Sunday 18 January 2009

A wander around North Kent

A strangely unsatisfying morning (probably the cold wind, for which I was not adequately prepared) at least gave us an overflying Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and three clumps of Butcher's Broom of which only one had a few berries remaining.
These were in Park Wood near Challock - the pecker had been calling up in the canopy, and was eventually kind enough to show.
Then a short drive across to Oare, even though the tide was out. We had distant views of two Common Buzzards, three Red-Breasted Mergansers, 64 Avocets and a Great Northern Diver, the last-named struggling with a large flatfish while envious gulls circled above.
Dunlin on the Swale mud
The 64 Avocets, and a flock of Brent Geese flying upriver. One lone goose seemed to look different so was tracked along the Swale, but the possibility of a Black Brant was quickly discounted, and eventually we concluded that it was not a PaleBelly either, and that the bright light had made its flanks seem whiter than normal for a DarkBelly.
More exciting are the latest addiotions to the Flicker Photos of the Kingsdown Sherpa....stunning!

5 comments:

Mary said...

I like all these water and mudflat shots...very nicely done! The flight shot is terrific, too! You always seem to see a great variety when you are out and I'm impressed that you count them all.

Anonymous said...

Steve,
Thanks for the kind comments about my pictures and my ability to lug half a hundredweight of kit around all day. I just wish my geese recognition skills were as far developed!
Whatever it was the flight shots of the goose were impressive.
Steve

abbey meadows said...

Quality sightings there K...sounds like a very satisfying day to me!

NW Nature Nut said...

Your flicker Barn Owl photos are so great! How come you are so owl lucky?! I love it!

Kingsdowner said...

Michele,
The barn owl photos are indeed incredible, but not taken by me. They are the product of a protege, who lugs huge amounts of equipment around in order to achieve this kind of result.
We have a larger than usual number of owls around at the moment, possibly due to low breeding success of rodents in continental Europe.