Cliffe Pools and Elmley, Kent ... Thursday 9th September 2010

We arrived at the RSPB reserve at Cliffe Pools just before 6 a.m. but we were not expecting to find much in the way of waders as the tide was low.


Sunrise over RSPB Cliffe Pools.

As we made our way towards Flamingo Pool, 28 Little Egrets flew over in small flocks and a Cetti’s Warbler called from the bushes by the path. Scanning the pool to our left, I noticed a BLACK-NECKED GREBE amongst the many Little Grebes and Coots.


BLACK-NECKED GREBE (Graham)

On arrival at Flamingo Pool, there was an obvious lack of birds, with just 2 Avocets, a Black-tailed Godwit and a few Little Egrets present, so we headed on to the river. Along the foreshore, 3 YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS were present and a couple of Ringed Plovers flew through – little else though.


LITTLE EGRETS (Graham)


YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (Graham)

Deciding that we would be better off spending the rest of the day at Elmley, we headed back towards the car. The Black-necked Grebe was still present and quite a large number of waders had appeared on the same pool. Around 60 Redshanks and a Spotted Redshank were roosting, with an Oystercatcher and a Common Sandpiper also present and a fly-through Greenshank.


BLACK-NECKED GREBE (Graham)


SPOTTED REDSHANK (Graham)

Amazingly, it took us almost an hour to drive from Cliffe to Elmley (a lot longer than it had taken us to travel from Surrey to Cliffe) and we arrived at 10.45 a.m., still a good time to arrive though as high tide was at 2 p.m.
The list of birds seen was fairly good with raptors much in evidence: 2 Peregrines, 2 Hobby, 1 (possibly 2) Merlin, 4 Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrels and 3 Marsh Harriers.


MERLIN (Graham)

Waders were plentiful, with around 40 Curlews, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Curlew Sandpiper, 8 Little Stints, a Spotted Redshank, 15+ Dunlin, 3 Ruff, 70+ Avocets, 200+ Lapwings, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 25+ Ringed Plovers, a Turnstone, 5 Grey Plovers and 12 Common Snipe.


CURLEW SANDPIPER (Graham)


LITTLE STINT (Graham)


GREY PLOVER (Graham)


RUFF (Graham)


SPOTTED REDSHANK (Graham)

A single Common Tern was along the seawall and passerines included around 30 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler and numerous Meadow Pipits.


YELLOW WAGTAIL (Graham)


WHEATEAR (Graham)


WHINCHAT (Graham)


Threatening sky before sunset.


(VIDEO) Black-necked Grebe, Little Egret, Little Stint, Merlin, Wheatear & Spotted Redshank (Graham)

We left Elmley at about 7 p.m.

Paul and Graham