Kearsney Birder

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

REMEMBER REMEMBER THE COVID NOVEMBER.

Another month of lockdown,which basically meant not being able to go to the pub,last time I stayed at home, went to the allotment and that was it basically,but this time it seems that every day was treated like a bank holiday with crowds of people out exercising whenever the sun shone,and it was a fairly good month weatherewise throughout November.

There have been some interesting sightings too

RAVENS are regular visitors to Samphire Hoe,quite often heard before seen.

STONECHAT the colour ringing scheme continues with several more caught and ringed this month.

GOLDCREST several of these diminutive birds arrived at the Hoe early in the month having survived the hazardous crossing of the North Sea.

ROBIN numbers increased too with up to 20 squabbling over territory

GOLDCREST,here`s how it gets its name.

GOLDCREST

GLAUCOUS GULL this first winter bird was found at Hythe and stayed a few days.

A few arrive most winters from the far north of Europe.

WHITE WINGER

REDSHANK one of five seen in Folkestone Harbour.

MEDITTERANEAN GULL a large wintering population can be seen around Folkestone Harbour and the East Cliff/Copt Point area.

MED GULLS

CATTLE EGRET doing what they do best.

MOORHEN

GREY WAGTAIL at Bushy Ruff.

CETTIS WARBLER more often heard than seen.

News of a Mega rarity at Kingsdown got the local birding fraternity excited.The Crag Martin is a relative of the Sand and House Martin and is normally confined to rocky gorges and old castles in the south of Europe,however this one has decided to have a look up north.

CRAG MARTIN

JAO LOKESH an Indian oil tanker changing crew off Dover.

As the bird had stayed and the weather improved had another visit to try for better photos

GREY PARTRIDGES seen in the fields along the Ancient Highway.

GREY PARTRIDGE

RAZORBILL this one was seen near the Dover Lifeboat Station.

RAZORBILL,there was also a Kingfisher in the area but it was not posing for photos.

COMMON SCOTER this single female was seen at Samphire Hoe.

CRAG MARTIN is now commuting between Kingsdown and Samphire Hoe and is still attracting much attention.

MICKEY IN THE MIST- DISNEY MAGIC leaving for Brest on Saturday morning.

A walk along Princes Parade Hythe on Sunday gave good views of this Juvenile WHITE FRONTED GOOSE on the Imperial Golf course.

WFG several hundred birds arrived in East Kent over the weekend from Russia,this one must have got separated from its family group.

WFG

WHITE FRONTED GEESE - SAMPHIRE HOE These three are adults and probably came down in the fog on Monday morning.

Now for a few late moths.

FEATHERED THORN

SILVER Y

RED GREEN CARPET

DECEMBER MOTH

MOTTLED UMBER.

The moth trap will now be put away until the early spring unless we get a really mild spell.

Well thats it for now stay safe and enjoy Tier 3,see you later folks.

Sunday, 1 November 2020

OCTOBER FEST

The weather outside is frightful and has been all month,although there have been a few good birds in Kent I have contrived to miss most of them.

I mentioned in the last post about some juvenile Red Backed Shrikes being very confiding, well this one has been entertaining Kent birders at St Marys Bay for the last few weeks.

RED BACKED SHRIKE

-RED BACKED SHRIKE

Also at the same site someone found a solitary Shorelark

SHORELARK

Meanwhile on Worth Marshes a Great Grey Shrike has been hanging out on an off for most of the month,it has been respectful of social distancing unfortunately, but here is a record shot from distance,heavily cropped.