Sunday 29 August 2010

The Thames Odyssey


Curlew Sandpiper (left) and Dunlin, Oare Marshes, Kent.
Spent the weekend on the Thames Estuary with Simon and Sam. We started off on the Essex side and then made our way on to the Kent Side. Highlights included: Red-necked Phalarope, Kentish Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper, 26+ Curlew Sandpiper, 1 juv Little Stint, 1 Garganey, 1 Spoonbill and 1 Wood Sandpiper.

Kentish Plover in flight, Cliffe Pools, Kent (plover on bottom right). Also at Cliffe Adult Pectoral Sandpiper, 20+ Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 70+ Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, 150+ Avocet and 50+ Grey Plover.

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at Vange Marsh, Essex.

Juvenile Spoonbill at Vange Marsh, Essex. Also present here 1 Little Stint, 5 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Garganey, 4 Wigeon, 100+ Teal, 10+ Gadwall, 20+ Shoveler and the Red-necked Phalarope.
Golden Plovers at Oare Marshes, Kent. Also at this site 1000+ Black-tailed Godwit, 250+ Golden Plover, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 8 Dunlin, 5 Yellow Wagtail and 4 Ruff.

4 comments:

john said...

That's an impressive group of shorebirds. I just went to my favorite local shorebird hotspot in Alaska, one species, Short-billed Dowitcher.

Peter Alfrey said...

I guess they are all on their way south.
Anyway- I'd swap all of mine for one of yours :-)

Ian said...

Sounds like a good trip. Did you see the Yellow Crowned Bishop at Oare marshes. A great bird ,but some local birders said it was proberly an escaped cage bird.

Peter Alfrey said...

No I missed the bishop- I would like to have seen that even if it was an escape. Ring-necked Parakeets, Canada Goose, Mandarin etc all started life in Europe as escapees. Could be a Bishop next.