There's nothing common about these Terns.

For the past couple of mornings I have been on the Lampern wall at Stodmarsh, early for the sun rise, trying to catch the Common Terns that are feeding on the main lake. This morning I was there a little later, arriving on the reserve as a text message from Martyn Wilson was received, informing me that he had found a pair of White Winged Black Terns at Grove. This is a new bird for me, twice having dipped on them at Dungeness, so a plan was hatched. A hunch that they would eventually tern up (sorry could not resist that) over the main lake at Stodmarsh paid off, and after 20 minutes they appeared on the northern side of the lake, eventually coming nearer and giving superb views to the now small gathering of assembled birders and photographers congregated on the Lampern wall. They were difficult to get the autofocus to lock on to them when they were down low so I waited until they appeared in the skyline as they hunted down insects and flies, a few shots posted below.

As mentioned earlier, I had been taking photos of the Common Terns as they flew along the wall where I was hidden behind a tree stump, the Terns performing well over the past couple of mornings, and with the added bonus of a low rising sun directly behind me. This seems the best place now to get photos of Terns on the reserve as like the Kingfishers, for the past two years they seem reluctant to feed on the pool in front of the Feast hide where I normally obtain my Common Tern photos. Perhaps all the fish have gone from the pool, it would explain why there seems to be no fishing birds there anymore.

Whilst clicking away at the White Winged Black Tern a Grey Wagtail landed just in front of me but I was too slow with the camera, a pair of Cuckoo's flew by and were missed, as was a Hobby and a Jay, still, you can't win them all. I did manage a photo of a passing Heron and also a Pochard that flew off the lake heading for Grove.

A cracking couple of hours spent in the sunshine with most of the local Avian Paparazzi in attendance so the banter was flowing. As I was getting in the car to leave (10 o clock) Rip Van Winkle arrived brushing sleep from his eyes. It's an early start in the morning Mike, set your alarm.

Curlew Sandpiper at Reculver. 19/05/12

A curlew Sandpiper, well three quarters of one as it had most of its right leg missing, was seen feeding in the lagoon at coldharbour on the Reculver marshes early Saturday morning. I was told of the bird by Marc Heath who was with Julian Perry and another chap whom I met by the fisherman's carpark on the River Wantsum. This is the first Spring time Curlew Sand I have seen, looking a lot different from when they pass back through the U.K later on in the Autumn.

I did not see a lot else throughout the morning, 4 Common Terns slowly flapped west along the tide line at Coldharbour, a Turtle Dove was seen flying across a field at Shuarts, 2 Marsh Harriers hunting out over the marsh and 2 Lesser Whitethroats were heard rattling away deep within the undergrowth, one at Chambers wall and another at Shuarts. A Hobby passed over as I was talking to Marc and Julian, 2 Cuckoos were heard but not seen and a Yellow Wagtail was perched on a bush but flew off as soon as I lifted the camera. Next Sunday we are off to Powy's in mid Wales for our annual weeks jolly. It is the third time we have visited this part of the world and hopefully the weather will be kind to us and give us the blue skies we all wish for when away. Needless to say there will be plenty of Red Kite photos posted over the next few weeks. (Hopefully)

Catching up from last weeek.

A few photos taken during the past week around Kent, but not a lot done as the enthusiasm seems to be wavering a little. I need a week away at Gigrin perhaps.

Chiffchaff

Wren

Tawny Owl

By watching a pair of Cuckoos for over a fortnight I have been able to get a few photos, hiding in a bush and catching them as they fly over. I even went to the army surplus store in Herne Bay to deck myself out with camo gear. I might look like a tool but it seems to work, now just waiting for some blue skies to get the job finished.

Grasshopper Warbler again 13/05/12

I could only spare a couple of hours on Sunday, arriving at Oare Marshes just before 7 in the morning to see if I could get any more Grasshopper Warbler images. Andy Hills was on site as I parked and we walked up to the gate to the west flood. After a while we found the bird, asleep in a bush right beside the path. We had great views of it as it dozed in the early morning sunshine, and we pointed it out to a couple of birders that later arrived. After about 20 minutes, the bird started preening before flying out of the bush and landing on a fence in front of us and then across the path into a small reed bed where it foraged about looking for insects. I had to leave soon after but did manage a few photos before I went.

