North Kent Friday 8/2/2008

[Eastside Urchin]

I along with 12 others from Rainham marsh birdwatchers went to North Kent yesterday to look for Raptors,waders,geese,swans etc etc and we was not dissapointed.

Started off at Riverside Country park,gillingham(lower twydall)

5c 10mph wind from the west

3 great crest grebe,2 little egret,shelduck,wigeon,teal,mallard,moorhen,oystercatcher,avocet

grey plover,lapwing,knot,dunlin,black tailed godwit,curlew,redshank,black head & lesser black bacvk gulls

wood pigeon,collared dove,great spotted woodpecker,blackbird,song thrush,mistle thrush,long tailed tit,blue tit,great tit,jay,magpie,carrion crow,starling & chaffinch were all seen.

 

Then we went about 5 miles east to funton creek,also on the swale

was there for no more than 20 minutes and saw:-

6 G.C grebe,cormorant,shelduck,wigeon,teal,mallard,pintail, shoveler,red brested merganser,10 marsh harriers,sparrowhawk,kestrel,peregrine,avocet,lapwing,knot,dunlin,black tailed godwit,ruff,curlew,redshankskylark,blackbird,magpie,jackdaw,rook,

& carrion crow.

 

Then we headed off to sheppey to capel fleet watch point and a walk around the west side of the island,and also to a nice pub for lunch where i had 3 pints of hurliman and regretted it all afternoon as there was no toilet around.Here is what we saw:-

 

cormorant,little egret,mute swan,5 bewicks swans,26 white fronted geese,greylag geese,canada geese,shelduck,wigeon,teal,mallard,pintail,marsh harriers(35 plus),hen harriers (12 plus),escaped harris hawk,kestrel,short eared owl,little owl,red legged partridge,grey partridge,pheasant,moorhen,coot,oystercatcher,avocet,golden plover,lapwing,knot,dunlin,ruff,black & bar tailed godwit,curlew,redshank,green sandpiper,kingfisher,black head,lesser & great black back gulls,common gull,herring gull,

stock & collared doves,wood pigeon,barn owl,green woodpecker,skylark,meadow pipit,robin,fieldfare,redwing,magpie,jackdaw,rook,HOODED CROW,starling,chaffinch,goldfinch,house sparrow,yellowhammer,reed buntings,corn bunting

 

 

A good day out even if yours truly didn't rap up warm enough and had to stand there for the last hour freezing my nuts off although i am glad to say that they have defrosted now and were in perfect working order last night for the lucky lady!