Success and Failure

I set off early this morning (5.15a.m.) for a session of birding in Kent. On Friday I am giving a presentation at Loughborough University on the bird reserves of Kent and wanted some photos from Reculver and Elmley Marsh. I had planned on the latter first as it is so vast, but heavy rain as I passed the junction on the M2 meant I reversed my day. I was aware of good birds east of the Towers at Reculver, desert wheatear, shorelark, black redstart and snow buntings which would be good to photo for the presentation.
I arrived in drizzle which soon petered out, having donned wet weather gear and met up with 2 chaps who had already checked for the wheatear with no success. I joined them and it was apparent that the rarity was not where it had been yesterday. We wandered half way to Cold Harbour, getting plenty of meadow pipits and reed buntings, as well as brent geese, turnstones, redshank, mallards, a ringed plover etc.

Damp, but brightening up

getting better, looking towards Margate

Flyby Brents

meadow pipit 

drake mallards in fine colour

Reculver Towers

Ringed Plover

Having carried on for a while and seen little, we headed back, meeting other birders heading east. No news from anyone on the desert wheatear, or, for that matter, anything else. I decided on one last wander along the path and, there was the shorelark. Only taken 3 hours to find. It was consorting with a few goldfinches and snow bunting. No sooner had I seen it then it legged it further east. It was then seen again on one of the rocky groynes before showing well near the path about a mile from the Towers. A year tick and a good bird.

shore lark

A final search for the wheatear gave views of a stonechat and more of the regulars present, including a field full of brent geese and lapwings. A kestrel hovered overhead as a party of 12 sanderlings flew east and a great crested grebe west. A solitary Mediterranean gull also headed west with a group of black headed gulls.

Brent geese coming in to land

male stonechat

Convinced I was wasting my time with the real rarity, I headed off for a quick photo session at Elmley. As usual, good birds on the 2 mile drive in with curlew, marsh harrier, kestrel, lapwings etc all visible from the car.
I parked with just enough time to check over the wall: teal, wigeon, 800+ golden plovers but no owls during the short time I was there. A quick check down by the old gun club also failed to give a view of SEO.

Marsh harrier

lapwing

curlews

lapwings, curlews etc

little egret

I had to be back home for work, so left promptly having got the photos I wanted and was home in time for the job. A good day out, with enough birds to make it a most enjoyable morning and the weather just continued to improve, despite the disappointing forecast.

Elmley Marsh kestrel