Oare Marshes

Last week I was lucky enough after a lull of a month to go out walking 4 times and 2 of those specifically for birding. A great time was had on each occasion. Each report will sadly be short but will contain a full sighting list. Unfortunately due to camera problems (mine is currently in Burton-on-Trent) my pictures are substandard, apologies for that. This is the second of the 4 reports, a day at Oare with Alan. Sadly there are no photos from me as mine was still on holiday and I had left my Olympus at home. The below are Alan’s shots and his Gallery can be seen at :- http://alanfoad.com/photos/

Tuesday 15/11/11 was a very nice day and we started off with a walk down to Dan’s Dock, on the foreshore were Dunlin’s a plenty with a few Ringed Plover and Grey Plover in their midst, whilst a Rock Pipit nagged us from the nearby rocks. To the South of the path a few Reed Buntings were in amongst the reeds whilst in the water were some Mallards, a Heron and a Wigeon. At Dan’s Dock a Robin, a Dunnock, a female Chaffinch and a Grey Wagtail all showed nicely, whilst a small flock of 7/8 birds took off from the Reeds on the seaward side, did a lap before disappearing back into the reeds again. From the few calls and their overall outline I believe these were the Twite that others had seen, but as they were always flying across the sun so all I got was a silhouette and they never showed in the reeds I cannot say for sure.

Grey Wagtail at Dan's Dock

We returned along the same path and then on to the seawall Hide, however the tide had just come in and on the remaining shoreline opposite could be seen a large number of Redshank with Curlews, Oystercatchers, Black Headed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a few number of Bar Tailed Godwits. In the Swale was a Great Crested Grebe whilst a couple of Goldfinches were seen in the nearby bushes.

Goldfinch

The East Flood had its usual cocktail of birdlife including Teal, Dabchick, Little Egrets, Cormorants, Tufted Duck, Teal, a couple of hundred Avocets, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Coots, a couple of Shovelers, Redshank, Lapwings, Golden Plovers, some Snipe, a pair of Mute Swans and a Little Stint. By the bridge on the East flood Alan and I saw the briefest of glimpses of a Water Rail whilst over on the West flood a Green Woodpecker was spotted.

Grey Heron - near watchtower

Other spots included carrion Crow, Collared Dove, a Jackdaw, Magpies, Moorhens, Wood Pigeon and Starlings, and on the farmland to the South of the Marshes I saw 3 Pheasants. An excellent day with a total of 46 spots.