29/05/2016 Stodmarsh - East Grinstead Group Visit

Sunday 29 May 2016
Stodmarsh NR, Kent
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

Our annual visit to Stodmarsh was well subscribed with fourteen members making the long trip to the Canterbury area.  We were rewarded with some excellent birding moments and a species count in excess of 50.  The only down side was not seeing any turtle doves at this favoured site.

• As usual at this time of year the skies were dominated by swifts -   this site is truly a real hotspot for swifts.  There was also at least one sand martin and one swallow present.  Up to 11 common terns were also evident as they flew around the site.

• Another speciality of this site is the cetti's warbler and we heard them continuously as we moved around.

• No visit here is complete without several sightings of the hobby and we were treated to several superb views of these lovely raptors as they flew over the reserve.

• Cuckoo's were much in evidence and we saw at least 2 and heard more.

• It was an excellent opportunity to hear and see reed warbler's and sedge warbler's and note the ID differences.  .Mark provided a superb masterclass on the subject as he also did for the differences between the garden warbler sounds and the blackcap sounds

• As expected there were many marsh harriers on view.  Only one bearded tit was seen but members were delighted by it.  We were lucky to see one great white egret flying at the grove ferry end of the reserve.  Also seen here was a flying kingfisher, the second sighting of the day.

Another cracking day out with lots to see and enjoy.