Murray Orchard, a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic birder and volunteer of the RSPB, conducted a bird count at Cliffe Pools on Sunday 24th August confirming the following sightings:
Avocet 1,425 (Flaming Pool / Ski Pool), black tailed godwit 875 (Ski Pool / Black Barn Pool), common redshank 166 (Elf Pool / Conoco Pool), grey plover 48 (Ski Pool / Flamingo Pool), black tailed godwit 1 (Ski Pool), dunlin 27 (Ski Pool), sanderling 1 (with the dunlin), ringed plover 6 (Flamingo Pool), greenshank 12 (mostly on Radar Pool), common sandpiper 1, green sandpiper 1 & teal 245 (Ski Pool / Black Barn Pool), garganey 1 (Black Barn Pool), shoveler 16 (Ski Pool / Black Barn Pool), pochard 23 (Black Barn Pool), little egret 43, marsh harrier 4 (Black Barn Pool / marsh), whinchat 4, stonechat 1, Cetti's warbler 1, linnet 145 (marsh / roadside scrub).
On Alpha Pool there were at least 4 fledged common terns on the islands. Two adults with fish appeared to be attending unseen young within the vegetation. 43 adults were feeding on the Thames by the fort / jetty.
We apprecaite Murray sharing this information with us, if you have a story to share or details of what you've seen at our reserves send them to us at northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk