OCTOBERCRESTS

GBBGULLS(Dungeness)

GBBGULL

SONG THRUSH

GOLDCREST

SISKINFIRECREST

FIRECREST

YELLOW LEGGED GULL

JUVENILE MEDITERRANEAN GULL(Samphire Hoe)

Things have quietened down on the bird front since the wind  went back to the westerly quarter,though a few swallows  house martins and chiff chaffs are trickling south still.Highlights of the week have been a yellow legged gull at Dungeness on thursday,a short eared owl at Fan Bay on saturday morning and firecrest, goldcrests and a male siskin trapped at St Margarets this morning(sunday).A single male brambling was also seen in the sycamores near the lighthouse.

AUTUMN LEAVES -WINTER DRAWS ON

BUSHY RUFF

AUTUMN LEAF

GREY SQUIRREL

RUSSELL  GARDENS

This morning I made a quick visit to Bushy Ruff  because I had noticed yesterday some glorious autumnal colours in the park there,a still,frosty scene awaited,the sun was just lighting the day as I arrived.
After this I set off for Elmley RSPB on Sheppey arriving about lunchtime,the day remained sunny with a fresh but not uncomfortable north westerly breeze,unfortunately birds were not so obliging,I have not seen the scrapes so devoid of birds before,even at high tide there were just a few lapwings and a couple of black tailed godwits,The Swale was a bit more lively with great crested grebes and shelduck outside the hide and about 200 avocets flying by.My main quarry today though were owls,only having seen one little owl this year.

LITTLE OWL 1

BTGODWITME AND MY SHADOW

LITTLE OWL 2LAPWINGROOK ELMLEY

SHEPPEY SUNSET

As the sun sank slowly in the west I wandered back down the track,finding a little owl sunning itself in the middle of the oak tree, Iwas then distracted by a strange phenonemon, the sun was casting a very long shadow of myself on the field in front of me and it was surrounded by a halo effect, I tried to capture it ,but not very well i`m afraid.Digression over,a short eared owl then put in an appearance,flying low over the nearby fields then diving into a reed fringed piece of long grass not to be seen again,it either caught something and ate it in situ or slipped away un noticed into the twilight.It was now pretty dark so I left for home only to see a barn owl from the car right by the entrance gate,happy days.

LAST WEEK THROUGH THE LENS

GREY PLOVER

DAWN SUNDAY LANGDON BAYREDPOLL in hand Sunday am.FULL MOON WANING Sunday am

WHITE CLIFFS

COMMON SEAL Dover Harbour

TURNSTONE Prince of Wales Pier

SPARROWHAWK Worth Marshes Thursday pm

RAVEN Langdon Cliffs Thurday

BLACK TAILED GODWITS, OAREGOLDFINCH in garden

GREY PLOVER WITH DUNLINGREY PLOVER Oare

CURLEW leucistic Oare wednesdayKESTREL Langdon Hole

RING OUZEL Langdon Hole monday

SUNDAY BEST

Today was a birdwatching sunday treat;an earlyish start about 0730 found Langdon Hole packed with birds,first a wheatear on the path,goldfinches,chaffinches,greenfinches,bramblings and goldcrests filled the bushes,redwings blackbirds and song thrushes could be seen devouring the rich harvest of ripe haws,whilst swirling in the breeze and passing within a  few feet of my head large waves of swallows and house martins were feeding up prior to their ensuing cross channel flight.More than twenty grey partridge were flushed from the long grass,skylarks and meadow pipits were arriving from overseas and half a dozen pied wagtails and siskins a pair of reed buntings and a lone great spotted woodpecker flew east into the stiff breeze.
Moving on to the south foreland valley,five little egrets were feeding in rock pools far below the cliff edge,more goldfinches were on the move and a linnet flock of about 150 was on the ploughed field.Blackcaps,chiffs and three lesser whitethroats had joined forces with more goldcrests and a small flock of tits in the valley but the elusive yellow browed warbler could not be seen or heard.The grand finale was a dogfight between a peregrine and a raven which ended in an honourable draw.

DOGFIGHT AT S.F.V.

GOLDFINCHSWALLOW

BRAMBLINGCHAFFINCH

SAMPHIRE HOEING

COMMON GULL ON THE ROCKS

TUFTED DUCK

SISKIN

GOLDFINCH ON TEASLE

ROBIN IN FULL SONG

KESTREL HOVERING

NEW MOON

Tuesday morning at the Hoe was full of promise bird wise,but the hope of a rarity dimmed as the day wore on.There were ,however a few unusual bits and pieces such as a tufted duck on the main pond,a bedraggled juvenile siskin grounded near the railway,lots of goldfinches passing through,a ring ouzel ,several goldcrests and a late wheatear in the sheep enclosure.Meadow pipit numbers are increasing, about 50 now,17 robins were singing,stonechats are still present as are several black redstarts.Kestrel sparrowhawk and peregrine are regular raptors there,Rock pipits are increasing on the west beach and the ravens are quite often seen flying by.Last night the waxing crescent moon made a fine sight at dusk,and if you want to see stars as they should be seen go along the ancient highway at Deal on a clear night, you can actually see the milky way.