Bird sightings 4th-14th September

We are still home to many different wading birds at the moment and the bad weather isn't putting them off just yet! Soon more of our winter visitors will be arriving to the reserve as well.

The red backed shrike has been hanging around in the same spot since the 1st September much to the birders delight! A black tailed godwit was spotted on the 9th at Burrowes pit from our visitor centre. A short eared owl was seen in the new excavations area on the 7th September - sightings of owls are so wonderful, I wish I'd seen it! A white stork was seen at Dengemarsh on the 9th. It is the largest member of the stork family and is white with black on its wings. The white stork has a large range. It breeds in southern Europe and overwinters in Africa.

 

Recent highlights include:

Black necked grebe – two at ARC on the 13^th  

Red crested pochard – ARC on the 10^th  

Pintail  -  Burrowes Pit on 12^th

Ruff – at ARC on 13^th

Cattle egret – near Boulderwall farm on 13^th

Great white egret – three on Burrowes pit on 13^th  

Bittern – at Denge Marsh on 13^th  

White stork – Denge marsh on 9^th

Marsh Harrier – at Burrowes Pit on 12^th

Sparrowhawk – at Denge Marsh on 13^th

Common buzzard – ten over reserve on 6^th

Peregrine – at Hookers pits on 6^th

Hobby –access track on 10^th

Merlin – at Burrowes Pit on 12^th

 

Avocet – three over Burrowes pit on 11^th  

Common Sandpiper – 2 at Makepeace 13^th

Golden plover – 100+ on access track on 12^th  

Dunlin – Burrowes on 10^th  

Ruff – two at ARC on 11^th  

Snipe – four at Denge Marsh on 11th

Little stint – Makepeace on 10^th

Water rail – at Christmas dell on 4^th

Redshank – at Makepeace hide on 6^th

Black-tailed godwit – at Denge Marsh on 11^th

 

Egyptian Goose – two at Denge Marsh on 13^th

White-winged black tern –ARC on 10^th  

Black tern –ARC on 10^th  

 

Swallow – over reserve on 5^th

Sand martin – over reserve on 11^th

House martin – over reserve on 11^th

 

Kingfisher – Denge marsh and Burrowes Pit   on 13^th

 

Short eared owl – new excavations on 7^th

 

Wheatear – three at Denge Marsh on 12^th  

Stonechat – on access track on 12^th

Whinchat – three at Denge marsh and two on access track on 12^th  

Blackcap – Christmas dell, Denge Marsh and Hookers pits on 6^th

Lesser whitethroat – on access track on 13^th

Willow warbler – five at Denge Marsh on 11^th

Yellow wagtail – at Denge Marsh on 13^th

Spotted flycatcher – at Denge Gully on 13^th

Red-backed shrike  - between access track and return trail on 7^th

Firecrest – footpath out back of reserve towards Lydd on 11^th

Chiffchaff – Burrowes Pit on 13^th

Raven – at Denge Marsh on 11^th