Birding Beaumonts

Spring definately in the air this morning with a bonded pair of BLACKCAPS, a MALLARD parading ducklings and 3 LITTLE EGRETS in courtship behaviour, all clambering noisily around the branches amongst disinterested HERONS dozing in their nests.

A flyover PEREGRINE was a nice surprise and 3 MANDARIN DUCKS flew a few circuits around the pond but didn't land. 3 SISKINS were feeding in the alders.

I didn't bother checking my phone before leaving for West Rise this morning so when I greeted Richard in the car park I had no idea that 3 ALPINE SWIFTS !!! had been seen there an hour or so previously. He hadn't seen the birds and whilst we were wondering about how far away they must have been by now I suddenly noticed a swift flying around over the housing estate! We quickly realised that all 3 birds were back and they were to stay all day in the area, coming much lower down over the car park in the late afternoon. Yis !

 

There were a few DUCKS on show also - a few COMMON SCOTERS and single SHELDUCK and EIDER, but the  highlight today was a pair of BLACK-THROATED DIVERS flying east, fairly close offshore.

Seawatching was followed by a fairly birdless walk along the cliffs, amongst singing SKYLARKS and MEADOW PIPITS. Spring is in the air...

Quite a good day list today but nothing out of the ordinary apart from a WHITE WAGTAIL amongst the PIEDS.

Took a chance at seawatching early this morning at Birling Gap in the hope that BRENT GEESE might be moving, and they certainly were: 1508 were counted before 11am, some appearing in huge skeins high overhead which slowly shifted and sprawled out to sea before checking back to follow the line of the cliffs.

Apart from flickering white lines of smaller GULLS, low over the sea, there was nothing much else migrating east -  most birds probably knew better than to battle with such a strong southwesterly wind.

Most of the day spent down the marsh in spite of a terribly annoying gale-force, freezing cold wind. Amongst all the gulls on the water were a few adult MEDITERRANEANS, 3 COMMONS and a CASPIAN. The first CHIFFCHAFF of the spring was at the entrance gate.

2 items of interest flying around today - a BLACK SWAN and a CURLEW.

Another cold and windy day down the marsh. Great views of some BEARDED TITS again and there were lots of GULLS on the choppy lake, including these CASPIAN and YELLOW-LEGGED.

Great sighting of a MERLIN today (a patch tick)...the bird raced low over the lake and swooped up to land briefly on a bush on the other side.

Excellent day at West Rise, really grilling the two PENDULINE TITS which are being seen of late...I reckon the left hand bird is the same one I saw at the end of last year. The birds hung around at the pagoda for a good 90 minutes before quietly disappearing, presumably moving back into the phragmites behind the reed mace.

The pair of PINTAIL was still there today and there were 3 BUZZARDS and a MARSH HARRIER. No sign of any PIPITS today (neither Water nor Meadow).

Good numbers of BLACK-HEADED GULLS were on the duckpond this morning and it was great to find once again the white bird there amongst them. Also in the mix was a superb adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL, a "patch tick" !

Another good day at the marsh - sunny with no wind. Stupendous close views of a party of BEARDIES on the Lottbridge Drove pool, and a GREAT CRESTED GREBE had a good grapple with a big fish. There was another CASPIAN GULL on show, but not a single raptor today. 

Another good gull-day down at the marsh - 3 CASPIANS on show along with YELLOW-LEGGED and at least one argentatus. Excellent views also of this WATER PIPIT.

Another cold and windy day: lots of GULLS gathering on the lake although I've no idea where all the LESSER BLACK BACKS have gone - I couldn't see any today. There were however a couple of CASPIAN GULLS and YELLOW-LEGGEDS amongst all the HERRINGS.

A pleasant day down on the marsh with 51 for the day-list. Nothing out of the ordinary but good views of a PEREGRINE and a small group of BEARDED TITS at the Lottbridge Drove pool.

This is the famous "pagoda" area where folks come and stand and wait for ages, knee-deep in cold water, waiting for the PENDULINE TITS to show, which they almost never do. I keep on going there (like I did today) and always draw a blank. Today was another day full of that infernal wind, although it was at least sunny with no rain until the early afternoon. The highlight was getting some decent views for once of one of the WATER PIPITS that hang out near the Sevenoaks Road.

A good day at West Rise, windy but sunny and no rain for once. Had a patch tick on arrival with a flyover KITTIWAKE and there were good views of a group of BEARDED TITS feeding on the mud and a DARTFORD WARBLER. Met Jack in the late afternoon who had seen a PENDULINE TIT earlier in the day, so good to hear that they are still about.