James Armstrong
Flowerpot Man
The Famous Five Find a Garganey at Oare Marshes, 13.4.04
Geraldine and I once again teamed up with fellow BFers DaveG, partner Sam and their five-year old son Jamie at Oare Marshes, Kent yesterday in search of the drake Garganey reported thereabouts.
This would be a lifer for Dave, Sam and Geraldine (and Jamie who is the youngest birder I know – he has his own bins and birdbook) and a good tick for me as I’d seen a female (lifer) with young last year at Hellingwell, Essex W.T reserve last summer but not a male.
When we turned up at just after 10 a.m. (Seriously dudish I know but there was no way we were going to catch the high tide in daylight) Dave and co. had already been there half an hour and had seen a Kingfisher flying down the ditch bordering the West Flood and a couple of Hen Harriers which we were just in time to see disappearing over the horizon.
No sign of the Garganey on the East Flood but lots of great close-up views of a couple of Little Egrets – not much else about predictably with the tide being well out (but full list to follow). Everywhere there were singing Skylarks – fantastically uplifting sound (literally and metaphorically!). The weather was brightening up gradually as we drove up to the visitors centre car park and walked round to view the west flood from the sea wall. Lots of Curlews and Redshanks on the Swale mudflats. On the West Flood lots of birds, Mute Swans in flight – always great to see, usual collection of ducks but still no Garganey. Back to the car park for packed lunch and lashings of ginger beer.
Suitably fortified we headed along the sea wall toward the hide overlooking the Swale and Faversham Creek to the north - east of the East Flood. On the way Dave (who has seriously telescopic eyesight) spotted a bird circling very high up to the west over the Swale. After extensive scoping decided it was a male Marsh Harrier although it was behaving in a very buzzard-like way rising on a thermal. (Not a definite tick anyway). Continued along the sea-wall not much about and definitely no Garganey.
Got to the hide where Dave’s normally reliable Lee Majors vision let him down as he pronounced seven basking (common?) seals on the Horse Sandbank to be “lumps of rock”. Once he’d got them in his scope sights he realized his error as they made rude gestures with their flippers in his direction. Bright sunshine by now – hooray! More ginger beer. At the mouth of the creek on the water’s edge we spotted some more Curlew and… two Whimbrel! Only seen one once before on Havergate Island, Suffolk and that was a long way off. These were reasonably easy to identify as they were close to the Curlew and could be compared nicely. Much slighter in build and shorter but still downcurved beaks. Good tick. The day was rapidly improving in all ways.
Walked along the sea wall beside the East Flood and the creek, hoped to see Bearded Tits (RobinM has recommended this as a good place to spot them but no luck.) Not much to see on the East side of the Flood – Kestrel hovered close to us. Walked round to the hide on the south side of the East Flood. Lots of Greylag Geese, various ducks but no Garganey… Went to the pub. This was necessary as what the Americans call a ‘comfort stop’ – the drinking was merely secondary.
Did some more bird watching in the pub garden but not very good as their feeders and bird tables had no food out.
Sudden thought has just struck me - We need a national list of good pub bird-watching gardens for the summer on BF! ‘Birding and boozing!’ Could make a good bird guide for the seriously lazy alcoholic birder! Is there one out there already? (A book I mean…)If not somebody should start a thread…
Came back from the pub about 4 p.m. headed into the West Flood along the footpath – this has been recently refurbished and is very good - leads to just the one hide. Lots of Marsh Frogs making their strange quacking noise as we made our way to the hide.
Inside the hide we got some great views of all the birds on the West Flood: Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler , Tufted Duck, Pochard, Avocet, Gadwall and two bird watchers fast asleep on the bank opposite us but no Garganey. Then after about half an hour Dave suddenly shouted ‘There it is! It’s behind the bank just in front of us! You can’t see it now but I saw its head!’ Was he stringing us along? I asked myself, as I couldn’t see a thing but then after about 5 minutes there it was – the fabled drake GARGANEY!!! Lots and lots of lashings of ginger beer! We spent the next hour watching it work its way around the flood in front of us feeding in the margins of the lake among the reeds. Sometimes disappearing from view but making its way around the circumference. What a lovely bird! I think it’s the only British duck that winters in Africa (ready to be corrected on this if necessary). Then Jamie spotted a Yellow Wagtail close to the hide. Eventually some other birders arrived and as the hide was quite small we left after pointing out to them where the Garganey was. The birders on the other bank were still asleep. Hope they saw the Garganey...
Walked back to the car park saw a swallow and a house martin and a male and female marsh harrier over the East Flood. Dave saw a Green Woodpecker and a Dunnock but I missed them! Left for home after a great day at 6 pm. Sam had done really well as she’s 5 and a half month’s pregnant! Jamie had also done very well but he was ready for his bed.
Birds seen by the five:-
Little grebe (2)
Cormorant (8)
Little Egret (4)
Grey Heron
Mute Swan (12)
Greylag Goose (12)
Shelduck (8)
Wigeon (6)
Gadwall (4)
Teal (6)
Mallard
Pintail (pair)
Garganey (1 male)
Shoveler (6)
Pochard (4)
Tufted Duck (12)
Marsh Harrier (3)
Hen Harrier (2)
Kestrel (2)
Pheasant (pair)
Moorhen (3)
Coot (lots)
Oystercatcher (5/6)
Avocet (2)
Ringed Plover (3)
Grey Plover (1)
Lapwing (lots)
Black-tailed Godwit (4/5)
Whimbrel (2)
Curlew (8)
Redshank
Black headed gull
Herring Gull
Great black-backed gull (immature)
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
Swallow
House Martin
Meadow Pipit
Yellow Wagtail (1)
Pied Wagtail
Blackbird
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Reed bunting (6)
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Dunnock
Ends.
