Reunion in Kent.

On Tuesday I arranged a day out with David, an ex-RHS work colleague, who has moved to Kent to restart his life again. Our day started at Oare Marshes where I  met David, his wife June and most unexpectedly Rob, one of their sons, who has got the birding bug. 

With a nearly clear blue sky and not a breath of wind we headed out along the sea wall and scanning the bushes around the car park produced Reed Buntings and Meadow Pipits. The mudflats were littered with Redshanks but our attention very quickly turned to a pale ghostly shape quartering over the inland marsh.

The direction of the sun and the flight path of the Barn Owl failed to provide a very close encounter but we watched this individual for over half an hour as it searched for a meal and I managed a few record shots.

Our eyes soon returned to a search of the sky over Sheppey and we soon latched onto several Marsh Harriers and possibly a Buzzard. Bearded Tits were often heard as we wandered slowly but never showed themselves. At the sea wall hide we added Avocets (40+), Shelduck, Cormorant, a female Sparrowhawk mobbing a Harrier plus the usual Gulls. 

The East Flood held the expected Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Shovellers, Coot, Moorhen, Redshank, Lapwing, a single Ruff, a dozen Common Snipe and masses of Golden Plover (pictured above). The waders took flight as a Peregine flew fairly high over the marsh heading westwards without stopping to hunt for a meal. On the western side we added Greylag Geese, Mute Swan, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Kestrel plus Starlings, Dunlin and Pied Wagtails.

David & Rob.

After consuming our packed lunches we headed inland towards 'Stodders' and my hosts stopped on the edge of an area of farmland to enable me to scope out two Whooper Swans (tick for 2010) distantly amoungst a group of Mute Swans but no sign of any Bewick's. Our afternoon was spent at Grove Ferry.

Scanning from The Mound we found the usual Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard on the pools but no other waders. The chat soon got around to our chances of finding a Bittern and scanning with the scope along one of the furthermost reed banks I located the camouflaged 'head up' shape standing partly hidden by the reeds.

This digiscoped image has been heavily cropped but you should be able to make out the browner shape of the Bittern just off centre-right. It soon started moving and then disappeared from view. During our leisurely stroll to two of the hides we heard both Water Rail and several Cetti's Warblers. A number of sightings of Marsh Harriers, mainly males and just when neither of us had our cameras ready a fly past by another Bittern!

 

Unfortunately this was all I could manage as it disappeared to our left in the fading light. My day in Kent ended at David's new home with a fish pie supper which was greatfully appreciated after a glorious day out on the Kent marshes in good company before I made my way home in the dark.  FAB.