The last of our four day tour to show Michel some of the birds currently to be found in Kent, and
Oare Marshes was our destination.
Checking the pages for
Oare on the
KOS WEB site showed just what a good
site it has become. The first thing you notice at the moment is the large Black-tailed
Godwit flock, estimated at around 400.
As we settled down to scan the flood a noisy family of
Dabchicks demanded our attention, and as usual the hard
working parent was regularly supplying small fish to the young.
This stripy chick stopped for a stretch just in front of us.
Some of the
Godwits did come much close to feed, sometimes almost disappearing behind the vegetation on the bank.
There is a good mixture of colours among the
Godwits, with some still very red and others completely grey.
Two
Avocets were also feeding nearby. It still seems strange to me that it is now so easy to see a bird that took a pilgrimage to Suffolk to watch when I first introduced my kids to birding in the 70's.
This is one of the dozen or so Ruffs that were feeding quite near to the road.
It may look as if
JT is breaking into a trot here but it is an optical illusion, he made steady progress round the circuit as befits a man of his years.
There were around thirty Golden Plovers on the flood but none seemed to be the
American Golden Plover that failed to reappear at
Elmley today. Although it is a substantial drive from here
Elmley is just a short flight for a wader that decided to relocate. Other waders out on the flood included five adult Littler Stints and six Curlew Sandpipers, several
Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper, all species that I have seen very close to the road in previous years but on this occasion they decided to remain at a fair distance.
Not quite so far away several of the thirteen
Greenshank present fed with
Redshank.
One of the Closer islands was host to about 30 Common Terns. This is a great place for seeing waders but it is worth remembering it is best at high tide and in the afternoon when the sun is behind you.
Checking the pages for Oare on the KOS WEB site showed just what a good site it has become. The first thing you notice at the moment is the large Black-tailed Godwit flock, estimated at around 400.
As we settled down to scan the flood a noisy family of Dabchicks demanded our attention, and as usual the hard working parent was regularly supplying small fish to the young.
This stripy chick stopped for a stretch just in front of us.
Some of the Godwits did come much close to feed, sometimes almost disappearing behind the vegetation on the bank.
There is a good mixture of colours among the Godwits, with some still very red and others completely grey.
Two Avocets were also feeding nearby. It still seems strange to me that it is now so easy to see a bird that took a pilgrimage to Suffolk to watch when I first introduced my kids to birding in the 70's.
This is one of the dozen or so Ruffs that were feeding quite near to the road.
It may look as if JT is breaking into a trot here but it is an optical illusion, he made steady progress round the circuit as befits a man of his years.
There were around thirty Golden Plovers on the flood but none seemed to be the American Golden Plover that failed to reappear at Elmley today. Although it is a substantial drive from here Elmley is just a short flight for a wader that decided to relocate. Other waders out on the flood included five adult Littler Stints and six Curlew Sandpipers, several Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper, all species that I have seen very close to the road in previous years but on this occasion they decided to remain at a fair distance.
Not quite so far away several of the thirteen Greenshank present fed with Redshank.
One of the Closer islands was host to about 30 Common Terns. This is a great place for seeing waders but it is worth remembering it is best at high tide and in the afternoon when the sun is behind you.
1 comment:
Great photos of this wonderful reserve - we hope to get there this weekend, and have taken your advice on tide & time on board.
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