Sunday 15 September 2013

Long overdue Kent tick!!!!

This morning I headed to Oare Marshes to look for the well photographed Spotted Crake. It was a beautiful morning hardly any wind and bright sunshine. The tide was high, as Debbie Harry would say! and there were good numbers of waders on the East Flood. A WATER RAIL disappeared into the ditch by the road as I headed towards the East Hide. The Crake was seen at 6.30am, I arrived at about 7.40am and waited until around 10am before moving on with no sign of the Crake. Luckily I was talking to Steve Ashton and mentioned I needed Spotted Crake for Kent, I had been gone a minute or two and the Crake came into view!! I noticed Steve waving, thankfully and went back to and had good views of the SPOTTED CRAKE at last. With a couple hours left I headed around the rest of the reserve, a HOBBY flew west and there were a few SAND MARTIN, HOUSE MARTIN and SWALLOW heading south.



Spotted Crake

Reed Bunting

Little Egret

Waders included GREENSHANK, CURLEW SANDPIPER, AVOCET, BAR and BLACK TAILED GODWITS, GOLDEN PLOVER, RINGED PLOVER, RUFF, SNIPE, DUNLIN and lots of REDSHANK and LAPWING. Overall a very enjoyable morning talking to fellow birders and a rare trip off patch!!
Back on the patch this afternoon SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS were heading south and a COMMON BUZZARD posed in the field above Park Field, otherwise there wasn't much else to report.
Thanks again to Steve for attracting my attention as I wandered off aimlessly.

13 comments:

Maria said...

Very nice snaps of the little Egrit en the Spotted Crake, beatyful.
I also saw this morning my first Spotted Crake this year!

de schoonheid van de natuur said...

dit is een mooie serie.
groetjes Herman.

alan woodcock said...

Hi,pleased you got your Spotted Crake,nice pics.

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Great captures!!!.. Congrats for de images. Regards

Mike Attwood said...

Nice one Alan.

Phil said...

Only two words to say Alan...............Well spotted!!!

Mike H said...

Some nice Crake shots there Alan well done, glad you got it.Saw it friday very smart bird.

Isidro Ortiz said...

Buenas capturas Alan.Un abrazo

Tammy said...

The Spotted Crake is a beautiful sight! Great find, Alan!

Boughton Moths said...

Well done with the Spotted Crake Alan. I made 3 unsuccessful attempts to see this bird.

Lou Mary said...

I saw this quite pretty bird down at Oare last Friday. I was out water vole surveying though so didn't have my camera. You got some good images!

Helma said...

Very nice this series Alan which I find very beautiful especially the Little Egret and Reed Bunting. The Crake is also very nice and it never will I actually against.
Delicious these birds.
Greet you, Helma

Jason K said...

Cracking set of Spotted Crake pics Alan. It's been a few years since I last saw one in Worcestershire