PERDIX BIRDER

Over a week since the last spell of decent Raptor arrival weather (see previous post) Amazingly todays long awaited light SE winds are the first from this direction since April. With them came a plume of warm air and with that shift in temperature, a sea fog had developed. Mostly cleared by 11am by which time Colin & Kevin J had a male Honey Buzzard arrive at South Foreland (10.35). Buoyed by this news and hoping my efforts at the other end of the patch would be rewarded I was very happy to pick up my first Honey Buzzard of the day just after 11.40 – a female picked up over the water gunning NW over the Eastern arm of the Harbour.

Drawing some attention but moving at speed she continued inland up the Jubilee way.

Things this side of the channel were clearing further and I spent the next 2.5 hours staring out to sea before giving up and heading for lunch at 2pm

During the walk back I decided to have a final scan over the harbour before I reached my street and picked up another female Honey Buzzard at 14.10, coming in over the Eastern ferry entrance and heading straight for me.

The Peregrines went bonkers but she managed to get above East cliff and headed North.

Tomorrow I head to Switzerland for a couple weeks of work so am calling time on spring here. Its not been bad really, some things lacking but others in relative abundance aswell as some memorable birds. Alot of effort put in and some dire moments but I love the place and feel more connected than ever to it.

Light NW winds switching to the S and SSW from 10am. I decided to stare out to sea from the Langdon end of the patch today. Mostly bright skies over the Channel with cloud hugging the coast, which helped with heat haze.

In place above the Eastern docks by 11am. The first Marsh Harrier of the day arrived high at 11.30. The next raptor was, an ever hoped for Honey Buzzard, picked up directly south powering in just above the horizon at 12.10.

A dark, barred female – It circled over the Eastern docks gaining height and drifted West of my position, eventually continuing NW towards the castle.

Another Marsh Harrier (my first male of the year) came in high just after but at 12.40 I picked up a distant Honey Buzzard circling over the Southern mouth of the Harbour. Sadly it made landfall over the Western docks, coming in infront of Shakespeare cliff (below).

2 similarly sized but unidentified Raptors followed a similar line to this but arrived even further West over the next 20 minutes, by which time the heat haze had become an issue and I just couldnt be 100% sure what they were.

3 More Marsh Harriers (below) came in off before I left at 3pm bringing their total to 5 for the day.

I do love seeing Birds of prey arrive like this.

Very light SW winds and a significant sea fog by 7 am. Phil C texted to let me know he had a Honey Buzzard in off at Hope point at 6.43 am.

Rich B and I birded our way to South Foreland and back and decided the fog was too much of a problem by midday so planned to give up. Just as we were saying our goodbyes on Foxhill down the silhouette of a Honey Buzzard appeared over the harbour and flew West, presumably in off over the Eastern docks.

A white morph male, just at the last minute meaning I haven’t gone without seeing one here this May. The bird circled around abit over Broadlees bottom and eventually continued inland, lovely. This is the 30th individual that ive seen here.

A singing Black redstart in town today, 2 Hawfinches & a Hobby on the 28, Hen Harrier and Marsh harrier on the 23rd, a Spotted Flycatcher on the 24th are the notable birds since my last post.

A cool and overcast start to the morning with yet another moderate NE breeze. 2 singing Reed Warblers on Foxhill down and Langdon and a trickle of Swallows and House Martins was all of note until I reached the lighthouse and heard a few fluting notes of Golden Oriole coming from the valley.

I ran towards the singing bird and emerged at the top of the valley as it continued to sing a few more phrases whilst I scanned for it optimistically. The bird now sounded further away and gave a couple of ‘cat calls’ one of which was all I, just about, managed to record in the video below. No further sign after sadly.

A Hawfinch Flew North over the valley as I contiued my search, a small group of 6 Med gulls flew very High and North and a 2cy Caspian Gull joined 100’s of immature Gulls also flying North along the cliff tops.

A survey inland kept me from getting up the cliffs first thing but the late start in this case worked out well. Just as I reached the far end of Foxhill down I flushed a brilliant male Red backed Shrike from a low perch, it flew away from me and perched up beautifully.

In an attempt to get around the strong light I lost it but saw it disappear around a few bushes over the next 30 mins. Some locals arrived and we relocated it in the same spot I’d found it in originally, it showed well on and off all morning, catching bees, coughing up pellets, It even sang, mimicking reed warbler, woodlark and swallows.

