Just Fledged: Elmley NNR with the Ashdown Bird Group

Wednesday 24 January 2024

Elmley NNR with the Ashdown Bird Group

14th January 2024

Elmley NNR, Isle of Sheppey, Kent

I spent a delightful day at Elmley NNR on the Isle of Sheppey with the Ashdown Bird Group. We managed to see 3 of the UK's 5 owl species as part of a total of over 60 species.

Highlight of the day was a superb sighting of a long-eared owl right at the start of our visit. We needed the help of one of the reserves volunteer's, Fiona and her thermal imaging camera, to locate the bird. Once found we were able to get our binoculars and telescopes on it. Martin's picture below is exactly how we saw it - how good is that?

Courtesy of Martin Jeffree

We saw 2 other owls later on in the day and as dusk approached the activity from them increased enormously.

First to show was a barn owl initially very briefly late morning as it moved along the edges of a field. At dusk we got prolonged views of this lovely bird as it enjoyed the conditions.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

Short-eared owls dominated the scene - we must have seen at least 3 today.

The first one appeared mid-afternoon as it swept across the marshes heading for the River Swale.

Courtesy of Alison Playle

The best show came at dusk, as you would expect.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen

There were plenty of coastal birds around the shores of the River Swale and on the marshes.

We had the usual suspects - avocets, dunlin, redshank, oystercatcher, grey plover, black-tailed godwits, curlew etc.

Courtesy of Phil Aylen: black-tailed godwits in flight

We had our fair share of ducks including teal, wigeon, tufted duck, shelduck, shoveler and a fabulous pintail.
I saw my first ruff as we entered the reserve and moved through the marshes towards the visitor centre.
We had several marsh harriers but no hen harriers today.
Of course we had several kestrels, a buzzard and a couple of ravens.

There were several passerines of interest including: