OH TO BE IN ENGLAND

 April is always a busy month on the bird front with summer visitors arriving and winter birds leaving for their breeding grounds further north.Wheatears were thin on the ground without a single bird being seen at the Hoe until well into April,in fact we had had two more Hoopoes than Wheatears at one point.

THE SECOND SAMPHIRE HOE HOOPOE OF THE SPRING.

ROCK PIPIT -SAMPHIRE HOE

BLACK TAILED GODWIT -OARE MARSHES

BARNACLE GOOSE -DUNGENESS

MARSH HARRIER WITH MARSH FROG FOR THE MRS.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE -DUNGENESS

MARSH HARRIER -STODMARSH

MARSH HARRIER

HOOPOE -SAMPHIRE HOE

CORN BUNTING -LANGDON CLIFFS

Arriving quite late at the cliffs on Sunday morning, as I parked up I spotted this huge bird by the Coastguard Station ,I jumped out grabbed my camera and shot a few frames off as it quicly,effortlessly flew towards St Margarets being pursued by the local Ravens.When you think a Raven is as big as a Buzzard you can see how much larger the WTE is, no wonder it is called the flying barn door.

WHITE TAILED EAGLE -WHITE CLIFFS DOVER

WTE BEING MOBBED BY LOCAL RAVENS,

SEDGE WARBLER

WHITETHROAT

GARGANEY -STODMARSH

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SHOVELLER TAKING FLIGHT.-STODMARSH

CATTLE EGRETS STODMARSH

CATTLE EGRET 

HOBBY -STODMARSH

MY FIRST WHEATEAR OF THE SPRING AT SAMPHIRE HOE they usually arrive in mid March.

SKYLARK -SAMPHIRE HOE at least four pairs are holding territory this year.

RING OUZEL -SAMPHIRE HOE 

RING OUZEL this female was spotted feeding early one morning and unusually stayed a few days.

RING OUZEL

A SECOND WHEATEAR.

CORN BUNTING STILL SINGING AWAY- LANGDON CLIFFS.

WHITETHROAT-LANGDON HOLE

WHITETHROAT

REED WARBLER- DUNGENESS

STONECHAT CHATTERING AT SAMPHIRE HOE

SHOWING OFF HIS BLING.

AND HIS PARTNER LILAC/PINK.

A FLEDGLING ROBIN AT SAMPHIRE HOE

SOME OF THE 70 BAR TAILED GODWITS AT LADE

SEDGE WARBLER ON A MISTY MORNING AT STODMARSH.

CETTIS WARBLER STODMARSH More often heard than seen but in the spring they sometimes show more readily.

CETTIS WARBLER displaying his erect tail.

COOTS ARE PROLIFIC BREEDERS.

YOUNG COOT.

CUCKOO IN THE DISTANCE.STODMARSH.

Butterflies have been having a good Spring with many species emerging early.

I will do a seperate blog for them soon. TTFN.

SLOW MARCH INTO SPRING

 The first birds to quicken the pulse were the Serins at Restharrow Scrape, managed a few record shots on my second attempt to see them.

MALE SERIN

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FEMALE KESTREL -LANGDON CLIFFS

MALE CORMORANT DOVER HARBOUR.

MAGPIE SAMPHIRE HOE.

MEADOW PIPIT SAMPHIRE HOE

DRAKE POCHARD -DUNGENESS 

COMMA  ORLESTONE FOREST

FALLOW DEER -ORLESTONE FOREST

STAG FALLOW DEER 

PEACOCK

BRIMSTONE

RAVEN AT SAMPHIRE HOE

MALE BLACK REDSTART LANGDON CLIFFS

COLOUR RINGED STONECHATS ARE RETURNING TO SAMPHIRE HOE.

RED /PALE BLUE MALE.

BLACK SWAN AT STODMARSH a visitor from down under.

SNIPE AT STODMARSH Keeping a wary eye on the sky.

SONG THRUSH STODMARSH.

REED BUNTING STODMARSH

UNUSUAL VISITORS AT THE HOE -A PAIR OF GADWALL-Same day as The HOOPOE turned up but I missed it.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER -WORTH.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

DELFT SEAWAYS Heading for Dunkirk

SPIRIT OF FRANCE approaching Dover.

COASTGUARD CHOPPER OVER THE CLIFFS.

COLTS FOOT 

A PAIR OF GOATS HAVE TAKEN UP RESIDENCE AT THE HOE TO HELP KEEP THE BRAMBLES IN CHECK.

35028 CLAN LINE Steaming through samphire hoe.

STILL HAVENT SEEN A WHEATEAR THIS SPRING!