Another early start in the dark where the Tawny Owl was heard calling on and off from 06:30 and as the light picked up, 4 Grey Partridge were heard along with 2 Skylark. I then went over to the pier and spent a couple of hours looking out over a calm sea. Birds noted included 125 Brent Geese, 1 Shelduck, 1 Shoveler, 5 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, 2 Teal, 6 Common Scoter, c50 Feral Pigeon, 12 Oystercatcher, 6 Curlew, 10 Redshank, 2 Turnstone, 9 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 20 Herring Gull, 6 Great Black backed Gull, 16 Great crested Grebe, 66 Red throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver offshore, 1 Fulmar east, 2 Gannet, 47 Cormorant, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Rock Pipit and 1 Black Redstart in its usual area. 

I was out quite early this morning where I spent an hour in the dark listening to the day waking up where I noted 1 Tawny Owl calling south of the area at 06:30, 1 Curlew, 2 Golden Plover and 1 Grey Partridge calling. I then moved on to the pier where I spent a couple of hours looking out to sea. Birds noted included 63 Brent Geese, 2 Mute Swan flew east which are good birds to get in the area, 6 Common Scoter, 18 Redshank, 16 Turnstone, c20 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull, 12 Great crested Grebe, 42 Red throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver drifting west on the sea, 1 Peregrine, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 Black Redstart was seen again through the scope in amongst the old moored boats. 

Mute Swans passing the Pier

I spent a couple of hours seawatching again this morning from the pier and then had a walk around the harbour before having a walk at Bishopstone. Birds noted included 36 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck, c30 Feral Pigeon, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Collared Dove, c40 Golden Plover west, 33 Redshank, 6 Turnstone, 32 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin, 1 large Auk sp west, 69 Black headed Gull, 4 Common Gull, 19 Herring Gull, 7 Great Black backed Gull, 9 Great crested Grebe and 1 Great Northern Diver flew west. There were 23 Gannet, 100 Cormorant, 1 Peregrine, 1 Black Redstart still around the boats in the harbour whilst at Bishopstone, I noted 5 Blue Tit, 1 Long tailed Tit, 3 Firecrest, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Robin, 2 Stonechat, 10 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 6 Chaffinch and 1 Goldfinch.  

Black Redstart

Sanderling and Dunlin

Sanderling, Dunlin and Redshank

I don't often wander up to the pier but wandered if the birds passing there would be any nearer than where I currently watch from. The short answer...yes, about 200m nearer at a guess. After finding a bit of shelter yesterday, I thought I would have an hour looking out to sea from here and noted 75 Brent Geese, 11 Wigeon, 10 Lapwing west, 34 Redshank, 1 Turnstone, 4 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 10 Herring Gull, 5 Great Black backed Gull, 14 Great crested Grebe on the sea, 42 Red throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 1 on the sea and 1 east, 9 Gannet, 118 Cormorant, 1 Peregrine and 1 Pied Wagtail.

With a stronger SW wind this morning with rain, I thought I would give it another go from the pier and see what I could learn today. Birds noted included 20 Brent Geese, 30 Feral Pigeon, 31 Redshank, 4 Turnstone, 8 Black headed Gull, 8 Herring Gull, 2 Great Black backed Gull, 11 Great crested Grebe, 1 Great Northern Diver west, 5 Gannet, 110 Cormorant, c120 Starling and 2 Pied Wagtail. As I scoped around the outside of the harbour walls I found 1 Black Redstart feeding up on the seawall before flying down in amongst the old boats on the beach.

Another day and feeling better by the day, the energy levels are slowly picking up and what better remedy than a bit of birding to make you feel good. I had a look at sea at 8:30 for an hour or so and then had a walk up to the pier to see what was about. Birds noted included 1 Black Redstart at my seawatch site which was hanging around the sailing club buildings. I managed to get a few record shots before it flew off west towards the houses. A little later, I was checking the rocks and seawall behind the Neptune car park near the pier when I found 2 Black Redstart. I suspect the one I had earlier had flown this way and joined the second bird? With the sun now out I managed to get a few pleasing images of one of the birds which are my first shots of this species on the patch. After a while, they both flew together gaining height before landing on the Herne Bay Association Club building before I lost them. Other birds noted included 223 Brent Geese, 17 Woodpigeon, 35 Redshank, 9 Turnstone, c15 Black headed Gull, 7 Great Black backed Gull, 11 Great crested Grebe, 16 Red throated Diver, 3 Gannet, 57 Cormorant, 2 Peregrine, 11 House Sparrow, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit and 2 Rock Pipit. I returned briefly to Bishopstone tonight to put the recorder out and hear 1 Grey Partridge calling at dusk. 

Black Redstart

Having had an operation 6 days ago, I have been at home recovering but feeling a bit today, I spent a few hours out mostly looking at the sea where I didn't have to walk too far. Birds noted included 177 Brent Geese, 2 Common Scoter, 93 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 1 Turnstone, 1 Razorbill, 113 large Auk east, c12 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, c25 Herring Gull, 4 Great Black backed Gull and 3 Sandwich Tern flew east and then back west, my latest ever seeing this species. There were 8 Great crested Grebe, 45 Red throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver offshore 47 Gannet, 95 Cormorant, 1 little Egret, 1 Peregrine, 4 Great Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Stonechat, 12 House Sparrow, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 3 Chaffinch and 2 Goldfinch. 

Sandwich Tern

Stonechat

I had a 30 minute seawatch yesterday afternoon in sunny conditions which produced c20 Cormorant, 1 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver on the sea and 1 Black throated Diver (160) flying west. This morning I started as usual in the weekend rain and had a brief seawatch before a walk around Bishopstone. Birds noted included c160 Brent Geese, 14 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Plover, c60 Lapwing, 6 Turnstone, 4 Sanderling, 15 Black headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 21 Herring Gull, 3 Great Black backed Gull, 6 Great crested Grebe, 1 Red throated Diver, 4 Gannet, c600 Cormorant west offshore, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron and 1 Marsh Harrier. There were 17 Carrion Crow,1 Common Buzzard, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Raven flying west calling, 15 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit, 2 Skylark, 1 Long tailed Tit, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, 24 Starling, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush (161) briefly singing before flying west, a patch tick. Also, 5 Robin, 26 House Sparrow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 8 Meadow Pipit, 53 Chaffinch west, 48 Linnet and 1 Redpoll west.