Geraldine and I once again teamed up with fellow BFers DaveG, partner Sam and their five-year old son Jamie at Oare Marshes, Kent yesterday in search of the drake Garganey reported thereabouts.
This would be a lifer for Dave, Sam and Geraldine (and Jamie who is the youngest birder I know – he has his own bins and birdbook) and a good tick for me as I’d seen a female (lifer) with young last year at Hellingwell, Essex W.T reserve last summer but not a male.
When we turned up at just after 10 a.m. (Seriously dudish I know but there was no way we were going to catch the high tide in daylight) Dave and co. had already been there half an hour and had seen a Kingfisher flying down the ditch bordering the West Flood and a couple of Hen Harriers which we were just in time to see disappearing over the horizon.
No sign of the Garganey on the East Flood but lots of great close-up views of a couple of Little Egrets – not much else about predictably with the tide being well out (but full list to follow). Everywhere there were singing Skylarks – fantastically uplifting sound (literally and metaphorically!). The weather was brightening up gradually as we drove up to the visitors centre car park and walked round to view the west flood from the sea wall. Lots of Curlews and Redshanks on the Swale mudflats. On the West Flood lots of birds, Mute Swans in flight – always great to see, usual collection of ducks but still no Garganey. Back to the car park for packed lunch and lashings of ginger beer.
Suitably fortified we headed along the sea wall toward the hide overlooking the Swale and Faversham Creek to the north - east of the East Flood. On the way Dave (who has seriously telescopic eyesight) spotted a bird circling very high up to the west over the Swale. After extensive scoping decided it was a male Marsh Harrier although it was behaving in a very buzzard-like way rising on a thermal. (Not a definite tick anyway). Continued along the sea-wall not much about and definitely no Garganey.
Got to the hide where Dave’s normally reliable Lee Majors vision let him down as he pronounced seven basking (common?) seals on the Horse Sandbank to be “lumps of rock”. Once he’d got them in his scope sights he realized his error as they made rude gestures with their flippers in his direction. Bright sunshine by now – hooray! More ginger beer. At the mouth of the creek on the water’s edge we spotted some more Curlew and… two Whimbrel! Only seen one once before on Havergate Island, Suffolk and that was a long way off. These were reasonably easy to identify as they were close to the Curlew and could be compared nicely. Much slighter in build and shorter but still downcurved beaks. Good tick. The day was rapidly improving in all ways.
Walked along the sea wall beside the East Flood and the creek, hoped to see Bearded Tits (RobinM has recommended this as a good place to spot them but no luck.) Not much to see on the East side of the Flood – Kestrel hovered close to us. Walked round to the hide on the south side of the East Flood. Lots of Greylag Geese, various ducks but no Garganey… Went to the pub. This was necessary as what the Americans call a ‘comfort stop’ – the drinking was merely secondary.
Did some more bird watching in the pub garden but not very good as their feeders and bird tables had no food out.
Sudden thought has just struck me - We need a national list of good pub bird-watching gardens for the summer on BF! ‘Birding and boozing!’ Could make a good bird guide for the seriously lazy alcoholic birder! Is there one out there already? (A book I mean…)If not somebody should start a thread…
Came back from the pub about 4 p.m. headed into the West Flood along the footpath – this has been recently refurbished and is very good - leads to just the one hide. Lots of Marsh Frogs making their strange quacking noise as we made our way to the hide.
Inside the hide we got some great views of all the birds on the West Flood: Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler , Tufted Duck, Pochard, Avocet, Gadwall and two bird watchers fast asleep on the bank opposite us but no Garganey. Then after about half an hour Dave suddenly shouted ‘There it is! It’s behind the bank just in front of us! You can’t see it now but I saw its head!’ Was he stringing us along? I asked myself, as I couldn’t see a thing but then after about 5 minutes there it was – the fabled drake GARGANEY!!! Lots and lots of lashings of ginger beer! We spent the next hour watching it work its way around the flood in front of us feeding in the margins of the lake among the reeds. Sometimes disappearing from view but making its way around the circumference. What a lovely bird! I think it’s the only British duck that winters in Africa (ready to be corrected on this if necessary). Then Jamie spotted a Yellow Wagtail close to the hide. Eventually some other birders arrived and as the hide was quite small we left after pointing out to them where the Garganey was. The birders on the other bank were still asleep. Hope they saw the Garganey...
Walked back to the car park saw a swallow and a house martin and a male and female marsh harrier over the East Flood. Dave saw a Green Woodpecker and a Dunnock but I missed them! Left for home after a great day at 6 pm. Sam had done really well as she’s 5 and a half month’s pregnant! Jamie had also done very well but he was ready for his bed.
Birds seen by the five:-
Little grebe (2)
Cormorant (8)
Little Egret (4)
Grey Heron
Mute Swan (12)
Greylag Goose (12)
Shelduck (8)
Wigeon (6)
Gadwall (4)
Teal (6)
Mallard
Pintail (pair)
Garganey (1 male)
Shoveler (6)
Pochard (4)
Tufted Duck (12)
Marsh Harrier (3)
Hen Harrier (2)
Kestrel (2)
Pheasant (pair)
Moorhen (3)
Coot (lots)
Oystercatcher (5/6)
Avocet (2)
Ringed Plover (3)
Grey Plover (1)
Lapwing (lots)
Black-tailed Godwit (4/5)
Whimbrel (2)
Curlew (8)
Redshank
Black headed gull
Herring Gull
Great black-backed gull (immature)
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
Swallow
House Martin
Meadow Pipit
Yellow Wagtail (1)
Pied Wagtail
Blackbird
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Reed bunting (6)
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Dunnock
Ends.
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