With a rare afternoon free from the uni grind, I finally got a chance to do some more birdwatching. The looming deadlines of final year has meant that the amount of time spent in the field recently has been thin on the ground.
Nevertheless, it was decided that Kent was to be the destination for this afternoon out - Hothfield Heathland being the first port of call. With a long-staying Great Grey Shrike being frequently reported from the site, I thought I'd hedge my bets and have a look for this species - which would be a lifer and only my second ever sighting of a UK shrike.
Accompanied by my father, we arrived just after midday and headed towards the heathland - making a beeline for the specific tree in which the shrike was apparently hanging around. Upon arrival, there was no sign of the bird and I was instead accompanied by flittering Chaffinches and Goldfinches as well as the occasional call of a distant woodpecker. Me and my Dad head in different directions - covering more ground to increase our chances of seeing the bird. After some scanning, what looked like a fairly chunk grey bird popped up on a branch; a quick check in my binoculars revealed that it was indeed the Great Grey Shrike. Excitedly, I called up my father to inform him that I had relocated the bird and he joined me in gaining great views of a spectacular bird!
Despite reports on BirdGuides of the Shrike being 'mobile', the bird proved to be remarkably obliging, eventually moving to a bush where it sat preening for half an hour or so in the afternoon sun. The bird seemed to be completely unbothered by our presence as me and my Dad were seemingly the only people watching it!
After the bird flew from its favoured bush, me and my father decided to head on further south - aware of the finite amount of sunlight and the closing times of our next destination. This was to be RSPB Dungeness - a unique reserve that I always enjoy visiting. Needless to say, it was too early in the year to catch the myriad of Terns that often inhabit the reserve, however there was plenty still to be had - namely a pair of Glossy Ibis that had been hanging around the reserve for a while.
After being told that the pair of Ibis favoured the Dengemarsh area, we decided to head straight to this location - going the opposite way round the route to usual. After walking through a ditch and momentarily getting lost, we eventually found our way onto the right path with a Cetti's Warbler being briefly glimpsed in the process.. As we were walking, I believed that I heard a fairly distant 'booming' of a Bittern - this opinion was shared by a couple of birdwatchers nearby. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate the bird and we instead headed on until we reached the Bittern viewpoint. We spent a decent while there, observing a pair of Marsh Harriers - a male bird was particularly obliging. This sighting was soundtracked by my first Sedge Warbler of the year which I did not see - despite the bird's vocalisations making its presence very apparent.
After trying and failing to see any Bittern from the viewpoint, we headed on to the Dengemarsh hide. Unfortunately, this was to also prove rather quiet on the bird front, with a near absence of any ducks. However, there was entertainment in the form of my first Swallow of the year, whilst a brief flight of a Great White Egret over the back of the reeds was a solid addition to the day's list.
Conscious of the car park's closing time, we headed on. The walk towards the visitor centre still had more to offer however, with a small flock of Dunlin being located on one of the muddy banks.
A couple of vocal Chiffchaffs provided a pleasant backdrop to the rest of the walk, as we gradually got closer to the car park. However, the best was yet to come. A scan from the firth lookout revealed a pair of diving Goldeneye - a reminder that both winter and spring birds are to be found at this time of year. With some persistence I eventually managed a record shot.
But the icing of the cake was to come unexpectedly when a pair of Glossy Ibis performed a flyover just as we neared the visitor centre - providing a wonderful end to the day. Their brief appearance resulted in a lack of photographic evidence; you'll just have to take my word for it!
A final look at the feeders in the car park revealed a Nuthatch amongst the several Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Tits.
Yet again, Kent delivered. With all the target species being seen, it really was a splendid day spent in the company of my father - whose driving was much appreciated. Gladly, I had relinquished the need to twitch from my system!
Comments
Post a Comment