Kearsney Abbey and Bushy Rough.

While my car was being MOT'd I wandered down to Kearsney  Abbey and Bushy Rough. 

Adult Mediterranean Gull.

Adult Mediterranean Gull.

 

First Winter Black-headed Gull 

  Adult Winter Black-headed Gull 

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Coal Tit

Coal Tit.

 

Gull fest

When I see a flock of gulls following a tractor either ploughing or tilling I always stop for a look at the Gulls. Each time large groups landed before they chased after the wheels I scanned through, and in the end was pleased to find an adult and a 1st year Mediterranean Gull. I managed a photo of the adult, some way off, but failed to find either again after they'd taken off. Time won out and I had to leave them.

Today near West Langdon a large flock of several hundred Black-headed Gulls was finding tit-bits behind a tractor. There is always a good chance that there will be a Mediterranean Gull with them. Meds have got far more common over the past few years, but I still get a buzz find a local one. 

 Each time large groups landed before they chased after the wheels I scanned through, and in the end was pleased to find an adult and a 1st year Mediterranean Gull. I managed a photo of the adult, some way off, but failed to find either again after they'd taken off. Time won out and I had to leave them.

Black-headed Gulls, mainly adults some with their summer heads, which are dark brown, not black. The bird with the middle with brown coverts is a first year Black-headed Gull.

Three adult Black-headed Gulls.

In the middle of this group is a bird with a Black Head.the goes all the way down the back of the neck, and no black in the tips of the wings.

The bird on the left is a Mediterranean Gull, black, not brown, head,and all white wings. The three birds on the right are adult Black-headed Gulls.

Changes in the garden

I noticed some change in the guard in the garden today. Fine and a lot colder than of late there was a lot of activity in the feeding stations.

There are always a fair number of Blackbirds around the garden, but they tend to be protective of their individual feeding areas and repeated drive interlopers away.  Today there were five on the patio feeding area busily picking up the spillage from above with little interaction between them In total there were at least ten around. 

Like many people I've noticed the number of Greenfinches in the garden has been very low. This has been the situation for a couple of years, probably due to Trichomonosis a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. It has been recorded in a number of garden bird species and is widely acknowledged to be the causal factor in the rapid decline of the British Greenfinch population that was first noted in late summer 2006 

Today there was small influx of around six birds, all looking very fit and healthy. Sick birds are normally very fluffed up and slow moving unlike the sleek bird above, that does looked startled at having to share his feeder with a chaffinch.  

Down in the Bay the sea was quite calm, but the tides high. These are good conditions to watch Rock Pipits that move into the Bay when the areas below the beach are covered.

Above I noticed two Kestrels cruising along the top of the cliffs. Their numbers do seem a bit down as other predators have increased in the county.

I'm not quite sure what this one is doing, but it seems to be scanning the area, either for prey or for any danger around.

Our magnificent car park is now perfect habitat for pipits and wagtails, that all seem to enjoy rough ground with puddles in it.

Altogether there were three Rock Pipits and one Pied wagtail making use the shambles that out council taxes financed

Coming back for a trip to Folkestone I stopped to scan a field with around 40 Common Gulls. There were a few Black-headed Gulls with them, (One above).

Towards the back of the field I noticed an adult Mediterranean Gull, still in complete winter plumage.

When it flew it had a ring on its right leg, but it was to far to be able to read any information.

A wanderer returns

Yesterday I had a short sea watch at St Margaret's Bay, late morning. Short because when the rain arrived not only was the visibility poor but it appeared all the birds disappeared, possibly they settled on the sea? In 40 minutes the passage of Kittiwakes was impressive, about 800 birds all moving S (into the wind). Just two parties of Scoter, the first 8 Common Scoter and one Velvet Scoter (m). The second 5 Common Scoter. The only other thing of interest were 9 Adult (or near adult) Med Gulls, difficult to see small back tips way over the sea, and four 1st year Med Gulls. A few Gannets were around, but they appear not to be on a definite movement, but probably feeding in the shallows. Another look at the sea today started with me approaching a small bird standing in the car park.

