Month: May 2021

This morning I learned that a Woodchat Shrike had been photographed on Tuesday near the top of the stairs leading to Langdon Hole. News reached me via Phil S who’d ID’d the bird from a photo taken by a birder who was unsure of what he’d seen 2 days previously. An excellent bird for the area and somewhat heartbreaking ! Images were posted on the Kent FB page this evening – A smart male!

A Shame the house is currently an inhabitable building site and I’ve been working in London all week and all next week too. Well done to the finder and photographer of the above image – Adrian H.

Wide awake at 04.50 this am with the promise of southerlies and some rain. The headland was fairly quiet but a few hours into my morning’s birding (at around 08.15) I heard a Golden Oriole singing from the old windmill garden just East of South Foreland Lighthouse.

Moments before hearing it I was sheltering from a heavy rain, thunder and lightening, evocative stuff and A much anticipated find for me on the patch. The bird moved closer towards me and the volume increased. A few minutes later Lucy L joined me, she had heard the bird too from her house nearby. I glimpsed it moving through the canopy briefly; a bright male and heard it once again after that, then nothing.

Other birds of note were 5 Yellow Wagtails over, a Summer Plumage Black throated diver that flew East high above the horizon, c25 Swallows, 10 House Martins, a Firecrest was calling in top wood, 2 Wheatear a Red Kite East over the castle and 2 Lesser Redpolls were flying around together first thing.

Another fairly still start to the day with light NW winds increasing in strength and turning West. Another 5.30 am start with most of the good birding limited to the first part of the day.

A Tree pipit was heard calling, and located perched in a hedge at the top of the stairs up the cliff. I watched it in the dawn light untill it flew off North, a Garden Warbler was also singing along the same path. c12 Willow Warblers (below) were scattered around, A single female Wheatear, c50 Swallows flew mostly West, single Sand and House martin, Single Yellow Wagtail North, 2 White Wagtail East, 11 Swifts in off the Sea.

5 Common Buzzards and 3 Sparrowhawks were all counted from a skywatch on the farm however whilst walking just west of Fan Bay; I picked up a Marsh Harrier low down out at sea being harassed by a Herring Gull, before too long it had gained height and was above the cliffs heading NW inland.

The Bird had what looked like orange Wing tags but the heat hazed photographs do not reveal any colour or codes unfortunately. A 2cy female I think.

I bumped into local birder Lucy L who told me she had a singing Serin in her garden on lighthouse down the previous evening. Sadly there was no sign today.

Light SW winds and abit of a sea fog produced one of the better days for me here so far this spring.

A 5.30 am start up top produced a male Ring Ouzel (in a similar place to y’day’s female) my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year, which was perched in Langdon hole briefly before vanishing, 2 Male Black Redstarts, 7 Wheatears, c15 Willow Warblers, Garden Warbler, c30 Swallow mostly East and a Lesser Redpoll feeding with Linnets on the deck was nice.

Winds got up and the place was blown out so no Skywatching etc. Im only down on weekends untill the end of the month so might miss some decent weather, it seems to get windy for weekends only at the moment!

The 2nd of May and still temperatures are struggling to get into double figures but a 5.45 am start and a long day out and about was enjoyed. Highlights were a female Ring Ouzel that flew over my head, perhced briefly before carrying on toward Foxhill down first thing, a smart male Common Redstart on Lighthouse down, 2 Tree pipits over N, 3 or 4 Yellow Wagtails, a Siskin flew East and a Garden Warbler was an added to the year list near the NT Car park.

Many Whitethroats and Lesser whitethroats were in song and perhaps 15-20 Swallows flew East over the day plus a single House martin. I also saw a pair of White Wagtails on lighthouse down, which could be the pair that bred there last year retuning. A Black Redstart was also heard singing out on my wanderings in Dover this evening.