Trip reports
Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve meeting
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
It had been a pleasant warm day, but as seven members met in the car park at 6.45pm, there was a cold wind blowing and we were soon rooting in the back of our cars for fleeces and anoraks.
After noting a few common birds in the car park like Wood Pigeon, Blackbird & Collared Dove and seeing a male Pheasant on the path we heard a Blackcap singing in the bushes but were unable to see it.
The tide was on its way in and there were quite a few Shelduck and Oystercatchers on the beach. The only other ducks seen during the evening were Mallards.
A lone unseasonable Brent Goose wandered about the shore giving rise to why he had got left behind this year.
Both Whimbrel and Curlew were present as well as Bar-tailed Godwit. The stars of the evening were 2 Grey Plover in their smart summer plumage and other waders identified were Dunlin, Greenshank, Knot, and Turnstone.
A Little Egret was feeding along the shoreline and a number of Swifts flew overhead moving towards Ramsgate.
We spent some time looking at Terns which were too far out too identify but eventually some Sandwich Terns came in close enough to make their way onto our year list, and before we left Alison located 2 on the beach near the river.
Smaller birds seen during the evening included Whitethroat, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Jean spotted two Ring-necked Parakeets as they flew towards Ramsgate but the rest of us weren't quick enough to see them.
By quarter to eight, the tide was right in and it was very chilly so we started back to the car park and then saw our only raptor of the evening, a Kestrel hovering in the distance. Adding in the usuals like Crow, Rook, Herring Gull, and Great and Lesser Black-backed Gull brought us up to a total of 30 species seen an excellent evening.