Sunday 27th July 2025
Oare Marshes NNR
Ashdown Bird Group + East Grinstead RSPB Local Group
(13 members present)
Today’s
visit took us back to the idyllic Kent Wildlife Trust reserve at Oare Marshes
on the north Kent coast. It was the obvious choice of venue, with
numerous waders and other interesting birds reported there recently.
Things turned out better than expected as we saw at least 65 bird species,
including some absolute stunners.
The
weather was very favourable with dry, warm conditions and a gentle
breeze. This was a joint meeting, with the majority of today's attendees
being members of both groups.
We started at the slipway and followed the clockwise route around the East Flood. After lunch, we headed west along the sea wall to Dan’s Dock before returning by the same path to the car park
Many birds made the headlines today, and I have
attempted to place them in some sort of order below:-
Bonaparte's Gull
Top of the list was the Bonaparte's gull. This American
vagrant has become quite a local celebrity. It
returned here on 2nd July for the 13th consecutive summer and has been
present every day since.
We spotted it right at the start of our visit on the mudflats east of
the slipway. Luckily, it was not too far away, and our photographers quickly
set about capturing images. As you can see from Phil's photos, the gull is
transitioning from its summer plumage and is just beginning to lose its black
head colouration.
Spoonbill
We expected to see a spoonbill, and we were not disappointed as the bird could be seen on the East Flood from almost every vantage point along the perimeter path. Chris's photograph shows the bird in the water with many other waders, while Patrick's image is of the bird in flight.
We were less confident of seeing a turtle dove as they
are notoriously difficult to track. Thankfully, our luck was in
today. After a tip off from another
visiting bird group, we got good views near the Harty Ferry Cottages, where one
was sitting on the wires just below the main overhead cables.
For many in the group, this was the first sighting of a turtle dove in
2025; others had seen one in our earlier trip to the Knepp Estate in May.
Another bird we hoped to see was the yellow wagtail.
Mark T saw one associating with the cattle in the fields by the Harty Ferry
Cottages right at the start of our visit. However,
our best sightings were obtained in the afternoon when we visited Dan's Dock,
where we saw at least ten in what was a very lively and entertaining display,
firstly on the disused, concrete buildings in the fields close to Dan's Dock and
then at Dan’s Dock itself by the kissing gate.
Dan's Dock has also proved to be a good place for whinchats in
the last couple of years. And so it proved again today when eagle-eyed
Phil spotted one on the fence close to the metal gate, right at the end of our
trip.
Courtesy of Martin Jeffree
Name: |
Count |
Name |
Count |
|
Avocet |
1 |
Linnet |
34 |
|
Bar-tailed Godwit |
2 |
Little Egret |
35 |
|
Bearded Tit |
3 |
Magpie |
36 |
|
Black-headed Gull |
4 |
Mallard |
37 |
|
Black-tailed Godwit |
5 |
Marsh Harrier |
38 |
|
Blackbird |
6 |
Meadow Pipit |
39 |
|
Blue Tit |
7 |
Mediterranean Gull |
40 |
|
Bonaparte's Gull |
8 |
Moorhen |
41 |
|
Carrion Crow |
9 |
Mute Swan |
42 |
|
Cattle Egret |
10 |
Pheasant |
43 |
|
Collared Dove |
11 |
Pied Wagtail |
44 |
|
Common Gull |
12 |
Redshank |
45 |
|
Common Tern |
13 |
Reed Bunting |
46 |
|
Coot |
14 |
Reed Warbler |
47 |
|
Cormorant |
15 |
Robin |
48 |
|
Corn Bunting |
16 |
Sandwich Tern |
49 |
|
Curlew |
17 |
Shelduck |
50 |
|
Dunlin |
18 |
Skylark |
51 |
|
Dunnock |
19 |
Spoonbill |
52 |
|
Golden Plover |
20 |
Starling |
53 |
|
Goldfinch |
21 |
Stock Dove |
54 |
|
Great Black-backed Gull |
22 |
Stonechat |
55 |
|
Great Crested Grebe |
23 |
Swallow |
56 |
|
Green Sandpiper |
24 |
Turnstone |
57 |
|
Green Woodpecker |
25 |
Turtle Dove |
58 |
|
Greenshank |
26 |
Water Rail |
59 |
|
Grey Heron |
27 |
Whimbrel |
60 |
|
Herring Gull |
28 |
Whinchat |
61 |
|
House Sparrow |
29 |
Whitethroat |
62 |
|
Jackdaw |
30 |
Woodpigeon |
63 |
|
Kestrel |
31 |
Wren |
64 |
|
Knot |
32 |
Yellow Wagtail |
65 |
|
Lapwing |
33 |
|||
2025 species count = 188
New Species:
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