A trip down to Dover on Sunday morning (19th March) to see the Glaucous Gull that has been seen recently from the Shakespeare beach area just to the south of the Admiralty pier. A species I have not seen for a while, this bird being a 4th calendar year individual so I am told, that has a slight deformity to the bill. What was evident straight away was the sheer size of the brute.
Monday, 20 March 2023
Sunday, 5 March 2023
Grove Ferry and Stodmarsh NNR.
A rather smart looking Great Crested Grebe in his breeding attire seen at Grove Ferry recently.
Saturday, 31 December 2022
Top Four Birds of 2022 (Part 2)
Carrying on from my previous post, the top two birds of 2022 for me were
2nd Place.
A spur of the moment drive to East Yorkshire and Bempton Cliffs to catch up with the returning Black-browed Albatross (8th April) is my 2nd most memorable bird of 2022. A long drive, but rewarded with great views of this giant sea bird from the Southern Hemisphere. Photography was a little challenging as the bird always remained low down but a great twitch that I think may be repeated if it returns in 2023.
My bird of the year and probably the same for a lot of people unless you were on Bryher or the Shetlands, was the visiting Eleanora's Falcon (29th May and 1st June), that spent a few days hunting out over the Worth marsh. Fantastic views as it posed on top of the various bushes alongside the Pinnock wall and hunting Dragonfly's out over the fields near to the Great Wood. A star performer and a great U.K tick for me.
Thursday, 29 December 2022
Top Four Birds of 2022 (Part 1)
My top four birds seen through the year of 2022.
4th Place.
The juvenile Red-footed Falcon (6th October) seen on the Elmley nature reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. An obliging individual and the first juvenile Red Foot I have seen.
Saturday, 17 December 2022
Not all Gulls are Big and Ugly.
Many thanks to Mark Chidwick who took the trouble to phone and alert me to a very confiding 1st winter Little Gull at Hampton on the western side of Herne Bay. The weather was very dull and dreary but having not been out for a few days and the very little work I needed to do, already done, I thought why not. I found Mark with the bird and it was as he said, very confiding as it hung in the wind, dancing along the surf of the incoming tide, backwards and forwards between the pier and the first groyne back towards Herne Bay. I took what were fairly reasonable record shots and returned home after about an hour. Also in amongst several Turnstones, Dunlin and Sanderling was a solitary Purple Sandpiper which was a photo opportunity not to be missed even though conditions were not in my favour.