Nightjar at Middlesex filter beds, plus Dunge visit.

Chiffchaff

Not to sure if we wanted to go birding at Dungeness or stop in to cheer on the boys at the Ryder cup.
We think we can do both, so off we head to Dunge.
First up we head up to the beach for some sea watching, the sea is calm & no wind  blowing, so with nothing passing through & only a single Kittiwake plus some Gulls on the beach we head over to the trapping area.

The bushes are alive with Chiffchaff,& a few Black Redstart are seen sitting on the fence posts but we see no Firecrest that we need to see for a year tick . When we set off this morning we thought a firecrest was the only tick that we might pick up for the trip.
Meadow Pipit & Robin were trapped & taken to have rings put on, nothing to exciting so we take a trip down to the visitor centre, on the road down we see many Stonechat & a few Whinchat showing really well, a Marsh Harrier flies really low near to the car for Brian to get a nice photo of it.
We head off for home now, we get near the Blackwall tunnel when the pager tells us a Nightjar has been spotted & showing well at Middlesex filter beds.
Not to far from where we are so off we go to get a nice daytime view of this bird.
We have only ever seen a quick view in the dark forest of these birds, so the Ryder cup has to wait for another hour as this is to good to miss.

Whinchat

Stonechat

The resting Nightjar

Second time lucky Barred Warbler.

It took a bit of time to make up our minds to head to Shoeburyness this morning, but it got to 10 o'clock & I talk Jimmy into going, it is to near to home not to try for the Barred Warbler that has been reported at Gunners Park.
So an hour later we find the car park and a fellow tells us which way to head.
A couple of people are present & the lady has a photo of the target that she had just taken, it took us about an hour to get any views of the bird.
Over the next hour we get some short but good views of the bird, so it was well worth the trip to give both of us another lifer.

Pec Sand but dipped on Barred Warbler.

Not sure where we wanted to head off to for a mornings birding, we come down on the side of Thropeness & Minsmere.
First port of call was Thropeness common for a belated look for the Barred Warbler, on arrival we find only one fellow looking & he tells us he had been here since first light & not had any luck.
Over the next 3 hours we see Whitethroat, Dunnock, Bluetit & the odd Robin but the target bird is not showing, about 20 or so birders are now looking for the bird.
We are all feeling a bit fed up now so it's give up time & head to Minsmere for a look for the Pectoral Sandpiper.
The walk was about 2 miles & felt a lot longer, when we get there we meet a nice couple that we see at many locations & they put us onto the Pec so the walk was soon forgotten as we get another year tick & some good views of a nice looking juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper.
The large group that we left behind at the Barred Warbler arrive & tell us there has been no sign while they where there.
Off home now when the pager goes off to say the Barred had been seen, so we give it one more go.This time we park the car a lot nearer to the spot.
We ask a fellow if the bird is about & he says he had just seen it, after a while still no sign of the bird & I must say we don't have a lot of faith in the fellow.
Just before we leave John & his wife arrive & he tells us that the Barred Warbler is he's Bogey bird & he has dipped many times looking for one, so what chance have we got now.
We give it a little time just so we don't seem rude in walking off after John's arrival, but after  not getting back last week as promised ,we feel we must head home.

This little fellow came to see us while looking at the Pec

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper

In the Garden today.

Just a few photos of some of the Ring-necked Parakeets in my garden today.

I know it's not a Ring-neck.

Landguard 3 Wryneck + Purple Sandpiper+ Lesser grey Shrike Shingle Street.

Off to Landguard today in the hope that we get a couple of ticks, we arrive at 6. 30 & walk about looking at the bushes for anything that moves.
Plenty of small birds about the best being Common Redstart, a good few Lesser Whitethroat that looked really smart, also Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Wheatear ,Linnets & Goldfinch in big flocks plus loads of birds to keep us interested all morning.
Then I pick out the first Wryneck of the day up on the fort hill, I get to see two more over the course of the morning 2 had been rung.
A walk up to the sea gives me a single Purple Sandpiper for the first tick of the day, we spend a lot of time just waiting for the sea to wash up around the bird to get it to move so we can get some photos of it with it's head up.
A very nice warm day makes it a great morning to be doing nothing but walking about soaking up all the birds that are here today.
Off now to Thorpeness to look for the Barred Warbler on the common that we had just been told about. On arrival we meet a fellow birder & he tells us that there is no sign & that there is nobody looking for it, so as we don't have any idea where to look we decide to head off to look for the Lesser grey Shrike. It's about 20 miles or so to Shingle Street & we have to be home soon, so it's a bonus when we find the place first time & are told it's not a long walk & the bird is showing well.
Ten minutes later & we are ticking another year tick, last years bird was a lifer for me I wonder if this is the same bird. A few familiar faces here to have a talk to but we can't stay long as we have to get home now.

Purple Sandpiper

Wryneck

Lesser grey Shrike

Again

Purple Sandpiper