TUESDAY 15/01 Walland/Dungeness

A short trip out with my mum starting at Littlestone  beach where we got first Kittiwake of 2013 . The causeway at Dungeness  a pair of smew gave great views with no camera on me. Walland marsh showed very little only one Buzzard of note. 

Tuesday 01/01/13

Happy New Year
After an evening of celebration without any drink we woke to find a beautiful sunny New Years Day, so David and Lynda decided to stay a little longer for a trip round the marshes. As I am still not up to hiking around so everything was done from the car. With such a short time and confined to the car the daily tally was only 36 species. Walland Marsh lived up to its name as a marsh with roads and fields flooded. There was a group of birders near the flying club with reported bewick/whooper/crane and waxwing none of which I saw. At the feeding station yellowhammer , Mistle Thrush and tree sparrows were present and still only Mute swans to be found. Returning via Scotney produced huge numbers of Golden Plover and Lapwing but only geese seen were Greylag. Dropped into Dungeness and was amazed at the amount of visitors have never seen the car park so full. The sunny weather and New Years day Holiday had everyone out in droves. Little on the notice board considering the amount of birders there was out and about. Parked on the causeway to have a Great White Egret sitting on a bush then to our suprise a Bittern flew alongside the car and dropped into the reeds further along the road . The Dungeness Estate was again awash with cars so chances of Glaucous was slim so we did not even stop.  So probably one of the lowest counts I have ever had on New Years day list. No geese other that Greylag and not one raptor. Heres hoping my back gets better so I can do some walking and add to the list. I have never recorded more than 200 birds in Kent  in one year ( 198) and was hoping that my first year in retirement would exceed that total so my health has to improve a lot to enable me to meet that total. Also have to rely on Val to be my chaffeur.

Monday 24/12

A drive out to St Margarets at Cliff produced many fly by Auks , Gannets , first Fulmar of winter , Great Crested Grebes and Red throated Diver.
Returning back via Dover managed good views of Black Throated Diver in Dover docks but I was not well enough to walk out on the pier to check for others. Life boat came in and was met by ambulances and the police.
Samphire Hoe had the lower walkway closed due to storms little to see but lots of Gannets.  

Monday 17/12

A drive to Tenterden was done on as many back roads as possible. The lack of winter thrushes was very evident as the largest flock was only 5 birds. Found/came across Orleston forestry commission  and managed to park for 30 minutes at one of the entry gates with a view up one of the paths.
First birds here were the 5 Redwing, this was followed up by fantastic views of a nuthatch on the gate support we were parked alongside( 5 feet at the most ). Downside of modern cars is that the car has to be turned on for the windows to work to enable me to get any photos. As the bird was so close we did not want to spoil experience. Three Treecreepers made an appearance with one coal tit 4 LT Tits , 2 song thrush, robin , blackbird , blue tit, magpie and a jay. When I can get up and walking it must be a place to visit. Returned via Walland marsh hoping for more waxwings without any luck. a park in  a layby gave me tree sparrows, yellow hammer,collared doves and chaffinch.( Still missing my first Brambling of winter 2012)   Many swans at Midley but all adult and juvenile mute's. Kestrel,buzzard and Sparrowhawk were the on;y raptors seen.
Still dont know where to look for the common crane and is it viewable from the car and suprised at the lack of Geese on my rounds. Did not have time to visit Dungeness but drove passed Arc/ new diggings and still no sign of Diver or smew for me but did get a glimplse of a GW Egret.

Monday 10/12 Walland Marsh

Lunch at the Woolpack Inn today. Day started well with 2 Siskin in the garden drive to the pub gave me 3 Red Legged Partridge and a male Hen Harrier flew over the car. Still hundreds of Russian Thrushes about . Return journey allowed good views of Buzzard, Yellowhammer, Tree sparrow and a Sparrowhawk took a redwing alongside the car.

Saturday 8/12 Walland Marsh

A  wonderful sunny but cold day managed to persuade Val to take me out for a drive. A Waxwing was seen at the T junction on New Romney-Brenzet road with Lydd, Far to dangerous to stop and admire so on to Walland Marsh here managed to locate 7 Waxwings and a pair of Red Legged Parttridge. Still huge numbers of Thrushes but today the redwings seem to out number the Fieldfares.

Saturday 2/12 Walland & Romney Marsh

Still unable to walk without pain so birding is very much out of reach. Today a glorious but very cold day and Val offered to drive me around for a few hours, With reports of Waxwings on Walland marsh we started there, managed 2 Whooper and at least 8 Bewick swans, while watching them a Male Hen Harrier quartered the Swan field until it dropped onto prey, waited 15 minutes to see if it would fly any closer to the car but never saw the bird again.
No Waxwings  seen but there were hundreds of Redwing and Fieldfare.
Did manage to find a few "new" back roads at Walland which look promising for future excursions.