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Feb 3rd Bewick’s Swan 30 – flew in to roost on the Flamingo Pool at dusk Shoveler 272 Pintail 50 Wigeon 2,500 Shelduck 45 Pochard 185 T Duck 151 Scaup 11 (6 drakes) Goldeneye 30 (5 drakes) Bl/T Godwit 3,500 roosting on the islands Tawny Owl – bird hooting...

04/10/2012 2500 Black tailed Godwit

Osprey. We've had an email in from Scotish Wildlife Trust informing us that a young male Osprey that they ringed and fitted with a satellite tracker has been roosting in North Kent near Northward Hill. If anyone see's an Osprey with a blue leg ring on his left leg, please let us know, as we would...

Our new Residential Volunteer Luke Wallace was on patrol at Cliffe Pools at the weekend and made the following sightings list. Avocet Black headed Gull Black Tern (2 Juvs) Black-tailed Godwit Common Tern Curlew (6) Curlew sandpiper (1) Great Black-backed Gull Great-crested...

There have been many great bird sightings at Cliffe over the last few days, and despite what the weather may be, the summer migrants have started arriving. Curlew sandpiper, Green sandpiper, Wood sandpiper and Spotted Redshank have been present on the pools since the weekend. There was also an impressive...

Seal - on the mud near coalhouse fort on the other side of the river. Cormorant Black Headed Gull Great Tit Magpie Avocet Heron Corn Bunting Crested Grebe Greylag Goose Shelduck Common Gull Mallard Canada Goose Blackbird Swift Little Egret Coot Tree Sparrow Oyster Catcher thanks to Mike Dutton for...

From the car park I looked out across the lake and saw a pair of Great Crested Grebe swimming in unison in the distance, on the island nesting gulls were being as noisy as only Black Headed Gulls can be. Continuing on I went onto have a look at the main lake to see what was about. Plenty of gulls...

It was an extremely warm day at Cliffe yesterday with little respite from the sun. Given the positively Mediterranean conditions it was perhaps fitting that two Mediterranean gulls were spotted flying north over Flamingo pool - their distinctive ‘yee-ah’ calls, giving them away. Also flying...

There was a Short-eared Owl at Cliffe Pools 14/3/12. The bird was hunting over the grassy area near the Thames viewpoint, which is traditionally a good spot for these amazing birds. Elsewhere on site, Flamingo Pool held 8 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Grey Plover...

Goldeneye 18 - Mainly Flamingo with a single pair on Radar Short Eared Owl 1 - Hunting Behind Black Barn out onto the marshes Little Grebe 60+ - Radar / Hidden Greenshank 3 - Flamingo Beach Curlew 3 - Flamingo / Hidden Pintail 30 - Radar/Hidden/Ski Shoveler 15+ - Flamingo /hidden Little Egret 18 - Across...

I've received these sightings from Murray Orchard: The following totals were noted on Cliffe Pools (on and off reserve):- Smew 2 - redheads on Radar Pool Goldeneye 38 - including 10 drakes, all but one duck on Flamingo Pool Pochard 642 - mostly on Timber Lake and Alpha Pool Aythya hybrid (Tufted...

Timber Lake (nr Church Street): 1 red-necked grebe Radar, Cliffe Pools: 2 ‘red head’ smew and 1 black-necked grebe St Mary’s Marsh: 8 barnacle geese Northward Hill: 24 woodcock flying out onto marsh at dusk thanks to Frank Cackett for providing these sightings

I was on duty Sunday and here are some sightings I had around the reserves. A great selection of wildfowl and waders were gathering at high tide in the afternoon at Cliffe Pools. At least 1,500 Dunlin were observed streaming onto the beach at Flamingo to roost (see photos attached). 14 Goldeneye were...

for those that have not heard, we have some very upsetting news: Rainham Marshes blog

It was a bright and chilly morning at Cliffe today. Most of the ditches and Black Barn pools were frozen over and generally there were fewer birds visible than normal. A single Sanderling was notable on the beach at Flamingo, alongside a Grey Plover and small numbers of Lapwing, Redshank and Curlew...

At Cliffe today there were lots of Starlings, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, and Linnets, along with several Fieldfare , bathing in the puddles along the lane by the Black Barn Pools. This flurry of activity attracted the attention of a female Merlin , who zipped through the flock and low over Radar at 9...

Flamingo Pool lapwing c.500 redshank 2 curlew 1 grey heron 1 little egret 3 great-crested grebe 6 little grebe c.80 mallard c.30 goldeneye 3 (1 male) great black-backed gull c.80 lesser black-backed gull 1 herring gull 25 (inc. 1 huge argentatus ‘northern’ type adult) black-headed gull...

RSPB Cliffe Pools – sightings 20/11/11 On Saturday, Cliffe Pools had a visit from staff and volunteers of the London Wildlife Trust, based at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening in East Dulwich, South London. I met them for a superb walk of the site, held in glorious spring-like conditions. ...

150 lapwing were roosting on Black Barn Pool. At Cliffe the highlight was the number of waders feeding on the new sand bank in Flamingo. Curlew, black-tailed godwit, greenshank, redshank, shelduck, BH gull, GBB gull, with lapwing, egrets and a heron. 200 avocet were reported by another visitor. A...

A visit to check on the progress of the latest dredge campaign was enlivened by the wader spectacle on offer. Vast numbers of waders had our pulses racing; 1500+ dunlin, 100+ black-tailed godwit, 500+ avocet, along with good numbers of redshank, grey plover, ringed plover, bar-tailed godwit and topped...

The Gravesend Local Group paid a visit to Cliffe Pools on Saturday, and here is their trip report with sightings: Gravesend Local Group trip report Paul Larkin was also at Cliffe on Saturday, and his hightlight was a cock Bullfinch. On Sunday, Bruce and Helen Kirk visited the site and reported...

I've got another picture from Peter Beckenham, resident volunteer at Northward Hill: thanks Peter!

On Sunday 16th October, Paul Larkin found a superb adult male Isabelline Shrike along the south side of the Alpha marshes, only the 6th record for Kent. The bird attracted much attention and could be viewed from the public footpath leading out to Cliffe Creek from the RSPB car park. The bird favoured...

Jason Anderson has sent me this report of his trip to Cliffe Pools: Trip to Cliffe on morning of Sunday 2 nd October @ low tide (highlights and counts): Passerine migrants Lesser Whitethroat: 1 (bushes west of Elf Pool) Whinchat: 1 (near Black Barn) Chiff Chaff: 1 (singing!) Blackcap: 2 Waders...

Rolf Williams captured these shots of the Harris Hawk seen at Cliffe recently: