Swanscombe Part 8 - July

Things have really dried out this month, both metaphorically and physically. Nearly every conceivable pool of water had been reduced to dry mud in the wake of the continuing heatwave, reaching nearly 40° at one point, and the wetlands that were full of life a few weeks back seem pretty barren by comparison. Even the vast pool behind Black Duck reeds is nearly empty

It is too hot even for reptiles, even the regularly-spotted lizards seem to be hiding away in the shade, being ectothermic they are unable to regulate themselves from quickly overheating.

The insects are doing well, with tonnes of flies, moths and dragonflies buzzing around, as this poor cow can attest! Whilst mentioning cattle, it's good to see the Botany area getting grazed to promote some fresh growth and habitat creation for our wintering species.

The birds are there if you look and listen closely enough, however it is largely smaller passerines taking advantage of their insect meals. The leaner months really provide an insight into which species truly flourish on the marsh as opposed to those who flit from site to site dependant on resources.

The wildfowl had almost totally dispersed by the end of the month, and interestingly its now been a little while since I've found a Canada Goose. As mentioned in previous months, I had assumed their residency but it now seems they only use the site on passage between wintering and breeding sites.

I had drafted a paragraph about this being the first month without a new species, but then right at the end an adult Yellow Legged Gull turned up on the foreshore! Nationally scarce but frequent on the continent, they do have a few strongholds over here, nearby Thamesmead being one. It's been a long wait but excellent to finally record one a bit further down river! These guys used to be considered a subspecies in the Herring Gull complex but, whilst still closely related, are now seen as a seperate species.

All in all a quiet month, and as such I'm going to keep this one brief and hope for a better time of it come August!

Full List

Woodpigeon

Collared Dove

Feral Pigeon

Magpie

Jackdaw

Carrion Crow

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Bearded Tit

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Greenfinch

Linnet

Reed Bunting 

House Sparrow

Starling

Dunnock

Wren

Robin

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail 

Chiffchaff

Cetti's Warbler 

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat 

Ring Necked Parakeet 

Swift

House Martin

Pheasant

Herring Gull

Black Headed Gull 

Lesser Black Backed Gull 

Yellow Legged Gull 

Cormorant 

Oystercatcher

Mallard

Tufted Duck

Pochard

Shelduck

Egyptian Goose 

Greylag Goose 

Mute Swan

Coot

Moorhen

Water Rail

Little Grebe

Grey Heron

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier 

Kestrel

Peregrine

Total 56

Running Total 103

Swanscombe Part 7 - June

After a recount I realised I had hit 100 in the previous month, whoops!

It's been a much quieter month on the surface, you could have been forgiven for thinking it's deserted at first glance, especially in the heat! A lot of the breeding passerines have staryed to calm down post season (even the Cettis have stopped calling as much!), but there is still activity to be found once you scratch beneath the surface, and I totalled 61 species for June with a bit of work.

The Goldfinches seem to have taken over once more, they are very common in the area and have had a few good years now but they seem to be the most abundant of the small birds on site right now, at the very least they're the most obvious, singing from every perch. I didn't manage to find a single Stonechat this month, with the finches essentially replacing them on their usual telephone wires.

The main scrape on Botany Marsh has totally dried out in the midmonth heat wave, what impact this has remains to be seen. The wildfowl that could be seen there have presumably gone over to Black Duck, although Interestingly I did pick up my first Lapwing since January next to the empty pool. Despite the risks of predation they apparently do breed here but the lack of sightings this year may well mean they have used other areas this time. This may go some way to explain the predatory Black Backed Gulls that gathered at the start of Spring but now are sparcely seen. Hopefully the fledgling geese have managed to relocate successfully too, although the Canadas seem to have done another disappearing act.

Im expecting the departure of breeders over the next little while, with maybe some arrival of nonbreeding birds, which will be interesting to see, particularly upclose when ringing and the telltale signs (eg lack of a brood patch) are apparent.

I had a particularly successful morning with Terry, ringing 50 birds including a lot of juveniles, and it's fascinating to see some of the features that help age birds when the plumage isn't always obvious.

That session was capped off by a brilliant flyover Red Kite, my favourite UK bird and a personal first for the site, and of course it was on the day I didn't have my camera!

