24/08/14 Oare Marshes Bonaparte's Gull

Sunday 24^th August 2014

Oare Marshes

Kent

 

11 of us made the long trip to Oare Marshes on the North Kent coast.  We were rewarded with fine weather and a rich birding experience.  The species count was just short of 50 - a respectable total at this time of year.

 

• The rarest bird we saw was, without doubt, the Bonaparte’s Gull, a North American bird, not normally seen in this country. It has been around Oare Marsh since the middle of July, most frequently on the East Flood where we saw it today in the latter stages of our trip. It is very similar to the Black-headed Gull but with a distinctive short, thin dark bill.  We had super views from a distance of 40 metres or less.  For many of us this was a “lifer”.

 

Bonaparte's Gull
Library picture

 

• Not as rare, but much more colourful, were the Yellow Wagtails we saw on the grass verges of the East Flood near the hide and the Kingfishers seen on 2 separate occasions on the Swale Estuary.

 

• The Bar-tailed Godwits and the Black-headed Gulls  numbered over 1000, the Avocets, Dunlin  and Redshanks over 100 with good numbers also of Golden Plover.  Raptors included Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier.

 

Full species list:

Ringed Plover                          Cormorant

Dunlin                                      Starling

Black-headed Gull                   Woodpigeon

Black-tailed Godwit                 Kingfisher

Little Egret                               Kestrel             (10)

Coot                                         Mallard

Pied Wagtail                            Whimbrel

Tufted Duck                             Curlew

Sparrowhawk                           Avocet

Buzzard                                   Lapwing           (20)

Reed Warbler                          Goldfinch

Reed Bunting                          Sedge Warbler

Swallow                                   Wheatear

Ruff                                          Magpie

Shelduck                                 Teal         (30)

Mute Swan                              Greater Black-backed Gull

Yellow Wagtail                         Redshank

Herring Gull                             Linnet

Carrion Crow                           Grey Heron

Moorhen                                  Greenshank             (40)

Golden Plover                         Greenfinch

Bonaparte’s Gull                      House Sparrow

Common Snipe                       Marsh Harrier

Shoveler                                  Little Grebe

Curlew Sandpiper????





Addition to UK 2014 Bird List:
Bonaparte's Gull   (254)

Addition to UK 2014 Life List:
Bonaparte's Gull   (271)