So, that being said, here's a catch up from all my usual places 😂
My Thursday started early with a quick hours visit to Cliffe, with everything crossed that the recently spotted Osprey may still be around. They stop here from time to time during migration, but it's a bird I've never had a chance to see in the flesh.
Naturally, it was nowhere to be seen, and sure enough sightings started to circulate on Twitter of a bird seen near Southend. Due to the fairly close proximity, it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same individual, searching for another food source before continuing its journey.
It wasn't a completely wasted trip though, the Spoonbills were showing well all morning, and I caught a couple of Ruff hanging out around the pools. The Terns were out in force, with plenty of Commons and a few Blacks zipping around hunting. I got my first Wheatear of the year (another passage migrant to these parts), briefly seen on a fence post. There's also been a decent influx of Ringed Plover, and with the help of another birder, I also saw a couple of Curlew Sandpipers scuttling around the islands, which were a lifer for me!
The Long Tailed Tits are starting to become more obvious too. Although present all year, they are seemingly a lot more active over autumn/winter as they hurry to find food. Relatively bold, they're one of my all time favourites, and you can't help but love these dumpy little cuties. Hopefully I'll get some more (and better) photos as the season draws on.
After the whistle stop tour of Cliffe, it was over to Northward Hill for the RSPB work party. The weather was against me, but I got a few half decent snaps of the usual reptiles whilst cracking on brush-cutting. There were a couple of Buzzards and Kestrels knocking about, but no sign today of the Red Tailed Hawk.
The Ringers were also out with their nets, and I can't ever resist a quick chat with them and the chance to get some really close up looks at some of our smaller species. Blackcaps and Blue Tits aplenty, with a couple of Chiffchaffs made up the majority. Although they may look like they're in trouble, these nets (Coupled with quick, safe, and firm handling) provide us with a fantastic means to collect data to monitor populations and learn more about these dainty passerines.
Friday morning brought a quick run to Gillingham before the forecast afternoon downpour.
I've come across a nice pool at the Berengrave Reserve, an old chalk mine, that looks like it could do well for a number of species. Sure enough, a couple of Grey Wagtails dashed through, and a Common Sandpiper put in a couple of quick flyovers. There seem to be a nice amount of fish present, which makes me think I'll definitely be back in the hope for the elusive Kingfisher.
Whilst sat patiently watching, a few tits came in to check out what I was up to, including this curious Long Tailed, along with a few Blues and Greats, before they were flushed out by an overhead Sparrowhawk.
As usual, Gillingham came up trumps for Adders, although curiously none of my usual girls were about. Possibly hidden away after the inclement weather, but I'm sure they'll be back soon. I did find a couple of nice sized specimens, who were all pretty relaxed, one even letting me handle her! Not gonna lie, it was ridiculously hard to get a photo when I was concentrating so much on reading her body language and making sure she felt comfortable!
Although by no means the best photo, I also found this near melanistic yearling. Raised levels of melanin in their genome gives them a darker colouration, and is more common the further north you go, aiding them to absorb heat far quicker than those normally coloured, giving them a natural advantage when conditions aren't ideal.
I promise the next few posts will bring about a change of scenery, I have trips in September planned for near Cambridge and then Weymouth, with plenty of places to visit and different animals to report on! After that, it will be time to welcome the winter arrivals around North Kent, we should see huge numbers of wildfowl, waders, birds of prey and maybe a few rarities, which kinda makes up for the lack of reptiles!
All in all, I think summer has been pretty kind to me, and now it's time to look forward to what's next. As always, until the next time!