Stodmarsh and the Hobbies

It's that time of the year again when the arrival of Hobbies at Stodmarsh reaches high numbers before some disperse to other parts of the country. I had noticed the numbers building earlier in the week, but the weather conditions were not great for capturing Hobbies as they hunt insects over the reed beds on the reserve, in this case the St Mark Fly which are in ample supply and sought after before their preferred diet of Dragonflies arrive. Friday allowed me some images, with 45+ birds seen chasing the flies over the reed beds around the Marsh hide. Today was a better day but the temperature was a good 10 degrees cooler in a brisk North Easterly wind, and it was interesting to see several Hobbies perched on Molehills out in front of the Marsh hide, not moving until around 11 o clock when the sun warmed the air and triggered the arrival of the St Mark flies. By midday there were at least 50 Hobbies over the same reed bed as yesterday, allowing the assembled photographers to get their photos of the birds as they hawked flies for the next hour that I was there. While waiting for the Hobby fest to begin today, I walked part of the circuit with Martyn Wilson, Sue Morton, Adam Fraiers and Alan Ashdown, all of whom I met on my way down to the Marsh hide, and Tim Gutsell joined us a little later. We walked the Lampern wall noting several Reed and Sedge Warblers with 4 Cettis Warblers sounding off as we passed their piece of scrub. Loads of Wrens singing and 4 Common terns were seen over the main lake. Martyn, Adam and Sue continued on completing the circuit and I returned to the Marsh hide along with Tim and Alan. I never did see the promised Red Rumped Swallow over the main lake, (lol). I did manage a few photos from the reserve during the past few days before concentrating on the Hobbies.

Earlier this morning before meeting up with the "crew", I was stalking a pair of Blackcaps, unsuccessfully, when I noticed a Cuckoo in a tree by the newly cleared area on the back path down to the Marsh hide. It took flight on a couple of occasions, flying by fairly closely and allowing me to get a few photos.

The rest of the morning was spent in the Marsh hide, where as previously mentioned there were several Hobbies sitting on the small mole hills out on the wet meadows. I watched a Bittern take off from the reed bed and after a short flight over the reed tops it dropped back down about 40 metres from where it took off from. We saw a Marsh Harrier return with a hapless Coot chick and watched as it expertly passed it over to a waiting female. The only waders seen were Redshank and Lapwings, and during the morning I saw 4 Common Buzzards, all high over the reserve. There were plenty of Swifts, Swallows and Martins but the stars of the show were the Hobbies with 50+ hunting over the reed bed to the south of the Marsh hide.

Spot Fly at Reculver 06/05/12

With the weather continuing to disappoint and being stuck indoors since my last excursion to Oare marshes on Friday, I had an hour walking from the fisherman's car park at Chambers wall to the railway line and bush bashing around the railway crossing. I was hoping for a Lesser Whitethroat which I never got, but a Spotted Flycatcher, my first of the year, was an ideal consolation prize. It was sitting on the edge of the hedgerow darting out to catch flies, and I watched it going about its business for half an hour as it worked its way down the hedge. I managed a few shots but they are not as easily approached as later in the year when seen in their normal haunts.

I also saw a Garden Warbler, again my first of the year, looking smart and in pristine condition. Try as I did, I could not manage a decent photo as the bird was foraging through the hedgerow and never gave me an opportunity to get a clear shot at it. There were plenty of Common Whitethroats about, a pair of Greenfinches, a bird that I seldom see of late and a Blackcap skulking about in a bush. Wren and Dunnock were seen and heard, and one Dunnock posed on top of a bush. I think I only took the photo as a small pocket of blue sky had appeared behind it, easily the scarcest thing of note from the past few days. (The blue sky Alan, not the Dunnock)

A distant very light sandy brown Marsh Harrier had the heart beating a little quicker untill it came closer and confirming that it was just a Marsh Harrier and also a Cuckoo flew over as I was talking to Mark Chidwick who had just arrived. I watched a potential confrontation between a Mute Swan and a pair of Greylag Geese with 5 young Goslings, all wanting the same piece of the River Wantsum, the Mute Swan unexpectedly giving way to the Geese. Having resorted to Geese and Swan watching, I realised it was time to pack up and go home.

Grasshopper Warbler at Oare 04/05/12

I spent a couple of hours at Oare marshes on Friday, with the reported Grasshopper Warbler the draw. I had read on the Oare Marshes sightings page of the KOS web site that it had been seen out in the open which makes a change with this species. (Well done Murray and Mike for their up to date news) The Groppers that I have always encountered seem always to be skulking in dense undergrowth and if I have been lucky enough to get a photo, it is always behind clutter. I bumped into Tim Gutsell just after I parked the car, who was taking photos of a Little Egret so I joined in as it was watched catching small fish close to the pull in area where I had parked.

We then moved onto the path that leads down to the hide on the west flood and Tim picked up the reeling Grasshopper Warbler immediately. The weather was not nice to us, being dull, cold and windy throughout the morning (roll on May and the Spring), but we were not complaining as the bird behaved impeccably, sitting out in the open for long periods and singing almost nonstop for a couple of hours.

There were hundreds of Hirrundines over the floods, mostly Swallows with a few Swifts and Martins for good measure. I spent a bit of time trying to get a few photos but with the gloomy weather I was fighting a losing battle. Another day perhaps. We also saw about a dozen Swallows all clinging on to a teasel stem on the grassy area of the east flood, an odd sight. Whilst at the Gropper, I heard a Lesser Whitethroat, and saw several Common Whitethroats, along with a solitary Greenfinch, a pair of Goldfinches and several Linnets. I grabbed a couple of photos of an Avocet that was spooked by a passing Marsh Harrier travelling west and high overhead as I returned to the pull in to look out over the east flood and chat to Mark Tomlins who had just arrived.