Bonaparte's Gull at Oare Marshes in Kent with the East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

 

Saturday 17^th July 2021

Oare Marshes Nature Reserve, Kent

East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

A visit to the north Kent coast to one of our most scenic sites is always a must with our members.  This superb reserve, situated on the outskirts of Faversham, overlooks the River Swale and has great views over the southern fringes the Isle of Sheppey.   

The walk itself was well worth the trip but the 12 of us enjoyed the added bonus of over 3 hours birding as we ambled around the site in the glorious morning sunshine.  We identified just over 30 species including a rare gull.

Our challenge today was to find a Bonaparte's Gull.   We deliberately brought forward this event by a month in the hope of seeing it in summer plumage for a change.  However, using the words of the Scottish bard himself - “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.” – we were very nearly caught out!  After spending the summer here every year for the last 8 years it looked as if something had gone wrong and it had not made it back this time. Thankfully, late yesterday evening came news of its arrival for a ninth year - just in the nick of time for us.  

• Alison soon picked out our target bird on the mud flats to the east of the car park. It was with the Black-headed Gulls - of course.   Distinguishing between them was relatively easy once you applied the following key ID criteria.  Bonaparte Gulls are smaller, with a black rather than a chocolate brown head, a jet black daintier beak with no red in it, more pronounced eye crescents and much deeper orange-red legs.  

courtesy of Alison Playle

courtesy of Alison Playle

Target achieved!

• Kathy and Patrick missed all of this.  They had set off to the west preferring to see a couple of Yellow Wagtails.  
• The most stunning birds seen today were the Black-tailed Godwits seen flying overhead as we headed towards Faversham Creek.  Alison's picture below captures the moment brilliantly.

courtesy of Alison Playle

• We heard and saw both Reed and Sedge Warbler.   The latter, as usual, was the one that came out in the open more and provided us with several minutes of entertainment.  It sang away brilliantly, occasionally taking flight before parachuting back down into the reeds.

courtesy of Alison Playle

• Little Grebes are at their loveliest at this time of year too and we saw a couple on the East Flood.  Unfortunately they were just out of range of our cameras.  The stunning picture below was taken earlier by a member of KOS and shows this bird in all its majesty. 

courtesy of the Kent Birding Facebook Group

• Surprisingly we did not hear or see any Bearded Tits.
• Alastair heard a Turtle Dove purring away near the cottages and could see a distant dove but could not get a telescope view before it flew off.  
• The only raptor we saw was a Buzzard. 

Butterflies and moths are abundant at this time of the year too!

•  We were lucky enough to see quite a few including Peacock, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper Comma and Small White.  

By midday the going was getting tough in the sweltering heat and it was obvious we were not going to find many more species so, shortly afterwards, we decided to have lunch and call it a day.

A great day out!