Saturday 11 August 2007

The birds and the Bees

I couldn't resist leaving St Margaret's this morning, for a visit to Oare Marshes, KWT reserve.


Close to the viewing areas along the road several waders were within camera range, this Ruff for example.

The main object of everyone's visit however stayed at an excellent range for scope views but much too far for a proper photograph, so you'll have to take my word that the splodge in the middle is a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. This is the fourth record for Kent (provided it is accepted by the Records Committee) the others being :Elmley, adult, 27th-28th July 1985; Sandwich Bay, adult, 4th-13th September 1987 and Grove Ferry, adult, 30th-31st August 2001. The lure of this attractive wader has been too much for me and I've seen them all.

Bees
Next to the Paddock is a small "field" known as Amy's Field and here there are several beehives. It is tempting to imagine a Bee-eater or several Bee-eaters sitting on the telephone wires here, but so far it's just a dream. With the strange summer and the fact that the lack of bees is always making the news I wonder how they are doing this year.

The entrance looks busy enough, but how much honey are they producing?

2 comments:

tut-tut said...

How are the bees doing in the UK? Here, they seem to be mysteriously disappearing. Very worrisome.

Tony Morris said...

Hi Tut-tut, Not very well, especially some of the Bumblebees, which are becoming increasingly scarce.