First Visit of the Year to Oare Marshes

6th June 2020

Well a nice sunny day but the sun is in your eyes on the East Flood until the afternoon, so let's start with a walk round the sea wall. The incoming tide had already covered the mud so all that was left was a couple of Black-headed Gulls.

There were a few Linnets around but only a single male posed on the path. A Meadow Pipit was obviously feeding young nearby.

The main surprise from this circuit was the appearance of a Little Tern fishing along Faversham Creek. A little distant but did manage a couple of record shots.

Back on East Flood the water levels were beginning to drop revealing a few gravel spits which were full of birds, mainly Black-headed Gulls, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits The godwits were superb as most were in their rusty breeding plumage.

At the southern end of the flood the Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits had both staked their claims for siesta time.

Some Black-tailed Godwits were busy feeding, but the Avocets had obviously had an early lunch and were more intent on loafing around with a little preening.

Skulking along the edge of the far reed bed was a Water Rail, probably the first one I have seen here and although fairly distant did pose for a few shots. That doesn't happen very often.

Another first for me here was a Little Gull which unfortunately had decide to go to sleep on the furthest part of the spit, but did eventually wake up to have a look around. Well, almost.

The Oare Marshes crowd-puller, the Bonaparte's Gull, was back for its 7th consecutive summer. I and a thousand other birders would like to know where it goes in the winter. Answers on a post card. The advantage of coming to Oare Marshes this early, too early for migration, is the the Bony is still in summer plumage. A few more weeks and it will be in a rather scruffy moult.

But the star of the show today was the single Spotted Redshank, still in its stunning summer plumage.

And here are a few shots showing the differences between the Spotted Redshank and its Common Redshank cousin, primarily the black summer plumage and the distinctly longer bill. What a beauty!!