Whilst watching it with Paul Holt, Phil Smith and Jack Chantler, Paul picked up a falcon coming towards us low, we all managed to get on it and call it simultaneously, a 2cy female Red footed Falcon! , a rush of excitement as it flew NE towards the old airstrip and out of sight.

More to come from these brilliant little raptors I should think.

Other birds during the morning were 2 Swift, c30 House Martins and c50 Swallows, I didnt get further than Foxhill down!

Moderate Easterlies turning NE again but lightening in strength. A Turtle Dove saved the day from almost nothing notable. The bird flew over the vinyard and Dolphin’s leap garden heading for the lighthouse along the cliff tops.

Otherwise 2 Redshank flew in high over the cliff tops, c30 Swifts and the same number of House martins flew into the wind along with c50 Swallow during the morning.

Light Easterlies increasing in strength throughout the day and Shifting NE later – A quiet start to the day with 50+ Swallow, 10 Swift, 2 White Wagtails and a few Whimbrel heard moving. Just as Rich and I were about to give up, a White Stork came in High over the harbour and almost directly over our heads on Fox hill down.

The bird continued North and a couple of minutes later there were 3 circling together towards Whitfield which then headed North, presumably all three had come in together. Perhaps ‘Knepp’ birds but the close individual was unringed and we both got abit of a buzz to see it arrive all the same.

A Marsh Harrier and a ring tail Hen Harrier (below) appeared over the cliff tops near the light house within 30 mins of each other on the 9th

Breeding birds seem to be in good numbers this spring with many Yellowhammer territories apparent on the headland, Whitethroats,Skylarks and Corn buntings particularly numerous too.

Another warm morning with almost undetectable winds that seemed to move from NE to SE during the first few hours of the day and a change in my luck it would seem.

The bird of day was undoubatbly a Red–Rumped swallow that flew past the lighthouse at 09.45. Picked up calling over the light house lawn as I arrived at the eastern gate, a nice view of it as it zipped through and then continued SW. My third encounter with this species here and another ‘only time for bins or camera’ situation only, a real thrill, one day one will linger I’m sure.

Previous to that I’d been watching a Tree pipit on the path above the enclosure, which I saw again perched in the dead Ash trees in a similar spot later on.

The rest of the day was spent hoping for more in the skies, c30 Swallow and my First 3 Swifts were a warm up for an Osprey North over the lighthouse at 1pm.

Previous days have been fairly disappointing however highlights have been: Ring ouzels on the 27th and 28th, a Marsh Harrier in off on the 29th, a walk along the cliff bottoms on the same day held a smart 2cy Caspian Gull aswell as views of Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper on the deck.

A seawatch on the 23rd was highlighted by 3 Pomarine and 5 Arctics skuas, 2 Velvet Scoter, c500 Common Scoter, a summer plumaged Black Throated Diver and c350 Commic terns all up channel between heavy rain showers and bouts of poor visibility. Some of the closest views of Skuas I’ve had here, thanks mostly to moderate/strong SE winds.

The 24th was mostly unremarkable except my first Hobby of the year in over the harbour and a 2cy Caspian Gull NE along the cliffs.

The 25th saw a Hawfinch SW calling over the valley, c70 Swallow and a Sand martin, a Black Redstart, 5 Yellow Wagtails (2 males with the cattle) and several parties of Whimbrel seen & heard moving upchannel at height aswell as at the base of the cliffs. A quick look at the sea in the pm with more whimbrel and c100 Bar–tailed Godwits upchannel.

A 2cy and a 3cy (below) Yellow–legged Gull flew along the cliffs mid morning.

Another week into April with the mostly clear skies and light winds seemingly not producing very much for me to look at, although Steve R found the highlight of April so far: a Hoopoe on the 17th above Fan bay, his composite image below.

The 14th was perhaps my best day with a male Ring Ouzel, fem Common Redstart, 2 Black Redstart, 4 Wheatear, 2 Tree Pipit,12 Willow Warblers, 15 Common Whitethroat and 3 Lesser whitethroats across the headland.

Yellow wagtails have been heard and seen in small numbers each day and a male Blue–headed Wagtail flew along the cliffs near fan bay on the 15th. Rich B had another do the same on the 21st plus 2 Ring Ouzel.

Willow Warblers (below) have been present most days in single figures, only 2 counted today singing in Top wood, a vocal flock of 11 Whimbrel and another of 2 Flew north over the lighthouse whilst I counted 30 Swallows in off during the morning. A richly toned Greenland Wheatear was on the old airfield.