JAN 26TH 2013 - NEW YEAR LIST

EAST BLEAN WOODS &  ISLE OF SHEPPY  -   BOTH PLACES ARE  IN KENT.

This was my last day of birding in the UK, for January,  at least. I had seen 135 species until yesterday when I saw 3  Red Kites flyover the M3 whilst we, dawn and I, were on our way to Kent to stay over at Dawn's daughters' house until Sunday morning, when we sail across the channel into France, before driving down to Spain.

My target was 140 species before I left and the Red Kite yesterday made it 136.

I set off at 7am in the dark, it was cold with some light rain. I made it to Blean Woods, just outside of Canterbury, in 45 minutes and spent the rest of the morning until 12:15 walking along the muddy, wet trails in the woods. Lots of common woodland birds appeared: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, GT Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Song Thrush and I heard a distant Green Woodpecker. In the fields on the edge of the wood I saw Fieldfare, Redwings, Jackdaw, Rook and Lapwing. I finished my first walk and drove to another car park where I met Dave a local birder, we joined forces and spent another 90 minutes on other trails. This was more successful as we flushed, not one, but two Woodcocks, I saw a Green Woodpecker (my first for the year) and we had lots of the species mentioned above as well as a Coal Tit.

So now I had reached 138 on my New Year List.

I spent the rest of the daylight hours on the Isle of Sheppy near Capel Creek along the Harty Trail. The weather improved dramatically I had clear blue sky overhea dfor most of the afternoon and it wasn't that chilly, even warm at times.

The whole area consisted of flat meadows with some arable farming, drainage ditches with reedbeds and some scattered bushes, everywhere you looked you could see Common Buzzards on posts, Commmon Kestrels on poles and Western Marsh Harriers drifting over the reeds and fields. Large flock of Lapwings were joined by Golden Plover, Common Starlings, Fliedfares, Meadow Pipits, Goldfinches, Linnets and the odd Stonechat. It was whilst I was watching the harriers that I noticed a female Hen harrier being mobbed by a couple of Carrion Crows, I had distant but good views, the white rump was clearly visible.

I drove a little further and found a large flock of Corn Buntings, not my favourite bird but I was really glad to see them as they have been in fast decline in the UK. I also got a lot closer to the Common Cranes.

Next I drove the 'Ferry Inn' pub on the banks of the River Swale which is the body of water that separates the Isle of Sheppy from mainland Kent. I was very near the site where a Tufted Puffin was found a few years ago, what a find - a first for Britain!

The tide was just dropping as I spent a good hour watching waders and Brent Geese. I listed a good number of waders: Avocet, Grey Plover, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Knot, Oystercatcher, Turnstone and my first of the year, Ringed Plover.

Back at the raptor watch point I located a perched female Merlin and 6 Bewick Swans with a larger flock of Mute Swan. As the light began to fade I added my last 'new' species of the year, Red-legged Partridge, I also saw a Black Pheasant (never seen a black one before). I drove back to Aylesford (near Maidstone) in the dark, well pleased with my last UK birding day of the year (so far).

ADDITIONS TO THE NEW YEAR LIST

136. Red Kite
137. Green Woodpecker
138. Woodcock
139. Pink-footed Goose
140. Hen Harrier
141. Corn Bunting
142. Ringed Plover
143. Red-legged Partridge

here are some of the species I missed and those that I could have easily seen with a bit of luck:

Little Owl
Short-eared Owl
Tawny Owl
Black Redstart
Sparrowhawk
Firecrest
Dipper
Fulmar
Manx Shearwater
Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Dartford Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Blackcap
Crossbill
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Great grey Shrike
Rough-legged Buzzard

this would have made a list of over 160 .........which just goes to show how good winter birding is in southern Britain.

Hope you enjoyed the conquest my next blog will be a list of the species seen during my 19 hour drive through France and Spain back to our Spanish home in Andalucia. My target is 40 species.