

Raven

Raven

Raven

Raven

Raven

Raven

Still enjoying the walk and to my utter surprise the counting for Ebird.

The Grest Crested Grebe have surprised me with numbers pretty high throughout with so many birds living on the reservoir all year. Tufted duck numbers fell to almost single figures but are now climbing again slowly on each visit and the first Pochards have started to arrive back on the reservoir.

Of note in the last week has been the arrival of juvenile Black headed gulls which jumped from 1 two days ago to 12 today. Looking forward to what July might bring which traditionally is another quite month but I'll hope it delivers more than 80 species and hopefully something new for the year too. 

I'll see if I can muster the motivation I currently have for July at least then worry about August etc when it gets here.

update on the George

So I wanted to see 80 species at the George this month which is a fair challenge (for June) but yesterday I managed it when I found a juvenile Skylark on the footpath in the north east corner. There was a Ringed Plover on the north side of the causeway which is my second this month/year. A Redshank on south basin was my fifth of the year and the Oystercatchers are still going back and fourth towards the Girling. Ravens are a little harder to find now but I generally get at least one if I work hard enough around the north west corner. I've added Nuthatch to my June list for the reservoir and indeed is y first ever for the site. At this point nobody has seen a bird at the George this month that I've not seen which is some going.

My wader list for KGV this year is now 11 with Common Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Greenshank, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Sanderling and Whimbrel.

I've regretably missed Snipe, Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper with the Green Sandpiper being the most painful as I think I was there when others were seeing it but I somehow missed it. The Snipe and Spotshank were found in the early mist and departed before anybody but Henry could see them.

In total I've seen 115 of the 132 species reported for the site this year so even giving it the effort I currently am it proves that it's sometimes just about being there at the right moment as many birds simply use the site as a quick stop off.

Main thing is it's close to home and I'm still enjoying it.

House Sparrow

Skylark

The blond Egyptian Goose 

Great spot Woodpecker on the pylon

The day before the mowers came out 

Little Egret

Swan

The first Pochards are back (only one pair so far tho)

Redshank

Crow

Lapwing

Little ringed Plover

Great Cormorants

Little Grebe

Tufted Duck