We should see some of the earlier migrants like Sand Martins start to leave soon, but for now they're still doing well above Black Duck, whilst it's also of interest that the ducks are starting to moult into their post-breeding eclipse plumage, possibly a little earlier than expected.

The final new addition this month went to a Common Tern bombing up the river. Terns haven't been as obvious this year as previous, you can often find them at nearby Cliffe Pools but they've been thin on the ground so far so this was a nice bird to see, albeit briefly.

I'm expecting more of the same in July, and it will be interesting to see if some of the birds I missed this month turn up next. Obviously anything I see/miss has the caveat of the blind luck of what's about on the day but after a couple of months of not seeing a certain species some conclusions may be drawn! 

Full List

Collared Dove

Woodpigeon

Feral Dove

Jackdaw

Jay 

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Raven 

House Sparrow 

Reed Bunting 

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Dunnock 

Pied Wagtail

Bearded Tit 

Blue Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Great Tit

Starling

Meadow Pipit

Robin

Blackbird

Song Thrush 

Chiffchaff

Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat 

Reed Warbler 

Sedge Warbler 

Cettis Warbler 

Chiffchaff

Grasshopper Warbler 

Cuckoo

Swift

Swallow

House Martin 

Sand Martin

Pheasant

Black Headed Gull 

Herring Gull 

Lesser Black Backed Gull 

Med Gull

Common Tern

Cormorant 

Oystercatcher 

Lapwing

Mallard

Shoveller 

Pochard

Tufted Duck

Shelduck

Greylag Goose 

Mute Swan 

Little Grebe 

Coot

Moorhen

Water Rail 

Grey Heron 

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier 

Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Peregrine

Red Kite (flyover)

Total 61

Running Total 102

Swanscombe Part 6 - May

What a month it's been, setting myself a new record of 70 different species seen in and over the Peninsula, and some cracking variation too. 97 for the year now, getting ever closer to the magic 100!

The Cuckoos are on site in force, with at least 3 males and 1 female being seen/heard in different areas. Typically, they are hard to photograph and quickly fly off when you get anywhere vaguely near them, but the female sat up nicely once for me, unfortunately for the backdrop on a grey miserable day!

Im still yet to find a Hobby, but the Swifts, House Martins and Swallows are really making a show of it. It's been great to watch them feed over Black Duck, and also stoop to the ground to gather mud for nest building on the nearby Ingress Park flats.

Surely can't be long before their predators make an appearance, especially since the Dragonflies are becoming more abundant. I'm by no means a 'dragonfly guy', but I have picked out Broad Bellied Chaser and Emperor amongst the different species on show.

Interestingly, the Tits have become remarkably thin on the ground. Although occasionally seen, perhaps the majority have moved on to neighbouring gardens for the breeding season, displaced and out-competed by the voracious Warblers that have truly taken over.

I've got 9 different Warbler species so far, including this smart Grasshopper (apologies for the distant photo), and there is still potential for a couple more to show up, fingers crossed!

Yet again there's egg on my face regarding waders, this time a lone Whimbrel turning up for a feed along the foreshore. Although not blessed with large groups like some other nearby sites, there is still a fair amount of different wader species that use Swanscombe, despite me not really associating the area with them and it will be interesting to see if anymore turn up throughout the year.

Whilst on the subject, Lapwing bred last year near the Botany Scrape, but I haven't seen a single individual since January. Perhaps nest predation has meant they have moved to a different site this year.

Ringing has continued to be a success, with a few more different birds caught alongside the usuals, including Great Spotted Woodpecker, always a nice record for the area.