When I got close enough to get the sun out of my eyes I saw that it was a Robin, and not some waif or stray blown in off the sea. It was probably a local bird, making use of a lull ion the dog walkers to pick out a few crumbs dropped on the ground. the sea wasn't quite empty but with the wind moving from S to W everything was further away. The number of Kittiwakes had dropped although there were a few passing a long way out. I saw just three Common Scoter and one Great Crested Grebe on the sea. Two Skuas were chasing something a very long way out, I suspected they were Pomarine Skuas but they may well have been Arctic, which sometimes appear quite deep chested. In the Bay I had a close look at three ages of Mediterranean Gull. As it was high-tide many of the Rock Pipit that are along the shore at the bottom of the cliffs had come into the Bay and I counted at least eight (damn things wouldn't stay still). 

Only the adult Mediterranean Gull was in range for a distant photograph. The other two, a juvenile moulting into first winter and a second year moved along the Bay and I lost sight of them.

 We'd been a bit worried about our most regular Badger, "Old One Ear". We hadn't seen him for four days, and he's been regular as clockwork for a good while now. Our other three recognisable visitors had all been in, but not him. I'm happy to say last night, and again at the moment he's been back.

"Old One Ear"

 "Old One Ear"

 This is one of the younger boars who now seems a regular and he's becoming less worried about being photographed.

In fact he's quite happy to have a sit down while he eats his supper with me just a few feet away.

Purple Haze

I decided to have a look at the groynes at Hythe. where in previous years I've seen Purple Sandpipers. I hadn't heard of any this year so far, but there was a fair chance that some would have returned. I stared at the rocks opposite the Stade Court Hotel.

I should have consulted the tide tables, with a very low tide there were lots of rocks extending into the sea and the tops were too slippery for me. It's a shame when you get old and doddery! At first I could only see a couple of  Turnstones feeding around the rocks.

I wasn't long before a Purple Sandpiper came into view and joined the Turnstone as they fed on the small items among the weed on the rocks.

I was both surprised and pleased when one came closer as I stood higher up the beach to get a view into the crevices nearer the sea.

I don't know what it is about Purple Sandpipers, but they are a very attractive wader, and not unlike one of my favourites from my visit to California in spring, the Surfbird. The next groyne along, going towards Sandgate had two more feeding Purple Sandpipers sneaking round the end rocks, this despite the activities of lorries and diggers on the beach.

Further along the beach an adult Mediterranean Gull caught my attention. It didn't stay in view long, walking down the beach as a lorry fully of shingle approached.

Of course when you get back to Folkestone all the lamp-posts along  West Bay Road have a Mediterranean Gull sitting on top!

This one, another adult has far less of the "headphone" marking left than the previous bird. I didn't manage to find any with numbered rings today, but they are worth looking out for.

Yesterday evening at the Restharrow Scrape I sat and pondered the possibility of a Barn Owl coming through, as was it's habit last year. It didn't happen but at least the Water Rail put on a good display for my and two other people in the hide.

It looked as it was posing here, but it managed to chose a place with a piece of grass getting in the way of the beak!

Crakes and Rails have a mysterious way of moving through small gaps in the reeds, so it was rather good to see it walking about in the open.

Just as I was about to leave twpo Curlews dropped in the have a quick drink and bathe. They are big chaps and make the Teal look diminutive.

They weren't there long before one started calling and they both looked fidgety.A few calls and then they were away.

 I watched them go and decided to do the same myself. A wander across Worth Marshes failed to produce an owl, but there is still time for both Barn and Short-eared to get into a routine as they did last year.

Back at St Margaret's the activity in the fields has brought quite a lot of gulls in and a Mediterranean circled over the Dover Road at its junction with the A258.