Oare Marshes NR, North Kent ... 2nd April 2011

Paul made a visit to Oare Marshes NR in North Kent and managed to add 20 species to his year’s tally.

Highlights included two SPOTTED REDSHANKS (photos below), a LITTLE STINT and a SANDWICH TERN. Also a CORN BUNTING and a MERLIN were seen on Sheppey.

Holmethorpe SPs, Surrey …Feb 23rd - 31st Mar 2011

A DUNLIN was present at Spynes Mere on the 23rd Feb and the run of good waders continued when a CURLEW put in an appearance at Mercers West Pit on the 28th Feb.

A drake RED-CRESTED POCHARD of unknown origin dropped in on the 5th Mar and a PEREGRINE flew over Holmethorpe on the 6th Mar. Twenty-two WAXWINGS at The Moors NR on the 7th was a pleasant surprise and three JACK SNIPE and the first CHIFFCHAFF of the year appeared on the 8th Mar.

The 9th was a good day when a RED KITE drifted north over Holmethorpe and a first-winter WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was present with Greylags near Spynes Mere. A MEDITERRANEAN GULL was also found on Mercers Lake on the 9th, another first for the year locally. The WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE remained on the 10th before departing. On the same date, two JACK SNIPE were seen in flight.

The 11th produced a TAWNY OWL calling near Nutfield Ridge and the 13th saw nine WAXWINGS fly over and another sighting of two JACK SNIPE. A REDSHANK flew from a misty Water Colour Lagoon 1 on the 16th and headed west calling loudly. The drake RED-CRESTED POCHARD was seen again on the 17th when four LITTLE EGRETS were seen, although up to three egrets were present throughout the period. Two DUNLIN dropped in at Spynes Mere on the 18th and a RED KITE and a pair of PEREGRINES were seen on the 19th. The first SAND MARTINS of the year, five birds, were seen on the 20th, when another PEREGRINE put in an appearance.

Excitement on the 21st when Holmethorpe’s second site record of HEN HARRIER, a ringtail, flew north. A PEREGRINE, a male BRAMBLING and the first pair of BLACKCAPS appeared on the 22nd and the following day the first LITTLE RINGED PLOVER of the year dropped in. Two male RED-CRESTED POCHARDS were present on the 24th along with another two BRAMBLINGS. The first SWALLOW and WILLOW WARBLER of the year were seen on the 25th and a RED KITE and the year’s first local HOUSE MARTIN appeared on the 27th.

More excitement was provided on the 29th when two AVOCETS spent the day at Mercers West Pit. The same date provided the first local SEDGE WARBLER of 2011.

April holds the promise of more spring migrants and, hopefully, a spring overshoot will put in an appearance at Holmethorpe Sand Pits.

Blog on hold.....

As most of my birding is going to be concentrated at my local patch at Holmethorpe Sand Pits, near Redhill, Surrey this year and Paul has had other commitments taking up much of his time, there will only be occasional updates to this blog during most of 2011.

All the daily sightings for Holmethorpe Sand Pits can still be found at

http://holmethorpe.blogspot.com/

Graham

Another wader pays Holmethorpe SPs a brief visit ... 20th-22nd February 2011

The pair of SHELDUCK have remained at Spynes Mere throughout and on the 20^th Gordon Hay found a flock of 34 Lesser Redpolls at Mercers Country Park but no Mealies were amongst them.
Also on the 20^th, Ian Kehl found three Treecreepers, also at Mercers CP, which is a high count for the area. Redwings are still present in reasonable numbers with Gordon finding around 60 birds on the 20^th.


The pair of Shelduck remain faithful to Spynes Mere.

On the 21^st and 22^nd, the LITTLE EGRET was seen again at The Moors NR and, on the morning of the 21^st, ten Wigeon had appeared at Mercers West Pit, the count rising to 13 birds by the afternoon. Gordon added a Common Buzzard to the day’s tally and counted 25 Fieldfares, numbers of which have definitely started to drop in the area. On the same day, I had a good count of 162 Common Gulls on Spynes Mere in the morning.


Wigeon in the gloom.

The 22^nd proved to be another wader day with Gordon Hay finding a DUNLIN on the sandspit at Spynes Mere in the early afternoon, I managed to see it for a while up to 2.10 p.m. but by the time Neil Randon managed to get there just before 3 p.m., the bird had flown, presumably flushed by a fox that was wandering about on the sandspit.
During the morning, I had heard a Water Rail calling along the southern bank of Mercers Lake but it took about 15 minutes for it to briefly reveal itself. Only one drake Wigeon remained from yesterday's arrival. Gordon counted 131 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Spynes Mere and 2 Green Sandpipers on Mercers West Pit.

Dunlin at Spynes Mere.

With a Grey Plover and a Ringed Plover being seen at Beddington SF, only ten miles or so to the north of Holmethorpe SPs, and a Curlew dropping into Canon’s Farm at Banstead, also only a few miles away, over the past few days, it is obvious that waders are on the move in the grey and gloomy conditions, so we await our next arrival.

Graham