We also managed to get a particularly incredible bird right at the end of the month, which I won't reveal just yet, at least until it's made public and ratified by the BTO. All I can say though is that everyone involved was literally dancing for joy at getting something so rare right on our doorstep 😋

Full List

Woodpigeon 

Collared Dove

Stock Dove 

Feral Dove

Jackdaw

Magpie

Carrion Crow 

Raven

Blue Tit

Bearded Tit 

Stonechat

Robin

Nightingale

Blackbird

Song Thrush 

Dunnock

Starling 

Wren

Goldfinch 

Chaffinch 

Linnet 

Reed Bunting 

House Sparrow 

Chiffchaff

Blackcap 

Cetti's Warbler 

Reed Warbler 

Common Whitethroat 

Grasshopper Warbler 

Sedge Warbler 

Pied Wagtail 

Wheatear

Cuckoo

Pheasant 

Red Legged Partridge 

Great Spotted Woodpecker 

Swallow

House Martin

Swift

Ring Necked Parakeet 

Black Headed Gull 

Mediterranean Gull

Herring Gull

Common Gull

LBBG

Cormorant 

Oystercatcher 

Common Sandpiper 

Green Sandpiper 

Whimbrel (Feeding Thames Foreshore)

Mallard

Shoveller

Gadwall

Pochard 

Tufted Duck 

Shelduck

Greylag Goose 

Canada Goose 

Mute Swan 

Coot

Moorhen

Little Grebe 

Water Rail 

Grey Heron 

Kestrel

Peregrine

Sparrowhawk 

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier 

 + Secret Bird

Total 70

Running Total 97

Swanscombe Part 5 - April

Its been an absolutely bumper month this time around, totalling 68 species, with 13 new sightings as most of the summer migrants start to appear and make themselves known. Up to 91 for the year now on site, there are a few more expected ticks but now it's more about hoping for some passage madness to see what else can be found

All the expected Warblers (8 different species so far!) are singing from literally every conceivable location, particularly the Cettis. Although a year round resident, it seems their numbers have been boosted, you literally can't walk 10 metres before the next one starts calling! Along with the warblers, I've had Cuckoo and Nightingale in the scrub around Botany. It will be interesting to see if the cuckoos hang around, last year i only heard them once all year, although I imagine that's just my bad luck!

A group of Sand Martins can be seen each night feeding over Black Duck Reedbed, and it surely won't be long until the rest of the Hirundines follow to nest on the nearby Ingress Park flats, along with the predatory Hobbies chasing them over the marshes. I've not had Sand Martin here before, and they're incredibly hard to photo on the wing, so you'll have to ignore the terrible record shot 😂

Breeding is also well underway, with the first Greylag goslings being sighted on the scrape at Botany Marsh, and a pair of Pochard are becoming more obvious, fingers crossed they mate successfully! 

I also spotted a female Sparrowhawk drifting over at the end of the month, I'm expecting to see her more regularly as her passerine prey gets more and more active during peak season.

It's been a strange month for waders, with most of the wintering species gone, including the unseasonal Common Sand which I haven't picked up for a while now. Green Sand and Snipe are still hanging on on the grazing marsh and scrape, and I was treated to some close range views of a feeding Black Tailed Godwit on the Thames Foreshore, looking resplendent in his breeding plumage

The Reptiles are becoming way more obvious now too, instead of fleeting sightings as per last month I'm practically tripping over Lizards right now, and the Grass Snakes are a lot more active. I'm hoping to get some hunting footage as they move in and out of the reeds tailing the vocal Marsh Frogs, but who knows if I'll pull that off!

Things are shaping up nicely for a busy breeding season, it's going to be great to watch the adults busy on feeding flights and the fledglings making their first forays into the big wide world. There are still a few migrants to arrive and it will be interesting to see who stays and who just passes through. Let's see what May brings 😁

April Full List

Woodpigeon

Collared Dove

Feral Dove

Stock Dove

Jackdaw

Carrion Crow

Magpie

Rook

Raven

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Bearded Tit 

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Greenfinch

House Sparrow 

Reed Bunting 

Starling

Dunnock

Meadow Pipit 

Robin

Stonechat

Nightingale

Blackbird

Song Thrush 

Cetti's Warbler

Chiffchaff 

Blackcap

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler 

Grasshopper Warbler

Common Whitethroat 

Lesser Whitethroat 

Pied Wagtail

Cuckoo 

Green Woodpecker 

Pheasant

Sand Martin

Black Headed Gull 

Herring Gull

LBBG 

Cormorant

Common Snipe

Green Sandpiper (Botany Scrape)

Oystercatcher 

Black Tailed Godwit (Feeding on Foreshore)

