Sunday 29th
Four Black-tailed Godwits were new in on RSPB Worth marshes with two Egyptian Geese, three Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret, and a Raven also seen.
Saturday 28th
Most people were either still full of Christmas turkey or out looking at Yellow Warbler/Scops Owl, but a Black-throated Diver was noted offshore.
Thursday 26th
Four Barnacle Geese were on RSPB Worth marshes.
Wednesday 25th
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL AT SBBOT
Tuesday 24th
The two White-fronted Geese continued on RSPB Worth marshes whilst a Lapland Bunting teetered on the edge of the SBBOT Recording Area along the cliff top at Pegwell Bay. A Yellow Warbler at New Hythe was exactly the type of find that keeps us going over the winter months.
Please note the Observatory building will be shut over the festive period. However, the carpark, outside toilets, reserves, and bird hides will be open as usual.
Monday 23rd
A chilly and blustery day. There were at least 600 Cormorants offshore and a northward passage of a few hundred Gulls along the shore included three Caspians and two Yellow-leggeds. The two White-fronted Geese were seen again on RSPB Worth marshes.
Saturday 21st
A real mix of weather today with bright sunshine interspersed with heavy downpours. Two White-fronted Geese were in with the Greylag flock between the Observatory and the Worth track.
Friday 20th
A Dartford Warbler was in Restharrow Dunes opposite the entrance to Restharrow Scrape.
Thursday 19th
There was a switch in the wind to north-westerly and it brought a chill to the air. A little activity offshore was livened up by a Black-necked Grebe drifting south mid-distance. After four years without any sightings this is our now third bird of the year. A Hawfinch was the highlight on RSPB Worth marshes.
Wednesday 18th
Torrid conditions early on but gradually the drizzle lifted (though still remained windy). There were two White-fronted Geese in the Greylag flock between the Observatory and the railway. Meanwhile there was a very impressive count of 16 Caspian Gulls in Pegwell Bay, a record count for the area, whilst the seven Snow Buntings were still present.
Tuesday 17th
New arrivals on the Estate included ten Fieldfares, six Siskins, and a Bullfinch. The seven Snow Buntings were reported again from Pegwell Bay.
Monday 16th
Two Pink-footed Geese, three White-fronted Geese, and four Barnacle Geese were on RSPB Worth marshes. The seven Snow Buntings seen again from Pegwell Bay and nine Caspian Gulls and two Yellow-legged Gulls were present.
Sunday 15th
There were lots of waders in Pegwell including an excellent local count of 380 Grey Plovers. The flock of seven Snow Buntings were still viewable (just) across the Bay on Shellness Point.
Saturday 14th
Ten White-fronted Geese, one Brent Goose, four Barnacle Geese, three Green Sandpipers, and five Water Pipits were the highlights across RSPB Worth marshes whilst in Pegwell at least seven Caspian Gulls and one Yellow-legged Gull were seen on the incoming tide and a flock of seven Snow Buntings were present.
Friday 13th
A calm but very chilly walk around the Estate found the Dartford Warbler still present with Stonechats at Dickson's Corner, two Firecrests chasing each other in The Elms, and three Kittiwakes following a local fishing boat offshore.
Tuesday 10th
Persistence paid off as seawatchers were rewarded with a Little Auk seen flying north along the shore. At least 1,200+ Gulls fed in the surf and included a 1cy Little Gull and two 1cy Caspian Gulls. There were at least five White-fronted Geese and three Brent Geese in a flock of 230+ Greylag Geese between the Observatory and the Worth track, whilst further inland there was a brief Bittern at Roaring Gutter.
Monday 9th
Another spell on the sea produced a drake Eider and a Great Northern Diver, with a flock of 61 Ringed Plovers, 74 Sanderlings, 310 Dunlins on the receding tide on the beach.
Sunday 8th
Often sea passage can be good in strong winds but despite Storm Darragh crashing through there were less birds moving offshore than hoped. There were totals of 17 Wigeons, 23 Teals, one Common Scoter, 12 Gannets, 325 Cormorants, two Grey Plovers, two Knots, three Dunlins, and one Auk sp logged. Sometimes it can take a few days for birds to appear though so do keep looking around for displaced birds on reservoirs etc. Speaking of which, 14 Pochards were on New Downs.
Friday 6th
Brief respite today between two storms. New Downs provided an unseasonal Swallow around Prince's Reservoir and another 500 Cormorants were offshore.
Thursday 5th
The two Barnacle Geese were joined by a lone Pink-footed Goose on Willow Farm, likely one of yesterday's mystery Geese.
Wednesday 4th
Two unidentified 'grey' geese, most likely Pink-footed, flew south over Willow Farm where two Barnacle Geese were also seen later in the day. A/the Dartford Warbler was at Dickson's Corner and a Woodcock was in the Gullies.
Tuesday 3rd
It was another day of Cormorant mayhem offshore with at least 1,400 going to and fro, with smaller numbers of Gannets and wildfowl. Singles of Firecrest and Dartford Warbler were on the Estate.
In other news we also heard back from the DNA analysis of the intriguing Lesser Whitethroat trapped and ringed on 4th October. It was confirmed as being of the subspecies halimodendri, known as Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat, as suspected at the time. This subspecies is found primarily in the Kazakhstan region and is only the second confirmed occurrence for Kent (after Dungeness in Oct 2019).
Monday 2nd
The fields with Asparagus between the Observatory and Restharrow Scrape have recently been cut and so a large number of Woodpigeons and Stock Doves, Grey Partridges and Pheasants, and Skylarks are now on show. Five Tree Sparrows in the Jubilee Field were no doubt also displaced from the fields. Yesterday's Dartford Warbler was also showing again at Dickson's Corner.
Sunday 1st
There was the first major winter arrival of Cormorants with just under 1,500 seen offshore. Singles of Woodcock and Dartford Warbler were on the Estate.