Trip reports

South Swale

Sunday, 22 October 2006

Every year the City of Canterbury holds a festival for two weeks in October, with many indoor and outdoor activities at a wide range of venues, catering for a variety of interests. Our Local Group has participated in these activities for a good many years by having a field trip along the Swale at Seasalter, as a means of showing birds to people, promoting the RSPB, and recruiting members. It has always been thought that the walk should be held to coincide with an incoming tide, but gauging the tide so as to start the walk at a reasonable time is not always easy. With an early afternoon high tide, the 21st-22nd weekend seemed to be the most suitable for this year's trip; this meant a 10.30am start - not ideal - but we had a good response from those willing to venture out on a Sunday morning.

With rain forecast, our intrepid band of volunteer leaders turned out to welcome nearly forty members of the public who were keen to see a range of local wading birds in their natural habitat. As more people turned up, groups werel led off along the seawall by a knowledgable guide. With two groups already heading west along the footpath, our group went down onto the beach and observed the birds feeding on the mudflats as the incoming tide pushed them closer to us. A number of very obliging brent geese stayed close to the beach for a while, enabling us to point out the differing plumages of young and adult birds.

As the choppy, grey sea made its inexorable way up the shore, only a few of the waders that were spread out far and wide came closer to give us better views - mainly dunlin, ringed plover and turnstone. The curlew, black-tailed godwits and most of the redshank flew off to their usual roost sites further along the coast. After a short walk, our group reached the seawall, where we enjoyed more birdwatching opportunities - not only out to sea, but also over the farmland that lies on the other side of the sea defences. A large flock of ever-alert golden plover were feeding in one field. Suddenly about half the flock took flight in a spectacular display of formation flying, moving as one across the field and then landing just a little further away. As the weather began to deteriorate, a red-throated diver, not fully out of summer plumage, was seen preening and later diving not too far from the shore. Further west another red-throated diver and a great crested grebe were also seen. Unfortunately, by midday the wind had increased and the rain arrived, so everyone headed back to their cars after an enjoyable morning.