North

Tuesday 25 October

A plan was hatched to head north...well...as far as the north Kent coast anyway....

An early-ish start set DH and myself up for arrival at Reculver just after it had become light enough for some birding. 

Reculver....if you haven't been...seems to be down a small lane with a caravan park at the end...and a pub...and a Roman site...so I was quite surprised to see it was seemingly well known for this but no decent access....though I soon found out why....because there are no remains....all you get is a small field with a sign by it showing what was there.....this could actually outdo the Chester remains of an amphitheatre...and they were pretty poor....if you haven't been to see the Chester remains...don't bother....!

Anyway...a few birds of note had been seen the previous week...Shorelark, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting and, over at Oare Marsh (a site we planned to visit as well)...a Dowitcher.  However, we had not planned tis visit to see these birds...just as well...we didn't see them anyway!

Above is the impressive site that greets you just east of the car park...the remains of a church....im sure some poor peasants were made to carry the stone and build the building by those nice kind priests many years back...

A walk along the sea wall, cutting inland to the railway line and a wander along the canal produced...

Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Brent Geese, Crow, Cettis Warbler, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Dunnock, Feral Pigeon, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Skylark, Snipe, Starling, Stonechat, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren

...and DH wanted me to add Pheasant....which I don't count any more...doh!

We moved on to Oare....I have never been to either of these sites as most of north Kent coast is unknown to me....but Oare is a great site....though some dog walkers were around their dogs seemed to be under control...or maybe we were lucky....but anyway....

We added....Bearded Tit, Black-tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Coot, Curlew, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Kestrel....

...at the sluice we came across this Little Egret which posed for us...

....Rock Pipit, Ruff, Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal, Water Rail....

It was a grand day out.....a nice number of birds seen, many I haven't seen for a while...the problem of being landlocked in Tunbridge Wells.....nice to have a bit of excitement...