Saturday 24th (Isle Of Sheppy)

Decided to spend the weekend back in London I was not going to do a lot just wanted a nice relaxing weekend but my mate phone do you fancy a afternoon on the Island ( the Island being The Isle of Sheppey) this is one of the best winter raptor watch point in the south of England

We set of from my house at 11-30 and on route we had a quick look to see if we could see Waxwing but no luck

Then it was on to the Island we drove straight to Capel Fleet we stopped at the first corner where we found a buzzard sitting on one of the mounds of rubbish
At first we thought it was a Rough Legged Buzzard but it turned out to be just a common buzzard which was the first of 4 common Buzzards we had, then some one come up and said that the chap on the corner was watching the Rough Legged Buzzard just down the road so off we went to have a look and yes the R L Buzzard was flying around this was 1 of 2 that were present. We also had 2 ring tailed Hen Harriers , plus 8+ Marsh Harriers we also had White Fronted Geese

Then it was of to the raptor watch point on route we had Corn Bunting this was my 100 species of the year on arrival at the watch point we had a pair of Peregrines and more marsh Harriers and a immature Merlin sitting on a fence post we stayed here for a while watching raptors plus golden plover, and Red Legged Partridge

Our next stop was at the church and a walk down towards the swale reserve we only walked a short way down the track when we both picked up on the Hooded Crow and had excellent views of the bird sitting on top of a bush ( When I say excellent views in birding terms I mean Cripperling views the best we have seen here for quite a while) which was good as I had forgotten my boots so no need to get my feet wet

Next stop was at Harty Ferry thought we might find a Little Egret here but no luck but we did find the Great Northern Diver that had been seen from Oare marshes the other side of the swale the bird was a long way up river but we still had good views of It

Then it was back to the raptor watch point soon after arriving we had 2 Short Eared Owls plus 2 Barn Owls and more Marsh Harriers, plus the female perigrine was still about We then drove back along the road and found 1 of the Short Eared Owls Sitting on a post

No Little Owl and still no Redwing

So all in all a very good afternoons birding on the Island

Raptors for the day
Rough Legged Buzzard…………………………..1
Common Buzzard…………………………………..4
Marsh Harrier………………………………………..40+
Hen Harrier (ring tailed)………………………….4
Peregrine……………………………………………….2
Merlin……………………………………………………1
Kestrel (on route)…………………………………..6

Owls
Short Eared…………………………………………..2
Barn Owl………………………………………………2

Plus a few other good birds

This is why It is one of the best winter raptor watch points but remember it is not always as good as this we where as you say B***** Lucky

But I do Have a Habit of having good birding luck on my side as some of the up and coming reports from some of my past trips will prove

So keep tuned I will be posting more now I am back into a routine

Update

Not been updating that much of late due to the fact that I have been job hunting now back at work so will be updating more

Last weekend spent 2 hours on Saturday sea watching at Selsey Bill a very cold 2 hours but I did manage to see a few good birds Red Throated Diver, Black Throated Diver, Gannet, Common Scoter and Guilemot

On Sunday spent a very pleasant afternoon at the Witterings I will do a blog on this site at a latter date birds seen included Brent Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Slav Grebe, Black tailed Godwit and a Little Egret

Tiger in India

As I have said in the past I will be putting some of the pictures and Video that I have taken over the the years First off is a short video of the Tiger in India 2003
Please note all my videos are taken with a camcorder any movment in this clip is due to the jeep moving away from the Tiger

Birds This Week

Only bird of note this week was the Whopper Swans at Chichester

New Year Birding

On the 2nd I went to the Wetland Centre London spent a very pleasant morning very few people about so the birding was good I managed to see 50 species
We started by walking towards the peacock tower stopping at the other 2 hides on the way after the second hide we took the walk around the back to the wader scrape hide on route we had Siskin, Redpoll, a Fiedfare flew over, Jay and the useral birds that are about. In the wader scrape hide we had a snipe fly across in front of us when we got on it it turned out to be the Jack Snipe we had it very close to the right hand side of the hide. We then wallked to the peacock tower where we had a Water Pipit and Water Rail we had 3 sightings of Perigrine but no luck with the Bittern. On the way back home we stopped of in Richmond park for a short while where I added another 2 for my list by now it was getting cold so off home we went.

