Little Stint & Turtle Dove at Cliffe Pools & Oare Marsh

It's going to be a very warm day, so we decide to not go to far away from home.
We meet up with Brian at 6 o'clock and drop in at Cornmill Meadows to try to get the Wood sandpiper for Jimmy to get a patch tick, we do not hang about to long as we want to go to Cliffe Pools to try for a Little Stint, no luck with the Wood Sand so off we head to Cliffe.

Over the QE11 bridge and into Kent, it is not to long before we are at Cliffe and start looking for the Stint.
We go up to the mount and join another birder scanning the pools, no Stint but plenty of activity.
Loads of Bl Tail Godwits, Snipe everywhere you look maybe 50 or more,we then see a Ruff, Brian then picks out a Wood Sandpiper on the far bank really nice but where was it when Jimmy needed it at Lea Valley.
A Spotted Redshank is seen and then the boys pick out a nice Whinchat on the small bush in front of us.
Another fellow had joined us by now, but the two of them head of before we do as they are going to try for the Stint at another of the pools.
We are soon off to join them, it means getting in the car and driving round the roads to the over side of the reserve. as we walk down the path one of the boys we saw earlier is walking up towards us and tells us the Little Stint is visible over the back of the pool, a quick thanks mate, and the scope is out an on the target bird  within a few seconds, another year tick and great views of the bird as well.

It is only 9 o'clock so it is to early to go home yet, so we head for Oare Marsh which is about 30 miles away.
The place is full of people and the parking is not easy, but we take our time and a space soon comes up.
Our bins are out to look over the scrape which is full of birds.
Mainly Golden Plovers & Godwits, as well as usual stuff, as we stand here looking all of  a sudden the whole  lot of the birds go up, so we all look to see why.
Then we see the reason a Peregrine is in the middle of the flock, it takes a bird out but drops it and flies away without his dinner, what a great sight to see this happen in front of us.
We are told by another birder he has just seen a Turtle Dove, but it might be a bit of a walk.
We don't mind that so off we go, but luck is on our side & we see the bird straight away sitting on top of a bare tree, Brian & Jimmy get good photos of it , but mine turn out to be rubbish, I think I can't keep the camera from moving about. But never mind I get a great view of the Turtle Dove which is only the third time I have seen one, so not bad.
We walk round to the beach to look at some nice sailing boats going past, it seems to be a large race

Back to bird watching again, we do the whole circle of the scrape, an as we head up to the car, we spot another Wood Sandpiper, how ironic. is that for Jimmy. That is 3 Wood Sandpipers for me at 3 different places in 4 days. Off home now after another really nice day spent with the boys.





Turtle Dove




Turtle Dove

  

Small Heath



Peregrine sends the flock up