Trip reports

Elmley

Sunday, 1 March 2009

We returned to Elmley exactly four weeks after our previous visit which started with gale force winds and ended shortly after our arrival with a heavy snow fall. This time the weather was a little better. The Elmley reserve has a wonderful drive along a long track across open marshy grass lands. The hazy, overcast cloud clover meant that long distance views were poor and there were not as many birds on the approach road as our first visit. We saw a green woodpecker near the farm at the entrance, where there were also starlings and house sparrows. Along the track we found lapwing, coot and moorhen. In the distance there were mute swan, little egret, curlew, tufted duck and greylag goose. We parked at the farm house where we noticed that there were hares in the grass behind the barn. Below the centre there were numerous wigeon and a few mallards. A pied wagtail, blackbird and a robin completed our findings here. As we set of down the walk to the hides we did a final inspection of the three mature oak trees that stand below the farm house. We were really pleased to see a little owl quietly sitting in the branches. Foraging underneath were two stock doves. The sun put in a brief appearance that lifted our spirits. Unfortunately the sun was soon covered again where is stayed for the rest of the day. There were a number of meadow pipits and skylarks seen along the walk. The latter were singing vigorously. We were lucky to see a variety of birds of prey. There was a merlin sitting on a gate post. A kestrel hovered near the track and in the distance marsh harriers were seen. A raptor on the distant barn roof looked like a peregrine falcon. A passing RSPB warden confirmed this was a favourite perch. A brief viewing of a low flying raptor looked like a hen harrier. Unfortunately it kept to the far side of the sea defence embankment showing just briefly from time to time. On the walk down from the farm we also noted pochard. Our final bird of prey was a pair of short eared owls sat on the sea wall. On the Swale mud we saw curlew, black tailed godwit, grey plover and red shank. Fortunately the group spotted that there was also a whimbrel, which displayed the white rump marking as it flew off landing near a group of geese in the murk a way off inland. These turned out to be white fronted geese. Entering the hides we surveyed the pools and the surrounding marshes. Ringed plover, grey plover, pintail, gadwall, turn stone, mallard, redshank, shelduck, shovelor, teal and oystercatcher were all present. Scanning the grass revealed one then two and finally as many as six snipe on the far bank. Common and black headed gulls were present with a few immature great black-backed gulls. We decided to walk to the Swale hide to look out over the river. Here the tide was in so there were no birds to be seen except a single great crested grebe. We stayed for a while and noted that there were numerous groups of waders flying up stream. Most were turnstones and dunlin, but one group was a large flock of avocets. A cormorant came into sight fishing close to the hide. Finally four male red breasted mergansers flew a circuit in front of the hide. Returning to the car park we stopped to look over the pool in front of the hides. Here the birds we had seen before over the Swale had come to roost during the high tide. We were pleased with our day and are looking forward to our next visit.