We have been subjected to a double dose of Easterly beasterly this month the first brought fieldfares to the garden a jack snipe to Russell gardens and woodcock and snipe to samphire hoe.
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| FIELDFARES IN THE GARDEN,taken through the square window. |
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FIELDFARE
The Jack Snipe ,smaller cousin of the Common Snipe, was found by Mark Kennet in Russell Gardens,by the time I got there it was almost dark so the pics are not the sharpest. |
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| JACK SNIPE |
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| JACK SNIPE probing for worms on the banks of the stream. |
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| JACK SNIPE |
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JACK SNIPE,it was eventually chased off by a Lapwing another odd visitor to the park.
ICE WATERFALL
ICE WATERFALL |
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| SHORT EARED OWL at Seasalter. |
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| DISPLAYING GOLDENEYES at ARC Dungeness,wish I could move my neck like that. |
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| GREAT CRESTED GREBE,many can be seen on the sea in the winter months,there used to be a regular group of up to 40 in the harbour, have seen very few this winter. |
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| GREAT CRESTED GREBE,this one was off the Hoe |
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| ROCK PIPIT on the west beach at Samphire Hoe. |
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| CROW AT THE HOE |
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SAILING BY- KRUZENSHTERN a German sail training ship.
The Kearsney Abbey Drake PINTAIL showed well and revealed that he is not ringed.
PINTAIL
PINTAIL no leg rings.
MISTLE THRUSH they are early breeders and may already have young.
MISTLE THRUSH on the Dover Rugby pitch.
BLACKCAP not sure if this is an early migrant or an overwintering bird.
BLACKCAP - seen along the river at Barton Path.
STONECHAT one of the colour ringed birds at Samphire Hoe
STONECHAT ringed by the East Kent Ringing Group as a study in Stonechat behaviour and movement so keep an eye out for them please.
PRIMROSES
HOW NOW BROWN SHEEP.
BUZZARD probably the most common raptor in Kent now.
BRENT GEESE ON MIGRATION
The second beast from the east brought us this...
BLUETHROAT my first attempts were dogged by poor light and the bird stubbornly favouring the muddy ditch of Dengemarsh Gully.
BLUETHROAT
BLUETHROAT
BLUETHROAT,However I was pleased to see only my second British record and my first male. |
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| FLOTILLA OF MALLARD at Lade |
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| DRAKE MALLARD |
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| WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN |
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| EGYPTIAN GOOSE at Dengemarsh |
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FIRECREST caught in the gully.
FIRECREST. |
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| CHIFF CHAFF also caught in the gully. |
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| BLUETHROAT,eventually when the sun emerged I went for seconds and was lucky enough to see the bird in a better light |
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| BLUETHROAT I make no apology for the following sequence of shots. |
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| BLUETHROAT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| BT |
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| AIDA VITA The first of the years cruise ships at Dover. |
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| GANNET many have been seen feeding off the Hoe this month. |
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| GANNET |
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| SEAL WITH FLATFISH |
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| SEAL WITH CODLING |
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| BLACK HEADED GULLs have got their black (actually brown)heads back. |
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| BHG |
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| GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL |
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| GBBG |
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| BLACK REDSTART |
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| LONG TAILED DUCK one of the overwintering pair at Lade South pit. |
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| LTD |
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| LTD |
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| RED NECKED GREBE this lovely bird was seen at Lade in its superb breeding plumage. |
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RED NECKED GREBE
Last Sunday morning after a fruitless search for a Wheatear at Samphire Hoe I ended up at the allotment at Temple Ewell,as I arrived the gulls were going absolutely nuts so obviously something was in the air,it turned out to be this White Stork which has been doing a tour of East Kent for a few days whilst on route for its home in Sweden. |
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WHITE STORK
WHITE STORK when seen on the ground it is ringed
WHITE STORK and is part of a Swedish breeding programme.
That's about all for this month,still no Wheatear at the Hoe as I write,Happy Easter to one and all,see you out and about soon. |
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