American Cliff Swallow. ( lifer in Kent )

Jimmy got an early call from Brian asking if we wanted to head off to Kent for the Cliff Swallow that was seen there yesterday, we didn't fancy going that early so decided to wait for any news that the bird had been seen today.

That news came at 8 o'clock, so we met up with Brian and headed off to find the bird.

Arriving around 10 o'clock we park in Joss Bay car park North Foreland Kent.

Around 30 birders are already here but none of them seem to be looking for the Swallow.

On asking we are told it had been seen around half an hour ago but had flown along the beach toward the pub and it would probably head back to fly over the cabbage field where we were all waiting.

Sure enough, after waiting 10 minutes, Brian picks it up as it flies along the cliff and heads over the cabbage field, we get good views as it heads towards the lighthouse, it does the same thing over and over again while we are here.

Not a lot of other birds about but the American Cliff Swallow is a lifer for both Jimmy and myself so well worth the visit.

American cliff Swallow

The cabbage field where we saw the bird

Aquatic Warbler Upper Beeding West Sussex.

We have struggled to get any time to go out on birding trips of late, but when the Aquatic Warbler turned up in Upper Beeding we had to give it a go as all three of us needed the bird for a life tick. We left home late in the morning as we waited for the bird to be seen, It was nearly 9 o; clock when we left, but we got a trouble-free run and arrived around 10:40. We were able to park outside the local paper shop at the town centre that means we only have about half a mile to walk along the east side of the river Adur. 

We soon join up with a few familiar faces, around 30 birders are watching a small Hawthorn bush. We get nothing for over an hour then the Warbler gets disturbed by a couple walking their dog and flies off the bush onto the floor and then flies over our heads and lands over the fence onto the grass for a few seconds then heads over the river then back towards the Hawthorn, we had not moved and got rewarded when it landed on dead hogweed and moved up to the top for great views of another lifer for all three of us. 

The Aquatic Warbler