On the 3rd I went to Wraysbury pits I took a look at Wraysbury no 1 pit and the Heron Lake spent a very cold afternoon here I love this place only person I saw was a fisherman on the walk to Heron Lake I flushed A Kingfisher on the lake were the useral duck with c15 Goldeneye could not find the Goosander that I had earlier in the week only managed to add 5 to my list

This year my birding will be limited as the credit crunch will be taking it's toll so a lot of local birding at home in London and near Chichester where I spend the week

Monday 29th Wraysbury & Sunnymeads Pits

Spent yesterday (29th) at one of my old haunts Wraysbury & Sunnymeads Pits it has been quite a while since I have been to these pits and there where quite a few changes. This was one of the first sites that you could see Ringed necked Parrakeets Leaving the station I started by walking to the Sunnymeads pits first and spent quite a bit of time here it was very quite people wise not a soul just me and nature. As I walked the mile or so scanning the pits I had a lone fox on the path ahead of me, This used to be a good spot for Smew but sadly no smew today plenty of ducks to watch and small birds in the bushes. I then walked back and had a look at the main Wraysbury pit again plenty of ducks but still no Smew. Then I walked back to the station and took the path along side the railway I crossed the railway and had a look at the pit to my right where I found 1 male & 2 female Goosander but not a lot else. Then I took the path that leads to the heron pits again plenty of ducks to watch and more RNP. I did find 4 male & 3 female Goleneye, then I returned to the station by now it was getting colder, so the thought of getting on a nice warm train was just what I needed but when I got to the station I find the train is delayed due to a fatality at the station I was heading for (New Malden) this would be the 6th fatality that has held me up this year But still a very quite and pleasant walk

The full list of birds seen is as follows
Mute Swan.....................................Woodpigeon
Canada Goose................................Collared Dove
Mandarin.......................................Grey Wagtail
Wigeon ..........................................Wren
Teal ................................................Robin
Mallard ..........................................Blackbird
Shoveler .........................................Fieldfare
Pochard .........................................Goldcrest
Tufted Duck ..................................Long-tailed Tit
Goldeneye ......................................Blue Tit
Goosander .....................................Great Tit
Great Crested Grebe .....................Nuthatch
Cormorant .....................................Magpie
Grey Heron ....................................Jackdaw
Sparrowhawk ................................Carrion Crow
Kestrel ............................................Starling
Moorhen ........................................Chaffinch
Coot ................................................Greenfinch
Black-headed Gull .........................Linnet
Common Gull .................................Lesser Redpoll
Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon

Saturday 27th

Spent the morning at the Wetland Centre London, Very quite and very cold.
Only birds of note where the Jack Snipe, Water pipit and 2 Perigrines

Great Bookham Common

As I am off till the 5th and at home in London I have decided to go birding at some of my old haunts. Today I spent the afternoon on Great Bookham Common, this site is owned by The National Trust,This is a site that I know very well I used to work on the edge of the common for six years, so I did a lot of my lunch time birding there. This is a easy site to do by using the train as the station is right on the edge of the common, from the north platform you can go straight on to the common. I left the station and walked east taking the first turning on the right after crossing over the railway this brings you to a car park where there is a lot of clearing going on, scanning to the right this is a good spot to see Hawfinch with a bit of effort I did manage to find one bird, the rest of my walk is just a zig zag across the common, There where two large parties of Long Tailed Tits, a flock of mixed tits including Blue, Great & Coal, there where quite a few Nuthatches that where very vocal a few Tree Creepers, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, lots of Robins, and quite a number of Gold Crests I also found 2 Brambling, as for woodpeckers I did quite well 2 Green, 4 Great Spotted calling and just to make my day I found A Lesser Spotted have only seen them here on a couple of times over the years. In the paddocks on the edge of the common I found a few Mistle Thrushes, Redwing & some Fieldfare. Other birds seen included Carrion Crow, Jay,Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Magpie, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush.

This was a very pleasant afternoon mild and clear and very quite I only passed a couple of dog walkers & one jogger.

In the summer this was a good site to see and hear Nightingale not sure what it will be like next year with all the clearing that is going on it is also a good place for butterflies you get White Admiral, & there is a spot for Purple Emperor witch I have seen here, As well as other butterflies

So all in all a very enjoyable afternoon at a site I have not been to for a couple of years, Off to The Wetland Centre tomorrow not really a old haunt but I do remember it when it was Barn Elms Reservoirs

Other sites I am hoping to visit in the next 2 weeks include Stokers Lake, Lee Valley Country Park (Fishers Green) Wraysbury & Sunnymead Pits, Sevenoaks Wild Fowl, .Rainham Marshes, & slightly further a field Slimbridge

Thorpe Park Pits

Spent some time today at the pits near Thorpe park the object of the trip was to see if I could find any Smew. I had 1 male on the pits opposite Thorpe Park and 2 females on the pit next to the parkwhere there was also a female Scaup. I was just about to leave when a Bittern flew across and landed on the back of the pit

Birds From Public Transport Part 2

1 that I forgot from the main list Long Tailed Duck.....................B



And from the train coming home from Chichester today
Ring Tailed Hen Harrier near Pullbough and bullfinch
This now brings the list to 120