I’ve spent far too much time this week staring at these bushes at Seasalter. Male Hen Harrier passing through yesterday was lovely, but not the hoped for rare Asian thrush… #kentbirding #ukbirding
I thought this exact thing the other day John, particularly when the Pallid at Margate had a Common Swift companion. I won’t be the one identifying a Plain Swift however!
After all the Kent action yesterday, today felt a bit 'after the lord mayor's show'. However I did enjoy the very showy Dusky found by the Andys yesterday, followed by distant views of the Pallid Swift. A mooch around Margate Cemetery produced 1 YBW and 3 Bramblings with the Chaffs #kentbirding
Shockingly bad pick of one of the YBWs at King George VI Park
Pallas's Leaf Warbler, always lovely to see
PLW
After failing to find my own YBW in Tivoli Park in Margate, I was at least only 3 mins away from a newly found Red-flanked Bluetail. Unfortunately, it was never seen again after the initial sighting, altho 2 YBWs were present. The Pallas's in Ramsgate was more obliging #kentbirding #ukbirding
Finally a good Autumn morning on the patch today, with Woodlark over calling, numerous Redpoll and Redwing (both first of the Autumn) and a female Wigeon (scarce on the patch). The unusual LBBG (3CY?) reappeared after a two week absence; could it have some Herring in it? #kentbirding #ukbirding
Still not much evidence of Autumn movement locally here in Marden, with the exception of flocks of Siskins starting to appear in the last week along with Mipits starting to increase #kentbirding #ukbirding
Terrible shot of the AGP; distant, hazy, blah blah. BB Sand was just too far for my point and shoot.
23/9: I was tempted to go & see the AGP at Jury's Gap even though it was the wrong side of the border, but when a BB Sand turned up it tipped the scales. Had good if distant scope views of the Sandpiper; after scanning for ages for the AGP it finally flew in with 5 Europeans. Not quite #kentbirding
Where? And is it still present please?
A large flock of White Storks was video'd and put on the local wildlife FB page asking for ID. I didn't catch up with those so it was nice when it turned out what must've been 6 of the flock dropped in to the patch. Presumably they had roosted the night before and stayed for a couple of hours before heading off SW. Knepp birds or not, decent to see
The only Wheatear on the patch all year!
Barn Owl at dawn on one of the local wildlife friendly farms. Those fence lines usually turn up a small number of Whinchat, but not this year (so far anyway)
Work & family life has been busy recently restricting local birding. But it's been quiet even when out, just 1 each of Wheatear, Common Redstart & Whinchat locally this Autumn; I'd normally expect multiples across the various local sites. A few highlights from last 3 weeks: #kentbirding #ukbirding
The patch has been busy the last couple of weeks with lots of warblers and the odd Greenshank dropping in, but nothing outstanding or too unusual. The highlight this morning was this distant Osprey, picked up by @alpavey.bsky.social which came through and drifted off north #kentbirding #ukbirding
Greater Short-toed Lark over Foundation Farm in Marden just after midday today. Picked up when I heard a call I couldn’t initially place, then flew overhead west calling twice more. To say it was a shock is a bit of an understatement! #kentbirding #ukbirding
We don't get many Dippers in Kent (and I still need it as a Kent tick!) so it was nice to get such good views of an adult and a juv along the River Frome in Stroud, Gloucs, earlier this week #ukbirding
Down in Porto Petro in the south. Not been (or going) to any of the traditional sites in the NE
‘Mediterranean’ Spotted Flycatcher, now re-lumped following the introduction of AviList, are arguably the most numerous passerine. Absolutely everywhere
Audouin’s Gulls act like Herrings and BHs back home, stealing chips from holidaymakers…
Currently on Majorca - not really doing any birding being on honeymoon but still managed to eke out a Balearic Warbler, my first since 1999. The local form of Crossbill seems quite numerous, unlike the endemic ssp of Blue Tit which seems very scarce, at least here in the south
The Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Dunge was the very definition of highly elusive; despite singing regularly I managed 3 views (2 in flight and one very brief perched) in 3.5 hours. Nice to get both Bonelli sp in Kent in the same month #kentbirding
Ouch! The dangers of not knowing what is under a puddle…
Thanks I’ll see if I can dig it out. I think Bob Flood is on that FB group so may see if I can get him to look at it. The other photos I’ve got don’t add anything but I’ll have a look tomorrow night and happy to share
I think the moult matches better for Barolo (according to Birds of the World they go through wing moult in May but Boyd’s is later). I have posted the shot (plus another one - probably worse quality though) to the FB Pelagic birds group and one guy - Hugo Blanco - has come back saying Barolo
I know, and the dark face threw me at the time. The other two I saw had clearer white faces. I had no experience of the ‘Little’ Shearwater complex prior to Saturday but immediately started looking up Boyd’s when I saw how far the dark extended.
