DUSKY AND YELLOW BROWED AT CARAVAN PARK

As a postscript to the last post I did manage to catch up with the Dusky and Yellow-Browed Warbler this afternoon.Arriving at just after 4.00 p.m. I was soon joined joined by the Hindle clan and after about 15 minutes of chasing a tac tac tac noise up the tree line it finally gave itself up for some very good views... for a Dusky. The Yellow Browed was the only bird in the park trees and with Coventry beating Forest  all in all a pretty good day.

RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL AND A SUNNY SATURDAY.

Marc called at 7.30 a.m. yesterday morning and I expected him to tell me he had refound the Pallas' Warbler.  However, it was a real mega in the form of a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL which had been caught by Matt and Chris Hindle.  They were going to release it at 8.30 a.m. at Chambers Wall and I enjoyed 5 minutes with the bird before its release.  This morning I enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning stroll to Cold Harbour and back and 45 minutes around the caravan bushes.  The undoubted highlight was a SHORT-EARED OWL which flew in off the sea and alighted near the Oyster Farm.  We also had good views of the bird when we returned along the sea wall - the second owl that Ann Hindle had spooked in a day following her close encounter with a Barn Owl.  Totals for today included : 22 Meadow Pipit, 10 Skylark, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Little Owl, 1 WATER RAIL, 15 Siskin, 12 Redpoll, 4 Turnstone, 3 Wheatear, 1 Greenshank, 1 Sparrowhawk and 2 Little Egret.   An enjoyable time - shame we didn't find a Dusky Warbler.

GREY PHALAROPE AT COLD HARBOUR LAGOON.

An enjoyable visit yesterday afternoon to see the Grey Phalarope was successful despite the atrocious weather walking back to the car at Chambers Wall.  Arriving at 3.45 p.m. Mike Gould was directly behind me and we walked down soon to be joined by Steve Ashton and Mark Chidwick. We all enjoyed close views of the bird who was obviously very tired.  At times it was harried by the resident gulls but it seemed quite settled.  Walking back we were all caught in a tremendous downpour.  This morning before subjecting myself to the embarrassment of England's performance in the World Cup, I enjoyed the company of Mark, Martyn and Adam at Grove spending time talking and looking at a fairly empty main pool and an even emptier Green Hide.  A few Marsh Harriers some Snipe and that's about it.

OSPREY AT THE OYSTER FARM.

I wasn't planning on going out this morning but a phone-call from Marc had me speeding down the dual carriageway at speeds almost approaching 60 mph.  The reason for the dash was an OSPREY which seemed to be quite happily sitting in the Oyster Farm on a post.  I spent 45 minutes trying to take a reasonable record shot at about 250 yards and compared to Marc's, when the bird was at Cold Harbour, it is quite embarrassing.  However, I'll let you be the judge.  Heathy also had a RAVEN which he believed had dropped into the fields beyond the railway embankment and line.  I pulled into the lay-by by the Roman Galley and spent the next fifteen minutes scanning the fields.  By pure luck the RAVEN took to the air from a field hidden by trees and flew over my head and the Thanet Way.  This was not only a year tick but a new bird for Reculver for me.  Nice end to a good and unexpected bonus morning.

TIT FEST!

Arriving at a fog bound Grove just before 6.00 this morning Marc, Martyn and Mark had already parked up and I made sure that mine was sensibly within the white line (hope you are reading this Steve).  For the next two hours the fog hung around and birding was fairly pointless and definitely uneventful.  A few Marsh Harriers drifted close to the ramp and at the bottom happily feeding were a group of Reed Buntings joined by a single Sedge Warbler.  Our highlights included guessing the first bird to come on the pager and what would be Dylans dramatic announcement tomorrow.  Marc departed to take photographs of Sparrows and Rooks at Reculver.  However, yesterdays juvenile Pectoral Ruffpiper failed to appear through the gloom and despite a sorty to the water meadows it had obviously disappeared into the ether.  The undoubted highlight was c100 Bearded Tits feeding in and around Harrisons which even allowed me the opportunity to take a few photographs.  I left around 10.40 a.m. having not seen many birds but certainly had lots of laughs.