Mallard

Teal

Gadwall

Pochard 

Shoveller 

Tufted Duck 

Shelduck

Canada Goose 

Greylag Goose

Egyptian Goose 

Mute Swan 

Little Grebe 

Moorhen

Coot

Water Rail

Grey Heron

Little Egret 

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier

Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Peregrine

Total 68

Running Total 91

Swanscombe Part 4 - March

March has been a slower month, managing 61 species, with a lot of the winter birds leaving in droves to be slowly replaced by the summer migrants. I've barely managed any photos that are vaguely shareable (let alone half decent) so this one may be a bit text heavy, but i'll try to keep it brief, and hope that April brings a bit more drama

Despite a sorry, gloomy start to March, spring was definitely in full swing by the end. Chiffchaffs were calling from every tree, seemingly in constant battle to drown out the Cettis, and the butterflies were emerging in force. Over the coming weeks the rest of the Warblers etc will be turning up and the breeding season will get underway in earnest, and some of the Birds of Prey are beginning to be more obvious as they begin to ramp up their hunting in preparation for chick's.

Birding highlight was my first ever Wheatear on site (luckily pointed out by another group or I would have easily missed it). These striking birds tend to stop off in the area during migration to feed up, and it makes a change to see such a smart male in summer plumage rather than the somewhat tired looking birds we get in the Autumn! Also of note, a lone Grey Wagtail bobbing around the central reservoir, again not a bird I'd ever found here before.

The Grass Snakes and Marsh Frogs are finally back, but have been far too quick for the camera just yet, I'm sure some nice moments with the local herps are yet to come over the Spring and Summer. I also had a quick encounter with a Water Vole, enough to spot his fuzzy brown bum and hear the giveaway plop as it took to the water. Don't judge the laughable Snake photo as he disappeared into the undergrowth 😂😂

I also got another opportunity to help out with the ringing. A slower day this time out, but plenty of Chiffs, Cettis and Finches, a Mipit and a pretty female Reed Bunting gave a nice bit of variety and another chance to familiarise myself with the techniques used to gather data on these birds.

March Full List

Woodpigeon 

Collared Dove

Feral Dove

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Magpie

Blue Tit

Long Tailed Tit 

Great Tit

Bearded Tit (only on Black Duck this month)

Dunnock

Starling

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Robin

Stonechat 

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail 

Grey Wagtail (central pool)

Skylark 

Wren

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Greenfinch

Linnet

Cetti's Warbler

Chiffchaff 

Blackcap

Wheatear (Grazing Marsh)

Pheasant

Red Legged Partridge (Top Path evening)

Black Headed Gull 

Mediterranean Gull 

Herring Gull 

GBB Gull 

LBB Gull

Common Gull

Cormorant 

Redshank

Common Snipe

Lapwing

Tufted Duck

Teal

Gadwall 

Mallard

Pochard

Shoveller

Shelduck 

Canada Goose 

Greylag Goose 

Egyptian Goose 

Mute Swan 

Moorhen

Coot

Little Grebe 

Grey Heron 

Little Egret 

Peregrine 

Kestrel

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier 

Total 61

Running Total 78

Jan-March Round Up

Despite the main focus for the year being on Swanscombe SSSI, I have still found time for some other birding trips and volunteering with the RSPB, and I thought I'd round up the highlights here, starting with the elusive Shags at Chatham Dockside. They spent last winter here and I was unable to find them, however on a January shopping trip with the missus I decided to bring the camera and try my luck, and caught a pair at fairly close range! 

The following week took us for a nice beach stroll around the Broadstairs area, until she realised I was definitely sneakily birding 😂😂

Fulmar were plentiful, as were some outrageous views of some particularly tame Turnstone. Rock Pipit was also a nice addition despite her failing to see why I was so excited over such a small nondescript brown bird!

Winter wouldn't be complete without a visit to Sheppey, and a bumper 79 species day in the Shellness area in early Feb was absolutely fantastic. A dawn male Hen Harrier, Merlin, White Fronted Geese and the 7 Leysdown Shorelarks were all highlights, along with Snipe, Bearded Tit, Brambling, and numerous Waders making up a strong supporting cast.

