13-14/07/2017 2 "lifers" in 2 days!

Thursday 13 July 2017

Ynyslas, Wales

• I managed to twitch the female King Eider in Wales today.  The bird was asleep!  Trust my luck - 287 miles travelled and my target species couldn't even stay awake.  Never mind, next time it will be a sprightly male in summer plumage.

The King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck. It breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes. They migrate to the Arctic tundra to breed in June and July. 

Friday 14 July 2017

Cliffe Pools, Kent

• My second "lifer" this week was a Marsh Sandpiper at Cliffe Pools on the north Kent coast.  The views were quite good considering the bird was such a long way from the viewing ramp.

It has an extremely large range but a decreasing population and is a full migrant, travelling overland on a broad front between its breeding grounds in central Asia (Russia and Siberia), and its wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, Indonesia and Australia.

• The supporting act wasn't bad either with 7 Black-winged Stilts seen.

Oare Marshes

• We (Shaun, Alan and myself) then went to Oare Marshes where we were fortunate enough to get superb close views of the Bonaparte's Gull before it disappeared behind the reeds.
• Also seen was a lovely Turtle Dove - one of 4 known to be present.