Kent trip

On seeing the weather forecast for today I spent the last two days in Kent hoping to get some easterly action. Yesterday morning I got to South Foreland Valley for dawn. Some vis mig included Siskins, Redpolls, Brambling, Yellowhammer, Reed Buntings and finches. A Firecrest was in the valley but other than that it was pretty quiet. Ebird list HERE. I overnighted at South Foreland (and put the moth trap out) and despite the keen easterly wind there really wasn't much happening apart from 28 Brambling. Further north there was a mass arrival of hundreds of thousands of Redwings and other thrushes- I only had two birds at South Foreland. Ebird list HERE. It all seemed a bit too blown out at South Foreland so I transferred to North Kent which was a good move with plenty of seabird action this afternoon Ebird list HERE. Highlights included Sooty Shearwater, 12 Poms, 8 Arctic Skuas, 17 Little Gull, Arctic Tern and good numbers of Pintail moving. Seeing Sooty Shearwater in the Thames has been a long term ambition as has jamming into a good skua day in the Thames so very pleased indeed. 

Poms (above and below). A nice selection of adults with spoons, adult winter and juveniles

Juv Arctic Skua (above) 

Sandwich Tern and Juv Pom

First-winter Little Gull

Common Scoters

Pintails (above) and Wigeon (below) on the move

Must have been 2000+ Brents around today in the Swale

Female Red-breasted Merganser

Firecrest at South Foreland 

South Foreland (below) and Dover (above) views 

Firecrest and Goldcrest calling together 

Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit calling together 

I put the small Heath trap out in the valley. Only migrant was a Rusty-dot Pearl. Feathered Ranunculus (above) was the most numerous moth. Also Large Wainscot, Green-brindled Crescent, Beaded Chestnut, Black Rustic and Barred Sallow.