African Blue Tit of the form degener, only present on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
Cream-coloured Courser - this bird was one of a pair, with a chick, that I found
Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, of the nominate form (that is endemic to the Canaries)
Great Grey Shrike, of the form koenigi, again endemic to the Canaries
Finally, a few of the other species encountered on Fuerteventura
18/05 After the Chat, my most wanted birds on Fuerteventura were African Houbara and Red-billed Tropicbird, both of which had performed exceptionally by 9am, leaving me the rest of the day to reacquaint myself with some of the other desert species
17/05 I had a little daylight left on Fuerteventura so took the time to catch up with the number one target, Fuerteventura Chat, at the Barranco de Rio Cabras, several of which performed exceptionally well
Barolo Shearwater
Bulwer's Petrel
Cory's Shearwater
I took the slow ferry from Las Palmas, GC, to Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, with the hope of seeing some seabirds. My hopes were exceeded with 1 White-faced Storm-petrel, 3 Barolo's Shearwaters, 21 Bulwer's Petrels plus the more expected 100s of Cory's Shearwaters
Canary Islands Chaffinch of the GC endemic ssp bakeri at Los Tilos. Visible singing through a small window of vegetation!
Laurel Pigeon has been re-introduced to GC at Los Tilos, the last remaining area of Laurel forest on the island
There were 15 Stone-curlews of the west and central island form distinctus sat along this bank (and 5 in this pic)
Spanish Sparrow - common, but nice to see
17/05 With a few hours to kill before catching a ferry to Fuerteventura, I split time between Los Tilos laurel forest and Charcas de San Lorenzo to catch up with the remaining GC endemic subspecies, namely Canary Islands Chaffinch and Robin, and to try for the western Canaries form of Stone-curlew
The main birding reason for visiting GC! Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch is incredibly range restricted, limited to two populations in the mountainous interior of Gran Canaria. The birds were in good voice on my visit to the pine forests, with at least 6 singing birds heard
I was keen to see the GC ssp of African Blue Tit, (hedwigae), being endemic to the island. They were very common in the pine forests
Berthelot's Pipits are common across the Canaries
A slightly mucky looking Canary Islands Chiffchaff
I spent a long weekend on Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, with the aim of catching up with a handful of omissions from my lifelist - it was a very successful few days. Arriving on 16/05 on Gran Canaria I headed inland for GC Blue Chaffinch, where 6 birds were in good voice (but less easily seen!)
A distant Osprey over the adjacent fish farm was the highlight this morning, followed by 3 roosting Greenshank. 2 LRPs, 2 Lapwings and a Common Sand made for a good wader morning for the patch. Good numbers of Swifts too with 30+
After Thursday's Hoopoe excitement, it was inevitably quieter on the patch yesterday and this morning. The first Common Swift of the year passed through yesterday and a Yellow Wag went over this morning #kentbirding
A Hoopoe frustrated and delighted in equal measure on the patch this morning; evidently feeding unseen before flushing to give brief flight views, then @alpavey.bsky.social had the briefest of brief glimpses before it vanished despite much searching #kentbirding
