Dear all,
The journey to Oare Marshes was unexpectedly curtailed when I saw a large bird that I immediately took to be a bird of prey soaring over the farmhouse called Court Lodge only 500 yards North of the village. Fortunately the lane was quiet enough to park and get out of the car whereupon I clapped eyes on the bird and realised it was a White Stork.
The stork soared on straight wings for the best part of ten minutes, gaining height and gradually drifting westwards. Then, at 9:10, it vanished from view. Another birder had by now stopped and saw the White Stork for a few minutes before it was lost from view. Not a bad start - whatever the origins of the bird in question!
At Oare the tide was low but the east lagoon still held 400 or so Black-Tailed Godwits, including a few colour ringed birds different to that which I'd seen last Friday. The morning's total of birds seen also included:
Breeding plumaged Ruff on the West lagoon with a ginger ruff this time and a different individual to that of the 18th which had a black Ruff.
Green Sandpiper - West lagoon
10 Avocets - West Lagoon
2 escaped Black Swans on the West Lagoon still.
5 Little Egrets
4 Marsh Harriers
There was no more sign of the White Stork in the vicinity up to midday- however, maybe it is favouring the area around Court Lodge because when I'd first seen it the bird had been quite low as if it had just taken off. So, in the words of Shaw Taylor- 'keep 'em peeled' ( or something like that anyway).
Best wishes,
Lancey
The journey to Oare Marshes was unexpectedly curtailed when I saw a large bird that I immediately took to be a bird of prey soaring over the farmhouse called Court Lodge only 500 yards North of the village. Fortunately the lane was quiet enough to park and get out of the car whereupon I clapped eyes on the bird and realised it was a White Stork.
The stork soared on straight wings for the best part of ten minutes, gaining height and gradually drifting westwards. Then, at 9:10, it vanished from view. Another birder had by now stopped and saw the White Stork for a few minutes before it was lost from view. Not a bad start - whatever the origins of the bird in question!
At Oare the tide was low but the east lagoon still held 400 or so Black-Tailed Godwits, including a few colour ringed birds different to that which I'd seen last Friday. The morning's total of birds seen also included:
Breeding plumaged Ruff on the West lagoon with a ginger ruff this time and a different individual to that of the 18th which had a black Ruff.
Green Sandpiper - West lagoon
10 Avocets - West Lagoon
2 escaped Black Swans on the West Lagoon still.
5 Little Egrets
4 Marsh Harriers
There was no more sign of the White Stork in the vicinity up to midday- however, maybe it is favouring the area around Court Lodge because when I'd first seen it the bird had been quite low as if it had just taken off. So, in the words of Shaw Taylor- 'keep 'em peeled' ( or something like that anyway).
Best wishes,
Lancey
