SEPTEMBER - MY AUTUMN ALMANAC

The month began with the news of a Red Backed Shrike at Abbotscliffe on the old rifle range.

Record shot of the Red Backed Shrike

Some juvenile RBS are very approachable,this one however was very wary.

MEADOW PIPIT

MOL TRIBUTE

CLOUDED YELLOW - The first of the year for me.

This one was seen near Dans Dock at Oare.

YELLOWHAMMER

AT LANGDON HOLE.

KESTREL LANGDON HOLE.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER-WORTH MARSHES.

DISNEY MAGIC LEAVING DOVER.

COMMON REDSTART LANGDON HOLE

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After my walk on the cliffs I got a call from Paul Holt about a Wryneck at Abbotscliffe,It had taken about 40 years of birdwatching to see my first of these migrant woodpeckers so I dropped everything and went to see it.

WRYNECK a former breeding bird  sadly now only seen on migration ,mostly in autumn.

this one eventually came out of the long grass 

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WHEATEARS are one of the more common migrant birds seen on their way to Africa.

WASP SPIDER AT SAMPHIRE HOE  another autumn speciality.

ANOTHER WHEATEAR or WHITEARSE so called because of its vivid white rump which shows in flight.

ADONIS BLUE AT SAMPHIRE HOE a late second brood often appears in September here.

HOUSE MARTINS gathering at the Dover Patrol memorial before leaving for the winter.

PECTORAL SANDPIPERS AT WORTH MARSHES,AMERICAN WADERS A FEW OF THESE TURN UP MOST YEARS.

A FRESH LOOKING COMMA.

PEC SAND

PEC SAND

PEC SAND

PEC SAND

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER - OARE, ANOTHER YANKEE REFUGEE.

CHIFF CHAFF

WALL BROWN A LATE 3RD GENERATION ALONG THE COAST THIS YEAR.

-WALL BROWN is becoming much less common.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN DAY.3 SPITFIRES AT CAPEL LE FERNE.

BROWN ARGUS - KINGSDOWN LEAS

-Despite its brown colour the Brown Argus is a member of the Blue family.

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-FEMALE COMMON BLUE

-LONG TAILED BLUE Eventually managed to find two on the everlasting pea on Kingsdown Leas.

Long Tailed Blues are slowly establishing as a breeding species it seems, with small numbers in Kent and Sussex.-

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A visit to the North Kent coast to look for waders on the beaches

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BAR TAILED GODWIT WITH A JUICY LUG WORM.

BTG

SANDERLING

-STILL SHOWING SOME SUMMER PLUMAGE

A PAIR OF KNOT

KNOT-  the name is a corruption of the name KNUT or CANUTE the king who tried to stop the tide coming in.

they are usually in large flocks

-KNOT AND SANDERLING

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LITTLE STINT is about the same size as a sparrow,they breed in the Arctic and a few stop off to refuel on migration.

There were two happily feeding alongside the other waders in the pools and the sea weed.

LITTLE STINT

DUNLIN

LITTLE STINT

LITTLE STINT

DUNLIN

LITTLE STINT

OYSTERCATCHER

ONE LAST PIC OF THE LITTLE STINT.

WALL BROWN

COMMON SANDPIPER ON THE ROCKS AT SAMPHIRE HOE

JAY WITH ACORNS AT TEMPLE EWELL

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BLUE BLUE ELECTRIC BLUE.

SMALL COPPER

SMALL COPPER

GREY PHALAROPE One of three found between Minnis Bay and Reculver.

SANDWICH TERN on the beach at Minnis Bay

MSC LAUSANNE heading down channel.

A NEWLY ARRIVED JUVENILE BLACKBIRD LANGDON HOLE.

And to finish a few Moths from the month.

BURNISHED BRASS

LARGE WAINSCOT

BLACK RUSTIC

FEATHERED RANUNCULUS.

IRON PROMINENT CATERPILLAR-a couple of months ago an Iron Prominent laid some eggs in the trap,I kept them and eventually a few hatched,the cats initially were tiny and made slow progress then this one became the sole survivor, having presumably cannabalised its siblings.I fed it with birch leaves until it was ready to pupate then provided a flower pot of compost,it wasted no time in burrowing into the soil,where it will spend the winter .

AUTUMNAL RUSTIC

A SQUADRON OF LUNAR UNDERWINGS.

Thats all for now folks TTFN.