PERDIX BIRDER

20 mph SW in the channel delivered a male Honey Buzzard in off the sea at 10.55 am over st Margarets that circled the east end of the valley and promptly flew off North.

It must have snuck in at the base of the cliffs because I’d been scanning out to sea in the hope of picking one up against the water. In looking I’d seen a flock of 17 Common Scoter fly West and 5 Gannets together East.

There was nothing to report in the bushes. I saw probably 20 of each Swallow and House martin and 5 swift. Winds increased in strength during the day so birding called off.

Showers overnight and fairly strong Westerly winds produced a Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler and 2 Hobbies between Langdon Hole and Lighthouse Down. 3 Red Kites flew NE and many were seen a few miles North up the coast later in the morning.

Light Southerly winds, a bank of Sea fog over the channel and an early start deliverd for Rich B and I.

As we walked over Light house down at 5.40am we both simultaneously came across parties of Serin with Rich seeing 3 together and I picked up 2. Brief flight views of vocal birds with the 3 birds flying off NW and the 2 seen again shortly just after and then again at 7.40 By Rob R and Ian S. Shortly after the Serin excitement we picked up a Harrier out over the channel which was coming our way which turned out to be a female Hen Harrier.

Bee Eaters were being seen close by and despite efforts to see birds we thought would come our way, we didnt manaage to connect.

Just before 10 am and right on cue I had a female Honey Buzzard come in off the sea at st Margarets Bay which gathered height over the valley despite the attention of the local crows & gulls. Look away now if you’re not into a few too many HB pics, I cant get enough of the species and have been obsessing over them recently, perfect to see one like this today.

After we left at 11ish news from the area involved a flock of 8 Bee Eaters, mostly flying around the monument at Bockhill. Mark and Lucy L also saw presumably the same flock aswell over their garden on light house down and a party of 3 over too but despite my attempts to see them from near my House I failed. A fantastic day on the headland still and thanks to all involved.

After a week of nothing too much to write about news of a Red Rumped Swallow found at Bockhill by Richard H was gladly received. Rich B and myself were out on Lighthouse down and eagerly awaited it flying into the westerly wind and thus towards us. Over an hour later we picked it up moving West with a small mixed flock of Hirundines. Views were alright but photos alot worse, It was exciting all the same and seemed to be part of a wider movement of the species in Kent today with birds seen along the north coast of the county aswell.

Slightly better Pics from Rich B below.

Earlier in the Week Chris C had a Bee eater over the valley, also heard by Lucy L. I had a wing tagged Marsh harrier (details soon)hunting near the light house, 2 Hobbies, a few Yellow Wagtails and a Tree pipit, Fairly slim pickings from my part!

Back from what seemed like an age away and a decent morning on the headland, despite the average looking forecast (moderate to strong WSW winds). Good dates though and they delivered: 2 smart Dotterel in off the sea calling and heading North over Langdon Hole just after 8am.

Langdon Hole itself held a male Whinchat, a Black Redstart and two Spotted Flycatchers. Small parties of Swifts, Swallows and House Martins were also arriving and a Yellow Wagtail flew west.

More Hirundines ‘in off as I walked Eastwards and added Willow Warbler to the day’s birds with one in an isolated hawthorn along the cliff top and another singing in Top wood. 2 Wheatears and a 2 White Wagtails were between the fields and Lighthouse down where a Turtle dove flew at point blank range from the cliff top towards Mark and Lucy’s garden.

3 Red Kites (including wing tagged individual 6J, details below) and c75 Swallows, c30 Swifts and c20 House Martin flew West up the Valley whilst I skywatched.

Local Common Buzzards also put on a good show.

A nice looking forecast for the next 3-5 days.

After a few Days away on a Survey in the South of France at the end of April Ive returned home and gone away again! More Survey work, this time in Scotland but I’ll be back mid may for a decent bit of time on the patch. Meanwhile enjoy the below Western Subalpine Warblers from the hills above Marseille, Hopefully some of the birds of this region will follow me back up to Kent this spring/summer.

Yesterday was very quiet in the bushes, I bumped into Mark and Lucy and watched a handful of Common Scoter Fly up channel from the cliffs near their house. News of Black Kite heading my way was exciting but I somehow managed to miss it. The same or perhaps Another flew West from Bockhill over the patch but despite my legging it up the cliff I couldn’t see it, well done to all involved however!

A change in wind direction over night and what was probably the best morning so far this April for migrants. My First Tree Pipit of the year flew over North calling as I climbed the cliff path at first light, around 6 Willow Warblers were between Langdon Hole and Foxhill down, where I met Rich B, We had a Ring ouzel calling from the thicket in the field north of the Radar station, which flew towards the castle. A few Swallows were around up top also. I left Rich to it as I had a date with a Car boot sale and he Had a Turtle Dove fly NW inland from the Lighthouse, and 2 Continental Coal tits at Langdon.

I spent an hour or two on the patch after the car boot and had my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year, a smart White wagtail in off and a Woodlark that seemed to come off the deck near the old lighthouse garden and fly around calling only to disappear towards the valley.

A quieter couple of days for me here but the addition of Willow Warblers (5) and Sand martin on the 15th was later than expected but still nice. common Whitethroats seemed in to have arrived in numbers throughout the patch now and the local Swallows appear to be back in business.

Single Yellow wagtails are being seen flying in off the sea as too are the occasional White Wagtail, however a flock of 4 of the latter kindly alighted on the recently ploughed field just east of Langdon hole for me on the 15th.

Phil S kindly let me know the whereabouts of 2 flowering Early Spider Orchids which I went to have a look for and eventually came across 3 of them. fantastic things.

I spent much of today working out in the garden and the gulls kindly let me know when any Buzzards passed too low for their liking including this pale bird that I’ve not seen locally before. The Peregrines went absolutely ballistic and almost killed it before it moved on.

Another morning of light southerlies, and a sea mist had rolled in and covered the entire channel by the time I was climbing the cliff path.

I cursed it for having formed slightly too late to drop many migrants in, but as I walked through Langdon I heard my first Common Whitethroats of the year followed by 4 Wheatears and 5 Swallows between Foxhill down and the recently ploughed fields up top.

Another first of the year in the form of a female Common Redstart, in the old light house garden but the star of the morning was found 500 metres East, on the path in front of me as I walked over Lighthouse down: A Hoopoe!

It was in the worst spot for phone signal and had to leave it whilst trying to put out the news, but within 30 minutes or so a few birders arrived and eventually everyone saw it. Nice to see all the locals today!

I went back for seconds in the afternoon and saw it several times feeding in the same spot I’d found it in earlier.

Other firsts for the year were a Yellow Wagtail in off and over light house down and a House martin over the top wood.

Below: Russ Blackman’s Pic of the Hoops flying infront of the old light house.

Back home and keen to get up the cliffs, today’s warm southerly wind promised more than it delivered but I was very happy to see my first sub-saharan migrants in the form of 2 Wheatears sat on a feed trough in fields off Reach road.

3 Swallows were also counted whilst out including one joyously singing high over Langdon hole flying west.

6 Chiffchaff, 12 Blackcap (also my first heard singing this year) and numbers of other breeders like Linnet, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer seem up to last years numbers.

A Black Redstart was heard singing and a female was noted elsewhere whilst a male Brambling and 6 Siskin flew over the valley. I Look forward to striking other common migrants off the year list this week hopefully.