Glossy Ibis at Oare, Raptors Capel Fleet.

Up early & off to Kent, First stop being Elmley Marshes. The first bird seen was a Barn Owl that flies up from the ground onto a post,it pops from post to post & we get some nice views before it flies onto a nest box to join another bird that is looking out of the box.
The drive down the main path to the reserve is very quite bird wise with so much water laying about nothing is seen that is very unusual for here.
Down by the farm we have a walk along the track towards the old school building in the hope of finding a Little Owl, we have no luck, so with so little about we head off to Capel Fleet to scan from the mound.On the way out we see maybe two hundred or more Curlew walking about on the bits of grass that were not under water. When we arrive at Ferry Lane & park up & scan from the mound.
Not to bad as we pick out many Marsh Harriers, plus Ringtail Hen Harrier also a Sparrowhawk & a nice Merlin was seen, a lot of Common Buzzard are perched on posts all along the fence in front of us.The only let down was a lack of any Short-eared Owls anywhere.
The pager tells us that the two Glossy Ibis had been seen at Oare Marsh, so we head there only to be told they had just flown over to where we had just come from, so after a short time up on the front looking back over the water in the hope that they may fly back again ,but we give up & head back up the main path to have a look for anything that might be about, many Lapwings & Golden Plover plus a few Ruff & Knot with many Dunlin. Jimmy picks up a Stonechat that he needs for a year tick as he missed last weeks one at Abberton.
Then just before we go up over our heads the two Ibis appear as if from nowhere, I only get a quick Photo of them as they pass over head, so just a record shot.

So not a bad morning after all I only got two for the year with the Ibis & a Little grebe but a very nice time spent in the area.

Just a silhouette. Glossy Ibis.

A nice Pintail.