Sunday 8 November 2015

A 'Tree'mendous Patch Maybe

With the weather forecast looking a bit better than yesterday I decided to do a species list on a potential new patch for next year. To the west of Reculver is Bishopstone Glen and then Herne Bay Downs which is popular with dog walkers but not many people seem to bird the area apart from the odd person. The fact that not many people bird the area is quite attractive and with grassy slopes with bushes and trees and the woods in Bishopstone Glen and the sea to look at, it has in the past turned up some excellent species. I have managed to see on site Yellow browed, Pallas's and Dusky Warbler, Red breasted Flycatcher, Red backed and Great Grey Shrike, Dartford Warbler and Black Redstart to name a few good birds, not to mention some Skuas and other seabirds that may fly by. I decided to walk from Bishopstone Lane Car park as far as the Kings Hall in Herne Bay and managed to see or hear 45 species. There were plenty of species I would expect to see but didn't but I did manage a few nice species including 4 Tree Sparrow which were in the hedges at Bishopstone and after waiting for a while in the cloudy conditions, I managed a few records shots of them. Its a good day in my book when you have seen Tree Sparrow in North Kent. 



Tree Sparrow

I also found 1 Firecrest, 6 Brambling flew west with Chaffinch which were on the move all morning in small flocks and 1 Short eared Owl was watched coming in off the sea at Bishopstone. Add a few Redpoll, small flocks of Siskin, 4 Stonechat and good numbers of Dark bellied Brent Geese offshore, this site definitely has a lot of potential. On the downside is the amount of dog walkers, cyclists and joggers. They were everywhere but you can't have everything and they have just as right as me to be out enjoying themselves. On one hand, they might flush the odd bird from the long grass on the slopes but on the other, they might scare off some birds. Either way, I will have to get used to them if this is my chosen location for next year. Being on the coast, I can imagine many visits where it will be quiet but I can also see certain parts of the year having lots of birds in the area. I will make a few more exploratory visits in the next few weeks but it seems to have everything that I would like and at only one and three quarter miles long and one hundred and fifty metres wide excluding the sea, all the area can be covered well on visits.

Herne Bay Downs (looking east towards Reculver) 

Herne Bay Downs (Reculver Towers in the distance on the left)


14 comments:

  1. You've seen a few species on that short visit that I have not recorded here in 14 years Marc LoL Not a good day for photo's was it, I had a go but the light was just crap!

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    1. With some time and patience and no doubt, frustrations, it will get good birds. Not a good day with the light today but the Sparrows made it a nicer visit.

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  2. Brilliant record shots,one of my favourite sparrow,looks like you had a great days birding.
    John.

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    1. Thanks John. Hopefully they will hang around for a while and I may be able to get a few photos in better light.

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  3. As you say Marc anywhere that can host Tree Sparrow in Kent can't be a bad place!

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    1. A scarce bird nowadays so chuffed to have found a few today. Fingers crossed they stay local.

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  4. Lots of potential there, Marc, and well worth watching I'd have thought. Tree Sparrow is extremely thin on the ground in Hertfordshire too - a great bird to find on your recce.

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    1. Thanks Lucy. There have been some good birds here in the past few years and i'm hoping a few more appear next year. Some of the commoner species however, will be tricky.

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  5. Superb images you have had Marc, I would be over this world if I catch a Tree Sparrow.

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    1. A very scarce and wary bird and lucky at all that they moved to the outside of the hedge, otherwise I could just hear them 'chirping'.

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  6. Marc,
    So glad that you didn't drop into the trap of slagging off the other users of the new patch, everybody needs their slice of the countryside, it's fast disappearing. You can keep your list of rarities, I'll have the Tree Sparrow anytime and I envy you that new location.

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    1. I wrote that knowing you would highlight that point. All being well, it will have its ups and downs, but I think i may be up for the challenge.

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  7. A scarce bird in Kent, so you wonder where these came from. Nice shots which I lifted a notch above the record ones you labelled them Marc.

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  8. Sounds as if it would be a perfect patch without the dog walkers, Marc. I don't know what they're like in your neck of the woods, but here there are too many irresponsible ones, so most of one's time in dog-walking haunts is spent watching for what you're about to stand in rather than watching for birds.

    We're lucky in Leicestershire in that there are still Tree Sparrows around which can probably be seen 'to order', but the numbers have dropped significantly in recent years.

    Good luck with this patch (and the weather!) - - - Richard

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