A brief look on the Flood this afternoon produced at least 800 black-tailed godwit & 20 spotted redshank, along with single ruff, turnstone, green sandpiper & snipe. One of the black-tailed godwits out from Wellmarsh hide had been colour ringed and wore 3 "bracelets" on it's left leg. I knew that there would be other rings on it's right leg, but frustratingly it stayed standing on the same leg and wouldn't show me it's right leg at all. So if someone sees a godwit with a red, a dark green & a light green ring on its left leg, keep a look out for it's right leg - I'd love to know what colour the rings there are. This bird will have come from Iceland and may spend the winter in the area; or it may head off further south. There was also a hobby was along the access track and a few swifts & swallows on the move. Despite yellow wagtail numbers on the reserve beng down this year, they seem to have had a good breeding season, with plenty of youngsters about.
At least 32 spotted redshank on the Flood today, as well as a common sandpiper, 2 green sandpiper and plenty of black-tailed godwits. There was a very unseasonal brent goose; and a couple of broods of well grown shoveler ducklings were lurking in the vegetation at Wellmarsh hide, with a superb glistening golden slow worm on the path to the hide this evening. Later on, a barn owl was hunting along the access track.
A spoonbill was on the other side of the Swale today at the KWT reserve at Oare Marshes - presumably "our" bird. But at least 30 spotted redshank on the Flood over high tide, as well as 600+ black-tailed godwit show that autumn wader migration is well underway. Also 2 green sandpiper & a greenshank elsewhere on the reserve, a male bearded tit in the small reedbed just before Wellmarsh and a cuckoo at Kingshill Farm.
Thought as much.. A single spoonbill again on the Flood this afternoon from Southfleet hide, where there was also at least 13 spotted redshank and 80 black-tailed godwit. A further 180 godwits were roosting at Wellmarsh hide. 3 green sandpipers around the reserve today, along with a sprinkling of Med gulls en route to the Medway. There was a "singing" grey partridge at Kingshill Farm again this evening, where the house sparrow population appears to be doing well and a reed warbler has adopted the orchard as a surrogate reedbed. Early visitors to the reserve should check the east facing upstairs window ledges of the farm house as one of the little owls often sits there on sunny mornings.
No sign of any spoonbills today - maybe they've finally gone. But I thought that a couple of weeks ago and they re-appeared! Still good numbers of spotted redshanks, black-tailed godwit & avocet on the Flood, with a single green sandpiper and a pair of wigeon. Also an adult Med gull and a pair of grey patridge at Kingshill Farm.
Ran the moth trap last night, but a disappointingly small haul of brown moths. Hope for better luck tonight