PERDIX BIRDER

Apologies for the lack of posts on this blog recently. Ive been working abit and spending time looking inland for HBs and not spent much time up the cliffs at all however the brief visits have been producing small numbers of common autumn migrants.

My first juvenile Willow Warblers of the autumn were in Langdon hole on the 24th July, numbers of Sedge Warbler from this date too have been good especially in the fennel field where i counted a minimum of 10 on the 27th July.

2 Juvenile Marsh Harriers flew over Fox hill down on the 1st August and a cuckoo flew through my back garden on the 8th.

Ive been seeing juvenile Yellow-legged gulls on and off in small numbers since the 10th July, a few along the cliffs and one or two in Dover harbour but yesterday was the first time I threw bread for close views. Only one bird came in, classic bird already showing scapular moult at Deal beach.

Soon I will be up the cliffs everyday, but theres more Honey Buzzard ‘work’ to be done so untill then…

A light and warm SSW wind and a very clear morning – good weather for Honey Buzzards crossing the Channel. Most people, quite rightly, would associate HB arrival dates with May and early June. This is largely correct and the succesful breeders must arrive during this earlier part of the breeding season, However failed breeders and non breeding birds do continue to move around during the summer and Late june throughout july can be just as good for arrivals along these cliffs.

Not the first time I’ve seen 3 birds arriving ‘together’ or as in this case using the same line to arrive 5 minutes or so apart from each other, See here and here for other multiple arrival days.

The first two birds were distant and there was considerable heat haze so I didn’t waste much time photographing them but both were great to watch. I picked up the first bird just after 11 am – a fairly standard time for HBs arriving off the sea here. Alerted by a few Herring Gull alarm calls – A fairly dark female, came in low over the cliff top at Langdon hole and flew directly West towards the radar station/Foxhill down.

5 minutes later The gulls were calling again from below the cliff tops and soon enough the second bird which looked like a male was flying straight West over the water towards the harbour.

A similar story with this bird, it gained some height and continued, mobbed by one or two Herring Gulls.

I wondered if more birds might arrive following the similar line and legged it down to the western edge of Langdon Hole which would have been a fantastic watch point for the previous birds arrival.

Again the gulls gave their particular ‘raptor alarm call’ and I scanned over the water for the incoming bird, picked it up low down being harassed by gulls and a Peregrine which managed to knock it out of the sky and onto the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. Disaster!? I could see it half perched ,half wrecked and not moving, after 10 mintues I decided to go down there and either rescue it or retrive the body. 2 thirds of the way down the Langdon ladder the bird (a female) thankfully appeared low over the rocks coming towards me. Incredible heart stopping fly-bys ensued as It flew west and then turned back and came over head, here are some photos to remember the event by.

It got away, the peregrines here do really go for raptors during the summer, just last week they knocked a 2cy Common Buzzard out of the sky over the harbour, it dropped like a stone and was immeditaly ran over by a lorry, gnarly.

Sand martins, swifts a juvenile Yellow–legged gull (more on them soon i’d imagine) and a Yellow wagtail were the only other birds i noted during what was a very exciting day.

I’ve taken my foot off the gas partially since the Cisticola and have been focusing my energies inland looking, somewhat successfully, for Honey Buzzards. I dont mention it much on this blog but looking at and for HBs in Kent and Sussex has been enormously rewarding. last week I had my best views yet of a male that I came across last year in a previously unknown territory, returning in May this year and being characteristically secretive recently he showed nicely after 2 hour wait in a clearing. I call him ‘the meaningful male’ and though we saw some very strong evidence of breeding last year we were unable to 100% confirm breeding so fingers crossed for this season.

My walks along the cliffs have been seldom but I have seen at least one Cuckoo each visit, with 6 seen since coming back from Basel (shows how little ive been up there!) All adults so far and all accidentally disturbed whilst feeding on the ground, numbers of Swifts range from 0-700, maybe some big numbers in the next week or so. Friday the 1st of July I had a flock of c40 black tailed Godwit, a green sandpiper, curlew and lapwing over the patch whilst a Whimbrel called from the bottom of the cliffs on the 3rd, autumn is underway.

Below a bird growing its tail back, abit of a shock when I first saw it.

Juvenile Kestrel below, several pairs along the cliffs have produced young, still waiting for one pair, perhaps not this year.

(Fan-Tailed warbler if you prefer the old name)

A moderate North Easterly and a band of cloud over the Channel this morning with finer weather inland. These exact conditions have dropped in a Red-backed shrike at the end of June for me before but today’s bird was something alot rarer…

Little/nothing to report from my walk towards South Foreland beyond a dozen or so Swifts until I reached the end of the cliff edge path before the light house. A distinctly small bird flitted from a tiny privet bush on the very edge of the cliff, my first thought was “what ever that is it’s just arrived”, got my bins on it as it flew and even with a brief flight view the strong Jizz of Fan-tailed warbler was apparent: the rounded tail, long bill with a little droop, short wings and weak little bursts of undulating zigzag flight plus I caught a glimpse of the rusty rump.

The bird flew again between cliff top bushes and this time perched out on the top edge of a privet – a good view; all the mantle streaking, warm buff tones beneath, white throat and hilarious bug-eyed facial expression. I went abit wobbly but fired off some shots as it was nicely side on on top of the bush, just as i did the bird flew and the photos are poor but you can see what it is.

2 trips to Spain and a work trip to Hong Kong this year may have added some extra familiarity of this species but I know them well and do think they look like no other WP bird really. A 9th for Britain, the third for this little stretch of coast and 5th(?) for Kent. Mega bird, classic bloody South Foreland “there and then gone” style migrant/vagrant gone in 60 seconds mind blower. There you go!

3 Hours were spent trying to relocate, plus an afternoon visit. I have a feeling it continued along the cliffs into private gardens. Part of me hopes it settles and will be singing somewhere tomorrow, but lets see.

A light NW and a couple of notable birds; A 2cy Marsh Harrier, a Hobby in off the sea. 2 Red Kite and a very high flock of c50 Swifts arrived and moved North and this, presumably south bound Cuckoo.

Marking the end of spring for me as I leave for 2 weeks work in Switzerland.

Moderate Northerlies and 80% cloud produced a Bee–Eater today at 09.50 that called a few times over the lighthouse before I picked it up in the bins high and flying NE.

I lost it trying to get the bloody camera on it but hastly sent a text to the Bockhill guys who picked it up over Kingsdown golf course. It was then seen over Sandwich birds obs and again over the Weddington, pretty cool.

Other than that its been quiet for me, A 2cy Black Redstart has been singing on my street and in the garden, a Red Kite actually came in off the sea on the 30th. 320 Swifts SW on the 29th May was worth mentioning , this Hobby was moving with them.

Little to report from this stretch of coast despite a Red-Rumped Swallow and Red-Footed Falcon nextdoor at Bockhill & Kingsdown recently.

2 singing Willow warblers and a Tree Pipit on the 25th, the Tree Sparrow was still around, a first Summer Caspian Gull picked up by Rich B flew SW along the cliff tops, and what looked to be a Hen Harrier arriving off the sea picked up by Richard J were the highlights of the 26th. My first Turtle Dove of the year flew North over Fan Bay on the 27th and a Grey Plover upchannel was the only notable bird on the 28th, Swift numbers are around 40-100 per day with a single Sand martin on the 25th, Smaller numbers of Swallow and even less of House martin occur daily. Hobbies were seen on 3 occasions over the dates.

Ad female Kestrel gritting on the path next to the lighthouse.

Im yet to beat 217 Swifts SW on the 21st this spring

Moderate SW winds, a sea fog and bright sunshine produced a much better day than expected. Black Redstart and Garden Warbler still singing from thier prospective spots on the climb up the cliff, a Hobby flew West over Foxhill down and a White wagtail North were noted before I reached the Lighthouse where a Tree Sparrow flew in over the cliff top and perched up calling, a notable bird on the headland and my first here in spring.

