Dear all,
This evening at Oare in N Kent was a very productive two hours, and no high tide in sight!
The East lagoon was the first stopping off point and no less than nine multi-coloured Ruff were patrolling the edges of the islands. More subtle were two Green Sandpipers which were close in to the reed fringed muddy banks. A single Spotted Redshank was moulting into winter plumage.
Walking along the footpath by the West Lagoon a line of 4 Whimbrel flew upriver and a further 2 were showing on the foreshore. On the lagoon itself were a group of 150 Black-tailed Godwits and a further 5 Green Sandpipers.
Returning to the East Lagoon I saw a group of 7 Little Egrets fly south at 8pm and at 8:20pm a Mediterranean Gull joined the 50+ Black-Headed Gulls on an island where it remained until at least 8:40pm. The gull initially looked like an adult with a black hood, blood red bill and white eye crescents but the primaries were a mix of black and white indicative of a 2nd summer bird (in my opinion). Three photos of this bird are included below.
A Little Owl was on a telegraph pole getting grief from a group of 4 Magpies which rounded off the evening nicely - I must get to Oare at high tide at some point!
Lancey
This evening at Oare in N Kent was a very productive two hours, and no high tide in sight!
The East lagoon was the first stopping off point and no less than nine multi-coloured Ruff were patrolling the edges of the islands. More subtle were two Green Sandpipers which were close in to the reed fringed muddy banks. A single Spotted Redshank was moulting into winter plumage.
Walking along the footpath by the West Lagoon a line of 4 Whimbrel flew upriver and a further 2 were showing on the foreshore. On the lagoon itself were a group of 150 Black-tailed Godwits and a further 5 Green Sandpipers.
Returning to the East Lagoon I saw a group of 7 Little Egrets fly south at 8pm and at 8:20pm a Mediterranean Gull joined the 50+ Black-Headed Gulls on an island where it remained until at least 8:40pm. The gull initially looked like an adult with a black hood, blood red bill and white eye crescents but the primaries were a mix of black and white indicative of a 2nd summer bird (in my opinion). Three photos of this bird are included below.
A Little Owl was on a telegraph pole getting grief from a group of 4 Magpies which rounded off the evening nicely - I must get to Oare at high tide at some point!
Lancey