The last week of February took me to East Blean with some friends for a wonderful morning stalking the forests following the sounds of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. We were rewarded with the briefest of glimpses (along with the usual woodland passerines) before heading off to the Stour Valley to spot the gnawed up tree trunks that can only mean the reintroduced Beaver population is doing well! The day was rounded off at Stodmarsh where we were treated to great views of Water Pipit, some incredibly tame Robins, and all the marshland favourites.

Northward Hill has had huge numbers of Brambling, one of which I finally managed a half decent shot of (shame about the branches), and it's been great to get back with the guys post Christmas break and catch up with preparing the site for the breeding passerines, but I've managed to dip all the rarities showing up at Cliffe and Alpha Pool, as is my luck!

Of course i took the opportunity to visit Riverside Country Park as the weather changed and sure enough I was rewarded with 8 Adders. All bar one were males, and although I didn't manage to witness their courtship dancing, it's always a pleasure to be so close to my favourite UK animal

During March I also squeezed in a trip to Oxfordshire with the other half. A couple of nights in a Shepherds Hut off the beaten track were well needed, a tranquil setting in a woodland surrounded by Tawny Owls and Muntjac, and not far from quaint towns and picturesque walks in the Cotswolds. Waking up every morning to the sounds of the forest is something I could definitely get used to! Counted nearly 150 Kites during our stay too! 

The year list stands at 117, sorry this has been a long post but ive tried to keep it as brief as I could, here's to a promising Spring!

Swanscombe Part 3 - February

A trickier month to get out through a mixture of inclement weather, a lack of water proofing in my camera, and unfavourable shifts at work. However, I made what I could of it and still got a fair few birds.

Before the storms hit, a lot more bumblebees were seen waking up and starting to move around the area. Still lethargic from winter, most were happy to be picked up and moved to suitable areas where they were less likely to be stepped on or eaten!

The Cetti's Warblers put on a real show this month as they started to set out their breeding territories. I havent fact-checked this but i imagine they get in there early before the sunner arrivals of other competitors. Talking of, the first Chiff of the year was heard late Feb. Traditionally a summer warbler, they are now resident in a few spots in the UK, particularly in the south. Stonechats, Robins and Mipits were also abundant and obviously marking up territory to begin their seasons, and the Skylarks are starting to become more noticeable.

Although not a great spot for waders in my experience, a low tide visit yielded Turnstone, Dunlin, Grey Plover and Redshank. A Common Sandpiper seems to be wintering (fairly unusual for this area) and is a regular sighting. 2 Green Sands were also seen during the month.

I was hoping for a few new species in the wake of Storm Eunice, maybe some birds being moved around in the wind. However the only find of note were large numbers of Canada Geese, which were absent for some reason in January. It could just be that they arrive to breed, but could also be displaced birds from other areas. Whilst on the subject of geese, the Egyptians seen briefly in January were found everytime this month so will now be assumed resident.

For the final visit of the month, I went with some of the local experts to assist them with ringing on Botany Marsh. We got a fair few species of Tit and Finch, Dunnock and Cetti's but the highlight was undoubtedly a stunning male Kingfisher! It was fascinating to see the process and get involved as much as my lack of license allowed, and also to find out numerous tips for sexing and aging individuals that can then be applied in the field and up my birding game. I'll certainly be joining them again! Big thanks to Terry for letting me tag along!

February Full List

Woodpigeon 

Collared Dove

Feral Dove 

Carrion Crow

Raven 

Jackdaw

Magpie

Pheasant

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Greenfinch 

Linnet

House Sparrow

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Robin

Stonechat 

Starling

Meadow Pipit 

Skylark

Dunnock

Wren

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Bearded Tit

Cetti's Warbler 

Chiffchaff 

Pied Wagtail 

Mallard

Gadwall

Teal

Tufted Duck

Shelduck

Egyptian Goose

Canada Goose (lots post Eunice)

Greylag Goose

Grey Heron 

Coot

Moorhen

Water Rail

Kingfisher 

Black Headed Gull 

Common Gull 

Herring Gull

Cormorant 

Common Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper (central reservoir)

Dunlin

Turnstone

Redshank

Grey Plover

Peregrine

Kestrel

Buzzard

Marsh Harrier 

Total 55

Running Total for the Year 73