New Year birding week

Tuesday 1st January 2013
The start of a new year so joined up with the parents for a dash around the woodlands, marsh and Dunge for a NYD list, ending on 96 species. Highlights were:

Orlestone Forest, 06:45-07:00.
3 Tawny Owls (2 males and 1 female calling).

Appledore, 07:00-07:30, Cliff Marsh Farm near Stone in Oxney
1 Grey Heron, 1 Barn Owl.

Appledore, 07:45-08:15, Park Wood.
1 Tawny Owl (male calling), 1 Green Woodpecker (heard), 1 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tits, 1 Nuthatch (heard), 1 Treecreeper, 1 Jay (heard).

Warehorne, 08:30-09:00, RM Canal.
1 Little Egret (Kenardington), 1 Kestrel, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (with Herring, Black-headed and Common Gulls), 1 Stock Dove (Kenardington), 3 Song Thrushes (Kenardington), 1 Blue Tit (feeders), 1 Great Tit (feeders), 1 Jay, 5 Greenfinches (feeders by Church), 5 Goldfinches (feeders), 3 Bullfinches (2 males, 1 female), 3 Yellowhammers, 1 Reed Bunting (Kenardington).

Fagg's Wood, 09:00.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch.

Ashford, 09:30-09:30.
c20 Waxwings (Washford Farm Road), 4 Redwings, 1 Long-tailed Tit (Stanhope).

Conningbrook GP, 10:00-10:15.
1 Great Crested Grebe (with Coot, Tufted Duck and Pochard), 1 Dunnock, 1 Goldcrest.

Walland Marsh, 10:45-11:30.
c40 Bewick's Swans (near Hawthorn Corner with Mutes), 2 Whooper Swans (near Hawthorn Corner), 6 Gadwall (Woolpack Inn ditch), 4 Red-legged Partridges, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk (Fairfield), 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Merlin (Midley Drying Barns), 1 Green Woodpecker (Fairfield), c200 Fieldfare (Woolpack Inn), 1 Tree Sparrow (Baynham Farm).

Dungeness RSPB Reserve, 12:00-13:00.
10 Pintail (circa, Burrowes), 1 Red-crested Pochard (female on Dengemarsh), 3 Goldeneye (ARC Pit - 2 drakes), 10 Smew (1 drake), 1 Bittern (in reeds at ARC Pit south end), 2+ Great White Egrets.

Dungeness, 13:30-14:00, Fishing Boats.
1 Common Scoter (flew east), 1 Glaucous Gull (3rd winter) along with many Red-throated Divers, Guillemots, Gannets and Kittiwakes over the sea.

Lydd, 14:00-15:00.
1 Green Sandpiper (Lydd Pits just east of Scotney), 3 Waxwings (at junction of Tourney and Jurys Gap Roads), 1 Black Redstart (female - Lydd Airport), 2 Stonechats (Galloways Road).

Walland Marsh, 15:00-16:30.
15 Marsh Harriers, 1 Common Crane (Old Cheyne Court Farm area), 2 Barn Owls.



Saturday 5th January
With Angela working on New Year's Day, it was only fair to have another go at "the route" for a dawn to dusk session - this time the 2 of us saw 87 species, several of which were not noted on the 1st. Highlights:

Orlestone Forest, 07:00 to 09:00
3 Common Buzzards (Coldblow), 1 Woodcock (on edge of road in car headlights), 5 Tawny Owls (4 males, 1 female in Longrope and Coldblow areas), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Faggs Wood), 1 Coal Tit (Faggs Wood), 1 Nuthatch (Faggs Wood), 1 Jay.

Warehorne, 09:00 to 09:30
3 Shelducks (on The Dowells), 100 Fieldfares (circa), 2 Bullfinches (both males along the RM Canal), 10 Yellowhammers (circa, RM Canal).

Walland Marsh, 09:45 to 10:45
69 Bewick's Swans (Hawthorn Corner), 2 Whooper Swans (Hawthorn Corner), 2 Shoveler (a pair on the Woolpack Inn ditch), 1 Hen Harrier (male near Hawthorn Corner), 3+ Tree Sparrows (Baynham Farm), 10 Yellowhammers (circa, Baynham Farm).

Lydd, 11:00
4 Red-legged Partridges, 1 Common  Buzzard, 1 Black Redstart (female still at the airport), 3 Stonechat (Galloways Road).

Scotney Gravel Pits, 11:00 to 12:00
1 Tundra Bean Goose, 5 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 40 Dunlin (circa, with thousands of Golden Plover and Lapwing), 2 Stonechats.

Dungeness RSPB Reserve, 12:00 to 14:30
c19 Bewick's Swans (on ARC Pit), 3 Goldeneye, 7 Smew (1 drake ARC/New Diggings), 1 Little Egret, 2 Great White Egrets (Dengemarsh & ARC), 3 Tree Sparrows (Boulderwall Farm).

Dungeness, 14:00
1 Bar-tailed Godwit (Lade Sands), 1 Turnstone, 1 Mediterranean Gull (Fishing Boats).

Walland Marsh, 15:00 to 16:30
5 White-fronted Geese (over Old Cheyne Court), 5 Marsh Harriers, 2+ Hen Harriers (male and ringtail), 3 Sparrowhawks, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Merlin (Baynham Farm), 1 Common Crane (flew over Old Cheyne Court Farm to roost), 1 Barn Owl.

Warehorne, 16:30
1 Barn Owl (Arrowhead Lane).



Sunday 6th January
A calmer day today - and no dawn to dusk session in sight.

Dover Harbour, 09:45-11:30.
1 Black-throated Diver (wintering juvenile in Granville Dock still ), 1 Little Grebe (in Wellington Dock), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Fulmar, 2 Shags (in Granville Dock), 2 Coots (in Wellington Dock), 3 Kittiwakes, 2 Razorbills.

Juvenile Black-throated Diver

Back via Copt Point, Folkestone, plenty of Mediterranean Gulls.

4 Mediterranean Gulls with a preening Black-headed.

Hythe, 12:30-12:45.

2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (flew west), 1 Cormorant, 1 Purple Sandpiper (on rocks by Hythe Imperial Hotel).

Conningbrook GP, 13:15-13:30, viewed from Blackwall Road.
10 Greylag Geese, 10 Canada Geese, 2 Pheasants, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Cormorants, 2 Little Egrets (1 at the lakes, 1 nearby at Aldington Flood Gap).

Ashford, 13:50-14:00, Leacon Road - near Matalan.
37 Waxwings, 4 Siskins (with Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Blue and Long-tailed Tits).