70+ Swallows, c50 House Martins and 12 Swifts flew SW over light house down during the morning and a 2CY Caspian Gull flew along the cliff tops among 100’s of Gulls moving SW.

But today’s highlight came as I was walking home; a female Red–footed Falcon that flew North over Foxhill down, gained height over Broadlees bottom and continued North East.

I took these distant shots as it circled infront of the ‘two sisters’ pylons.

The bird continued at height towards Sherley’s farm and beyond, 40 minutes were spent looking for it in the hope it had stayed put and was hunting but no joy. A thrilling matter of seconds, the third Ive found and a species I think about alot.

As many encounters with migrant birds here go this was both exciting and brief if a little distant and I wondered if checking Worth Marshes would be wise considering the track record the place has with these kind of aerial hunters and made my way there. Whilst driving I saw Bird guides notification of a Red-Foot at Worth come up on my locked screen, Neil Davies had found a female over the great wood from his house. When I arrived I had great views of the White tailed Eagle that had been seen earlier and fantastic numbers of birds in general, no birders to be seen. Before long I had picked up this female Redfoot and had some lovely views.

Whilst watching the bird perched up in dead twigs towards the Pinnock wall I picked up another Redfoot coming towards me! – 2 birds! this happened again 5 minutes later whilst both birds were hunting over the marsh so I knew I wasn’t seeing things. Neil D had now joined me at the gate and we were mostly seeing the one bird, we were then joined by Rob Rackliffe and after a while figured out both birds were hunting over the wood behind us so moved round to enjoy some nice views. One paler bird (above and below) and the other rich dark apricot, Lovely. Im not sure if either are the bird I had at Langdon, perhaps its possible to tell from the mask bleeding behind the eye, the clean tidy wing and underparts, the paler bird could fit? I dont know.

The Darker bird below, quite obvious in the field to separate them, this bird a little untidy in the wing also with strong contrast across the belly.

Light Northerlies under an overcast sky and rain setting in at 9am. A good morning for Hirundine movement with 60 Swallow 18 House Martin and 2 Sand Martin coming in over the clifftops. One of the 3 Stonechat pairs have fledged their first brood of juveniles, the only notable migrant at this date was a Short Eared Owl flushed by a man with his dog in Fan bay.

Luckily the man noticed what had happened and went the other way allowing the Owl to hide in the cover again, only to get disturbed 5 mintues later by Jackdaws. It then proceeded to circuit Fan bay giving fantastic views before heading inland over towards the farm.

3 Red Kites a Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail and c25 Swift were all noted on the 20th.

Light SSE turning SWS with a sea fog that mostly cleared by 9am produced a fantastic Quail that I flushed out of a tussock next to the path on Foxhill down at 6am. It didn’t fly far and I was ready for it the second time and got a nice view of it fly into the crop field bordering the coastguards. I checked the area when I walked back but no sign. Might be worth heading up this evening, my second here after a singing bird last summer.

Whilst scanning out to sea just before 09.30 I picked up the obvious outline of a Honey Buzzard powering in towards the cliffs. It’s trajectory, unfortunately took it up North side of the bay and over the monument but it was a good enough view to see it was male shaped and grey above. The bird circled over the village briefly and continued North.

Another brief view of what I thought could be another HB way out over the sea never re-materialised through heat haze which was now beginning to form, but almost an hour later (10.20) as I lowered my bins after scanning out to sea I picked up another Honey Buzzard right above my head over Lighthouse down, quite a rufous male, which gave a few lazy flaps, circled once and continued due north over the middle of the valley.

Not exactly the views I’ve been used to in Tarifa recently but the thrill is greater!

A trickle of Hirundines, mostly Swallows but 2 Sand Martin and 5 House martin, 9 Shelduck Flew down channel at height and the Ravens have fledged 3 noisy chicks which are already lording up the headland.