Lunchtime walk around Lodge Hill

Friday 17th October and went to Lodge Hill, Saunderton Lee for my lunchtime walk, not to much around, had some red-legged partridges in the field on the way to the hill, and I always enjoy watching Red kites.

Lunchtime walk around the NE part of Holes Bay

Thursday 15th October and as I was working in Fleet's Corner Poole, I had a walk at lunchtime around the NE part of Holes Bay. I parked up near KFC and followed the water channel that runs into the bay. Then when at the footpath on the bay I followed it up to the railway getting close views of Little egret, Wigeon and Kingfisher, I then returned to my car.

Lunchtime walk in West Malling Kent

On Wednesday 15th October I was working in Kings hill, so at lunchtime I drove to West Malling parking near St Leonard;s tower. I had a look at the tower and then walked around Manor Park country park.

13 Bonxies at Queen Mary Reservoir

Tuesday 14th October and while at work in Kings Hill Kent, I see reports about a lot of Great Skuas on the reservoirs of Surrey and Berkshire. As I left work I called Bob who birds Staines reservoirs, he text back to stay that the one he had found in the morning and watched it eating a coot was still there, so I headed of around the M25, then got another text from Bob, staying it had just flown off. So I went to see if I could view the 7 reported at Queen Elizabeth II reservoir, I drove around but all the gates were locked. One last try I headed to the Queen Mary Reservoir arriving around 17:45 and soon found 13 Great Skuas on the water, they were very flighty, putting up all the gulls that were trying to roost for the evening.

2014 Year List = 228

Birding around Pagham Harbour

On the afternoon of Friday 10th October I took the dogs down to Pagham harbour. I drove to Church Norton and in the car park was another birder and he was was just leaving, so asked the question anything about? He mentioned various different waders, but also told me that the path to the beach was completely under water due to the high tide. So I drove down Grange lane and parked up near Greenlease farm around 13:30, and took the footpath out to beach near the Severals.

We then walked towards the Harbour entrance, there was a steady Vizmig of Swallows all going East. I looked through all the waders roosting, finding a single Bar-tailed godwit and also one Wheatear. Out on Tern Island was a Spoonbill.

We stayed until the tide had dropped enough for us to walk to church norton and the back to the car. Next stop the visitor centre and Ferry Pool.

I then drove around to the North Wall where on the freshwater scrape was a Kingfisher and Snipe. On the salt marsh side had good views of Wheatear, Spotted Redshank, Curlew & Black-tailed godwit.

So around 18:15 I loaded up the dogs and headed home after seeing 54 species of bird. 

Steppe Grey Shrike Twitch

Wednesday 8th October, and another day on Holiday, so I load up the car with the dogs and we all go up to Burnham Norton, Norfolk. As the Steppe Grey Shrike would be another new bird on my UK life list, we arrived around 10:00 and other birders coming back to the car park report that it is showing well.

I joined a few other birders and watched the shrike as it moved up and down a drainage ditch, until it went out of sight in one of the rain showers.

So the dogs and I went for a walk around the salt marshes, seeing Great Crested grebe, Cormorant, Little egret, Grey heron, Mute swan, Greylag goose, Dark-bellied brent goose, Shelduch, Teal, Kestrel, Moorhen, Ringed plover, Golden plover, Grey plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed gull, Herring gull, Great black-backed gull, Skylark, Meadow pipit & Reed bunting.

2014 Year List = 227

Back at the car, I give the dogs something to eat,  and then I did the same, while taking to two other birders from Boston Lincolnshire, who said there may be a Yellow-browed warbler in Wells woods. So I drove to Wells-next-the-sea and went to the car park at the end of Beach road. We had a walk around the woods and then out onto the beach, seeing, Cormorant, Dark-bellied brent goose, Wigeon, Sparrowhawk, Oystercatcher, Ringed plover, Golden plover, Grey plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed gull, Common gull, Herring gull, Great black-backed gull, Woodpigeon, Great spotted woodpecker, Robin, Goldcrest, Long-tailed tit, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie & Goldfinch.