Sunday 30 January 2011

Monday 17 January 2011

Snowy-headed Wonders

Northern Long-tailed Tit

Northern Long-tailed Tit

Northern Long-tailed Tit

Northern Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Shoveler

Sunday 16 January 2011

Westcliff-on-Sea

Ring-billed Gull


Ring-billed Gull


Ring-billed Gull


Sunday 9 January 2011

North Norfolk Coast

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank
American & Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Thanet

Foreness (Kent): Visiting relatives at Westgate today, we took a couple of hours out to look around the coast at Foreness and Westgate: Fulmar (4), Eider (1), Ring-necked Parakeet (5), Peregrine (1) and Rock Pipits (3).

Fulmar

Fulmar

Curlew

Oystercatcher

Redshank & Turnstone

Great Black-backed Gull


Monday 3 January 2011

KOS Field Trip: Dungeness

Dungeness (Kent): We joined others for the KOS organised Gull 'workshop' at 09:00 lead by Andy Lawson who delivered a very enjoyable day to all that attended. Starting at the coast, there was a noticeable large movement of Red-throated Divers moving east, a first winter Glaucous Gull, Gannets (6), Guillemot, Kittiwakes and a Merlin that gave chase relentlessly to a small passerine!

A little after an hour later we moved to the 'patch' where much sifting through Gulls took place. An interesting second winter Herring Gull 'type' was located and there was much discussion about whether it was a Caspian or not, but as with many Gulls of this type the final identity will probably remain inconclusive. Other birds located here though included: Mediterranean Gull (winter adult), Peregrine (1) and a distant Skua that those present agreed was most likely an Arctic Skua.

Moving onto the RSPB Reserve: Black-necked Grebe (1), Smew (1 male, 4 female), Goosander (2 male, 3 female), Bittern (1), Goldeneye (1 female), Little Egret (2) and Marsh Harriers (2) added significantly to the days highlights. As the afternoon wore on, a final visit to the 'patch' was made to again view the Gulls; on this occasion what was certainly a first winter Caspian Gull and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull were located concluding an enjoyable visit to the Dungeness area.

Glaucous Gull

Glaucous Gull

Smew

Common Seal

Common Seal

Sunday 2 January 2011

Chatham Maritime, Cliffe & (Ito Way), Gillingham

Following a late night we decided to start the new year at a fairly relaxed pace, primarily at Cliffe, dropping into nearby Chatham Maritime on route. It was at the Maritime basins we arrived to good views of a Shag that was swimming and feeding fairly close to the basin wall. Moving onto nearby Cliffe (Alpha Pool), we saw: Velvet Scoter (1), Eider (1 female), Red-breasted Merganser (1 female), Goldeneye (2 female), Marsh Harrier (1), Redwing (2), Scaup (1 male, 1 immature male & 2 females) and a Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid.

Finally as the light fell away and the weather deteriorated around 15:30, we headed through Gillingham and were fortunate to come across three Waxwings near to where Ito Way meets Sharps Green on the edge of the Medway Estuary.

Shag
 
Great Crested Grebe

Velvet Scoter