I picked up the Jims today and headed for Oare marsh in Kent hoping they could connect with Napolean for another year. A Hoopoe had spent the day at Oare yesterday but looked to have moved on over night.
On the walk down to Uplees to search for the Hoopoe we enjoyed our first Whinchats of the year and watched a young Cuckoo learning to hunt grubs whilst still begging it's host Meadow Pipit without reward. Four Ringed Plover and thirty plus Curlew were seen and a Yellow Wagtail and Sparrowhawk the only other bird of note before we started the walk back to the slipway.
 |
| Juvenile Cuckoo at Oare marsh |
At the Slipway a guy put the Jims onto the Bonaparte's gull for their year tick and they managed another first for 2021 when a Curlew Sandpiper dropped in very briefly on the rising tide. Also present were a Knot, Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Black-tailed Godwits plus a Ruff on the flood. A couple of Whimbrel were feeding out on the mud and a group of twelve flew over too bringing the wader count for the day to eleven. Black-tailed Godwit numbers remain high as does the water level on east flood.
 |
| Black-tailed Godwit |
 |
| Blackwit |
 |
| Black-tailed Godwit |
 |
| Godwit over the Swale |
 |
| Godwit |
 |
| Some of the flock of Whimbrel that flew over |
I first saw this returning Bonaparte's Gull at Oare in June 2013 so that's nine years and counting.
Year list now 216
No comments:
Post a Comment