Monday 19 March 2018

London buses at Dungeness!

Last night I decided to head off early to Dungeness, so, having left the house at 5.20a.m. I was in the sea watch hide before 7.30, next to the power station looking out over the English channel. A trickle of red throated divers, few razorbills and guillemots and distant gannets but the most common sighting, apart from cormorants, were harbour porpoises heading up channel into the North Sea. Here, I chatted to Jack, the new assistant warden at the Bird Observatory. After a while he casually said there were two bluethroats at Dengemarsh Gully.
Every birder has a bird that is elusive to them. For me, it's bluethroat. They are regular in The Camargue, Southern Portugal, Poland etc but on all my trips there I have never encountered one. A male turned up at Amwell NR several years ago, but had flown by the time I got there and on numerous occasions, I have failed to find one on the North Norfolk coast. I just put it down as "the bird I'll never see"
After an hour on the beach in -3C and very windy conditions, I thought I may have a look for these bluethroats, pointing out to Jack that I really ought to ring folk before I head to Dunge as I miss so much.
I arrived at the gully and immediately, a bluethroat popped up in front of me. The sky was dark, snow swirling and the bird was on mud: tricky light conditions for photos. These were the best I could manage. The bird showing a full blue bib, bordered by a hint of black and then red.


Pleased with this sighting, I set off for the RSPB reserve in increasingly freezing conditions. I treated myself to a proper thermal hat, donned my thick gloves and set off. A peregrine chased wigeon, a marsh harrier quartered the reedbeds, and a slavonian grebe slept on the water at Dengemarsh hide. Superb birds. A coffee warmed me up back at the Visitors' Centre before a wander to the ARC pit. More wildfowl, another marsh harrier before I checked willows for small migrants. A chiffchaff was my reward for standing in a gale that meant it felt like -6C.
Back to the car and off to Scotney Pits where oystercatchers and curlew got on to the day list. At this point the sun emerged so, instead of heading off to Oare Marshes near Faversham, I decided to head back to see if I could improve on the bluethroat shots. I returned to find a second bird, sporting a white dot on the blue bib. Two in one day and none for 59 years and 11 months!! Typical.
Firecrests flitted through the gorse and a caspian gull was noted roosting with 100's of great black backs, lesser black backed and herring gulls.
I managed a few photos of the 2nd bluethroat before heading home, getting through the Dartford tunnel just before 5.15 without any delay.
A truly memorable birding day for me. I am still trying to remember what was the last bird I saw in the UK that was new to me from anywhere in the world. Think it may have been Leach's storm petrel on a visit to Wallasey to see relatives before a Liverpool football game. That must have been in the early to mid 1990's!!
Edit: It was the western sandpiper at Cley when Wendy and I were staying at The George for a few nights. Must be several years ago now 2010/11/12 ish?
Great crested grebe in full plumage

Slavonian grebe in winter plumage, but calling for a mate.

Due to lack of mate, he went to sleep

female Marsh harrier

Male marsh harrier being mobbed by a carrion crow

2nd bluethroat with white dot



Species list for the Day:

  1. red throated diver
  2. slavonian grebe
  3. little grebe
  4. great crested grebe
  5. gannet
  6. cormorant
  7. little egret
  8. grey heron
  9. mute swan
  10. greylag goose
  11. canada goose
  12. barnacle goose
  13. egyptian goose
  14. mallard
  15. gadwall
  16. shoveler
  17. wigeon
  18. teal
  19. pochard
  20. tufted duck
  21. common scoter
  22. goldeneye
  23. marsh harrier
  24. common buzzard
  25. kestrel
  26. peregrine falcon
  27. pheasant
  28. moorhen
  29. coot
  30. oystercatcher
  31. ringed plover
  32. lapwing
  33. dunlin
  34. curlew
  35. black headed gull
  36. common gull
  37. herring gull
  38. lesser black backed gull
  39. greater black backed gull
  40. caspian gull
  41. guillemot
  42. razorbill
  43. stock dove
  44. wood pigeon
  45. collared dove
  46. green woodpecker
  47. skylark
  48. meadow pipit
  49. pied wagtial
  50. wren 
  51. dunnock
  52. robin
  53. bluethroat
  54. mistle thrush
  55. fieldfare
  56. redwing
  57. song thrush
  58. blackbird
  59. firecrest
  60. chiffchaff
  61. great tit
  62. blue tit
  63. marsh tit
  64. magpie
  65. carrion crow
  66. jackdaw
  67. rook
  68. starling
  69. house sparrow
  70. tree sparrow
  71. chaffinch
  72. linnet
  73. goldfinch
  74. greenfinch
  75. reed bunting.
8 new birds for the year list and one never seen before. Excellent day, finishing off with this superb firecrest.


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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander