Wednesday 16 January 2019

JANUARY- ANOTHER YEAR BEGINS.

New Years Day fell on a Tuesday so I didn`t do my normal new year wander along the River Dour,but spent it at the Hoe counting sheep and cows.
Next morning was nice and bright so starting at Bushy Ruff and ending in the Wellington Dock I followed the Dour through Dover.A Tufted Duck,a pair of Wigeon and plenty of Little Grebes in Bushy Ruff,Nuthatch,Coal Tit and Goldcrest in the Abbey were the highlights no sign of Kingfisher though.


 Colour ringed STONECHAT-Green/White
GREY HERON on the fountain in Kearsney Abbey.
 LITTLE EGRET
LITTLE EGRET
In the past I have seen a dozen Grey Wagtails on this walk,this year just the one spotted in Pencester Gardens while waiting for the bus home.


 GREY WAGTAIL
 GREY WAGTAIL
GREY WAGTAIL
 CURLEW departing Rest Harrow scrape.










 SEARCHER the Border Force Cutter arriving at Ramsgate.










 LINNET
 LITTLE OWL at Pigswell Lydd
 BARNACLE GOOSE FLY BY.
 BARNACLE GOOSE SCOTNEY
 A WINTERING WHIMBREL AT OARE.
 WHIMBREL in flight.


As I left Hampton Pier I saw what I thought must be a Snow Bunting fly into the kiddies playground,as it was occupied I didn't investigate further, but luckily as I reached my car it flew out onto the path and as is often the case with single birds it was quite confiding.
 MALE SNOW BUNTING





 PURPLE SANDPIPER at Hampton Pier Herne Bay
 PURPLE SANDPIPER
 Three CATTLE EGRETS remain in the horse paddock near Boulderwall Farm
 CATTLE EGRET
 CATTLE EGRET
 AN EARLY MORNING SUN DOG AT SAMPHIRE HOE
 HMS MERSEY
Air support provided by a possible GREAT NORTHERN DIVER
 HMS MERSEY


 PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR TWITE
 DID YOU DO THAT?
 TWITE AT RYE HARBOUR
 TWITE Uncommon winter visitors these days.
 TWITE
 TWIN TWITE TWITTERING
TWITE
 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER in failing light off Sandgate-remember that profile.
 GND at max ISO
 GND
GND.
A walk in the woods at Bossenden and Blean gave me Nuthatch and Redpoll respectively to add to my year list,if of course I kept one. The most notable thing especially at Bossenden was the number of Grey Squirrels,they must surely be having a detrimental affect on our woodland breeding birds.
 NUTHATCH
NUTHATCH
And now some extremely dodgy record shots of Redpolls feeding in the top of a silver birch in Blean woods.Ive not got to grips with Mealy and Lesser so Collins  Common is good enough for me.
 COMMON REDPOLL





Tuesday 1 January 2019

THE END OF THE YEAR SHOW.

Now where did I get to? about mid December I think well here are a few shots from the last half of the month.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER RAMSGATE HARBOUR

G N  DIVER





MOORHEN on the River Dour

COOT in the same area.

LITTLE EGRET near Crabble Corn Mill

LITTLE EGRET

A pair of WHOOPER SWANS at Scotney in East Sussex



WHOOPER with a MUTE SWAN for comparison.





SHORT EARED OWL AT RCPGC Deal.




BAR TAILED GODWIT Restharrow Scrape












SEO

SEO

SEO
And now for something completely different,some interesting cirrus clouds.




RAISING STEAM AT SAMPHIRE HOE

PAST AND PRESENT

A SINGLE REDWING has been feeding in my garden for a couple of weeks.

A visit to Shirley Moor near Woodchurch  failed to produce the Great Grey Shrike but a hunting Barn Owl at 11am was ample compensation.













KITTIWAKES on the ADMIRALTY PIER Dover



And to finish the year off with a Goldeneye and a dozen Goosanders from Dungeness on New Years Eve.
 GOLDENEYE

 CALLING



 12 GOOSANDERS on Burrowes  5 drakes and 7 ducks.

 All of a sudden they were off heading towards Lydd.
HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS.