Thursday, 3 October 2019

Kent, American Golden Plover dip

Another dip today but a very enjoyable one. Kojak and I started off at Shellness to do the bushes looking for a Yellow-browed. The best we could muster up were double figures of Chiffy, a couple of Whitethroats, a Blackcap and a few Goldcrests. The local Med Gulls are always a treat. 

Next stop was the cockney cultural centre of Leysdown (Gammonsville)  for fish and chips with pickle egg. The Jellied Eel stall was unfortunately closed for the winter.

On to Oare marshes to arrive before high tide and just in time to string the adult American Golden Plover and get crowd shamed. A nice selection of waders and a single Spoonbill (there was a flock of 16 yesterday). 

Here's a few picture high lights:

 Immature Spoonbill 
 Juvenile Little Stint 
 Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Knot  and Redshank 
 A nice adult Knot 
 Snipe- counted 54 of these on the East flood 
 Had this distant tern on the Swale- looks like a first-winter Arctic 
 Great to see the Brents in already- apparently they arrived about ten days ago 
This is what I momentarily thought was the AMGP (bird front right). A greyish looking adult with long primary projection (five primaries showing here). Was just a washed out Golden Plover with displaced tertials- bastard! Called it to the crowd before I pulled back- lots of well deserved nodding heads and shameful looks from the surrounding twitchers received. 

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