TICKING OVER

DAR MLODZIEZYHMS KENT..

  Went up to Oare on thursday last week,after an early visit to PoW pier to see the Polish radio symphony orchestra arrive on the sailing ship DAR MLODZIEZY, HMS Kent was also berthed at the cruise terminal.On arrival at Oare bumped into Geoff Burton who told me of the white rumped sandpiper that had been found on the east flood,this was duly found and gave quite good scope views.Over on the mud finally found little stint and curlew sandpiper,first for the year these two,while the WRS is a lifer,my fourth of the year, with white tailed plover, pectoral sandpiper and spotted crake.Another thursday shower was followed by a pretty good sunset;not a bad day all in  all.WHITE RUMPED SANDPIPERCOOL CLOUDSDAYS END

A BIRD IN THE HAND

SPOTTED FLYCATCHERGARDEN WARBLERLONG TAILED TITSWALLOWTREE PIPITGREEN WOODPECKERWHITETHROAT (adult and juvenile)Ringing at St Margarets on sunday morning,no not the bells, the birds, turned up a couple of surprises when a tree pipit and a couple of young swallows were trapped.The whitethroats are shown for comparison, with  the young bird having a much duller eye colour.Note the eyelid of the long tailed tit andthe angry look of the juvenile woodpecker.The spotted fly was seen a bit earlier in the week at Kingsdown along with the Autumn Ladies Tresses on the front lawns along the cliff top.A.L.T.

A PERFECT STORM

THE END IS NIGH

ANY  PORT IN A STORM

Last thursday afternoon I went for a walk to the Prince of Wales pier,as I got to the seafront the sky turned distinctly darker,I calculated that the coming rain would miss the pier so I continued on my way.The storm clouds gathered and lightning could be seen over the hills at guston and the rain was mainly over that way too.The clouds then rolled menacingly over the castle and then the harbour but the pier stayed on the edge thankfully.Eventually the clouds passed and a rainbow appeared over the harbour.Later that evening a magnificent sun dog appeared as the sun lowered in the west.The harbour was host to several adult med gulls and two hungry sandwich terns during the storm.

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WE`RE DOOMED

SITTING ON THE FENCE

WHEATEARBLACK REDSTARTBLACK REDSTARTAUTUMN GENTIANCOMMON LIZARD

DEVILS BIT SCABIOUSFIRECREST

The fences at Samphire Hoe are often very good for the odd bird or three,yesterday was no exception with wheatears meadow pipits and black redstarts obliging.In the afternoon a couple of common lizards were seen taking in the warm autumnal sunshine on the low wooden fence near the office and some autumn gentians were found alongside the railway fence.Today, Wednesday ,after a mornings chores I went to Langdon cliffs for a couple of hours after the rain had eased off.Eight corn buntings were in the linseed several chiff chaffs blackcaps and whitethroats were in the scrub along with a tit flock and a chaffinch influx. Moving on a firecrest was in the bushes on the lower tramway where a devils bit scabious was blooming.On the way back several whinchats  a lesser whitethroat and a raven were seen,quite a worthwhile afternoon stroll.

THE SPICE OF LIFE

WHINCHAT with grasshopperWHINCHATIts been a varied and busy week, with an early start at the Hoe on tuesday rewarded with a confiding whinchat,a butterfly transect,some sheep herding and a dragonfly count with Mr Holt.Wednesday morning at Langdon Cliffs produced quite good warbler counts but nothing unusual.News of the phalarope came through but as I had promised myself an afternoons gardening Ididn`t go but went to Elmley next day ,obviously everything of interest had gone, no phalarope curlew sands or stints but it was an enjoyable day in pleasant autumn sunshine regardless.It is amazing how easily we come to accept birds like avocets and little egrets as commonplace when not so long ago we`d have been jumping forjoy at seeing either,what next spoonbill, purple herons, common as muck?The mist nets were up at St Margarets at the weekend and saturday in particular produced a real mixed bag with grasshopper warbler the pick of the bunch.Sunday morning tried for wryneck at Sandwich no joy but did find a pied flycatcher in the Elms.The Spitfire Express from the Faversham Hop Fair came trough Kearsney in the afternoon,and it really had a shift on and was gone in seconds.Just got home the mobile went ,WRYNECK  AT HOE SHOWING WELL,got ther in record time only to learn that it had probably ended its days as a mascot on the front of the 1545 to charing cross,ho hum.GET DOWN SHEPIT HAD TO BE EWEMATING MIGRANT HAWKERSELMLEY HOUSE SPARROWELEPHANT HAWK MOTH CATERPILLARGARDEN WARBLERGRASSHOPPER WARBLER showing streaked rumpLESSER WHITETHROATCENTRE BARRED SALLOWFEATHERED GOTHICSPITFIRE EXPRESSJUVENILE STONECHAT

TALL SHIPS AND SOGGY SHOES

Last weekend was spent in Bremerhaven in the north of Germany visiting old friends and taking in the tall ships gathering there.It was an amazing spectacle,but the weather was wet wet wet from friday morning until  monday afternoon when we left for home..Friday afternoon was spent walking around the docks in the rain looking at the ships and dodging umbrellas,saturday afternoon did provide a small window of opportunity in between showers to take some photos but it was back to steady rain on sunday when a walk was taken around the headland at Cuxhaven.There were a couple of hundred eclipsed eiders in the bay atCuxhaven along with lots of swallows and martins,but the highlight of the birding was a flock of around 150 tree sparrows found at Spaden near to our base.On monday evening we came back to earth with a bump ,literally, when RYAN AIR dumped us on the runway at Stansted but at least it was dry.LOTH LORIENU BOAT WILHELM BAUERGOTHENBORG (SWEDEN)FIGUREHEAD GOTHENBORGGERMAN EAGLEAMERIGO VESPUCCI (ITALY)BOWSPRIT AMERIGO VESPUCCIMAINMAST A.V.ANOTHER STORM BREWINGRUSSIAN TRAINING SHIPTALL SHIPSBREMERHAVENS LEANING LIGHTDESERTED BEACH CUXHAVENCUXHAVEN BAY (in the rain)