07/01/2019 Cattle Egret at RSPB Dungeness

Monday 7 January 2019

• A very late trip to Kent was just sufficient for me to find my target species - Cattle Egret in the paddocks near Boulderwall Farm.
• Added 6 more species to my 2019 list:-

                                                   Pochard
                                                   Gadwall
                                                   Tufted Duck
                                                   Shoveler
                                                   Barnacle Goose
                                                   Coot



73 species in the first week is a fair reward for my time - the Owls and the Hen Harriers being the highlights.

06/01/2019. 3 Green Woodpeckers

• While walking the dogs in the fields near the Millennium Green I saw my first Green Woodpecker of the year.  Soon after, in another field, there were 2 more.

• Also added to my year list, from the same walk were:-

           Bullfinch

           Dunnock

           Jay

Not bad for a local walk with the dogs!

05/01/2019 With the East Grinstead RSPB Group on Isle of Sheppey

Saturday 5 January 2019
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group
Shellness Nature Reserve, Harty Ferry and Capel Fleet 

12 of us made it to a very cold Isle of Sheppey and enjoyed a good birding event.  In all we managed 51 species for the day.  Pick of the sightings for me was the Hen Harrier. 

• I arrived an hour before the scheduled start specifically to look for this bird and I was rewarded immediately with a great view of a ringtail flying over the fields to the east of the dyke by the car park.  There was another couple of sightings, maybe of the same bird, at the end of the day at Capel Fleet.
• The Short-eared Owls showed well at the start of the day in the Shellness NR and another one showed up at Capel Fleet at the end of the day.
• I saw a few White-fronted Geese early on but they were not present when I went back at lunchtime.
• The usual shore birds were seen up close on the high tide.  Pick of these were Grey Plover, Knot, Turnstone, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Brent Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank and Shelduck.
• Other birds for my year list were Chaffinch, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Golden Plover, Meadow Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Reed Bunting, Skylark and Wigeon.

A really good day out in good company and my best haul of birds so far in 2019!

04/01 2019 No Hen Harriers again!

It was deja vu today - a good show from the Short-eared Owls and the Marsh Harriers, Snipe etc at Pevensey Levels but no success with the Hen Harrier.

• Earlier, while walking the dogs near my home, I had superb views of my first Sparrowhawk of 2019 when one flew high over Uckfield Community Hospital. 
• I also saw my first Black-headed Gull of the year on the pond near my house - a very unusual visitor! 

Another excellent birding experience even if the star of the show went AWOL!

03/01 2019 No Hen Harriers again!

Thursday 3 January 2019
Pevensey Levels

For the third day in succession I could not find the Hen Harrier at Horse Eye. 

• The Short-eared Owls put on their best show yet with at least 5 showing well for the full 2 hours I was there.

• It was nice to bump into Andrew and, thanks to his sharp eyes, I was able to see my first Little Egret and Snipe of the year.   On the way back to the car we heard a Water Rail in the reeds.

A lovely couple of hours!

02/01/2019 Day 2 and more Short-eared Owls

Wednesday 2 January 2019
Pevensey Levels, Sussex

• Added Pheasant, Coal Tit and Wren to my year list after walking the dogs this morning.

After lunch, I headed down to Pevensey Levels again.

• No sign of the Hen Harrier - my second successive "dip"
• 3 Short-eared Owls turned up this evening.
• I saw my first Marsh Harrier, Stonechats and Greylag Geese of the year.

01/01/2019 A pleasant start to 2019: Short-eared Owls, Great White Egret and Siskin

New Year's Day 2019

A quiet start to the year, watching birds in Uckfield in the morning before heading down to Pevensey Levels mid afternoon.  27 species were seen, including a couple of really special ones.

 

Uckfield

• I woke up to the sound of Starlings and Collared Doves.
• The first bird I saw was, surprisingly, a Grey Heron which flew from a neighbours garden.
• At the garden feeders we saw our regular birds - Goldfinches, House Sparrows, and Blue Tits.  We also had a surprise visitor when a male Siskin popped in; we normally don't see these until the weather gets much colder.
• In the garden were Blackbirds and a Robin.

Around 10.30 I took the dogs for their daily walk through the nearby woods and then into the fields by the hospital.  I was able to add even more birds to my count for the day.

• The Starlings were in their usual place, atop the tall trees near our house.
• As usual I saw Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws.
• The woods were alive with bird sound, most obviously with Song Thrushes, Great Tits, and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
• Herring Gulls and Woodpigeons  passed overhead as we wandered through the fields. 
• As we passed the pond, adjacent to the house, we paid due respect to the resident Mallards.

After lunch I headed down to Pevensey Levels to look for Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls.

The first new bird I saw was a Buzzard which was perched on a post 100m from me.
A huge flock of Lapwings was seen high above us.
A Cormorant flew by the first of several seen today.
A noisy Cetti's Warbler was nearby but, of course, did not put in an appearance.
The Great White Egret that had been seen by several birders finally put in an appearance.
A Kestrel was seen several times, in the air and on top of a bush.
5 Moorhens were seen.
Finally the Owls turned up - 5 Short-eared versions and put on a terrific show lasting over 30 minutes.

• A balanced start to 2019 with time spent at home, walking the dogs and birding. 
• Happy New Year everyone!