07/01/2017 Stodmarsh NR for Harriers and Water Pipits.

Saturday 7 January 2017
Stodmarsh NR near Canterbury, Kent


Up at 04.30, on the road by 05.00 and onto Stodmarsh NR by 07.00.   Why?   Dead easy - I wanted to see the Hen Harriers as they left the roost area.

My viewing point was the lampen wall near the Tower hide.  The harrier's roost in the reed area adjacent to the wall looking out towards the Grove side.  I had read about this on the KOS site and it appealed to me immensely.




The weather was quite mild, but damp,  causing the Harriers to leave just after 07.30 - later than on the previous day.

• First to show was a Marsh Harrier.  Others followed at regular intervals over a 30 minute period

• Interspersed with this departing group were at least 3 ringtail Hen Harriers.  There was no sign of any of the males that are currently roosting here.

• Next stop was the Marsh hide where a Water Pipit was seen yesterday.  I joined 4 others from KOS and soon they alerted me to the aforesaid pipit as it flew to the right of the hide.  A little later, 4 were seen flying some 50 metres directly in front of us.  When they landed I managed to get good scope views of one of them.

I left at 10.30 to get back home for lunch before heading off to the Amex to see the Albion beat the MK Dons in the FA Cup.

I was really pleased with my time management today and delighted to find the target birds.  This will go on my calendar as a "must do" event every year.