After all the Kent action yesterday, today felt a bit 'after the lord mayor's show'. However I did enjoy the very showy Dusky found by the Andys yesterday, followed by distant views of the Pallid Swift. A mooch around Margate Cemetery produced 1 YBW and 3 Bramblings with the Chaffs #kentbirding

After failing to find my own YBW in Tivoli Park in Margate, I was at least only 3 mins away from a newly found Red-flanked Bluetail. Unfortunately, it was never seen again after the initial sighting, altho 2 YBWs were present. The Pallas's in Ramsgate was more obliging #kentbirding #ukbirding

Finally a good Autumn morning on the patch today, with Woodlark over calling, numerous Redpoll and Redwing (both first of the Autumn) and a female Wigeon (scarce on the patch). The unusual LBBG (3CY?) reappeared after a two week absence; could it have some Herring in it? #kentbirding #ukbirding

Still not much evidence of Autumn movement locally here in Marden, with the exception of flocks of Siskins starting to appear in the last week along with Mipits starting to increase #kentbirding #ukbirding

23/9: I was tempted to go & see the AGP at Jury's Gap even though it was the wrong side of the border, but when a BB Sand turned up it tipped the scales. Had good if distant scope views of the Sandpiper; after scanning for ages for the AGP it finally flew in with 5 Europeans. Not quite #kentbirding

Work & family life has been busy recently restricting local birding. But it's been quiet even when out, just 1 each of Wheatear, Common Redstart & Whinchat locally this Autumn; I'd normally expect multiples across the various local sites. A few highlights from last 3 weeks: #kentbirding #ukbirding

The patch has been busy the last couple of weeks with lots of warblers and the odd Greenshank dropping in, but nothing outstanding or too unusual. The highlight this morning was this distant Osprey, picked up by @alpavey.bsky.social which came through and drifted off north #kentbirding #ukbirding

Greater Short-toed Lark over Foundation Farm in Marden just after midday today. Picked up when I heard a call I couldn’t initially place, then flew overhead west calling twice more. To say it was a shock is a bit of an understatement! #kentbirding #ukbirding

We don't get many Dippers in Kent (and I still need it as a Kent tick!) so it was nice to get such good views of an adult and a juv along the River Frome in Stroud, Gloucs, earlier this week #ukbirding

‘Mediterranean’ Spotted Flycatcher, now re-lumped following the introduction of AviList, are arguably the most numerous passerine. Absolutely everywhere

Audouin’s Gulls act like Herrings and BHs back home, stealing chips from holidaymakers…

Currently on Majorca - not really doing any birding being on honeymoon but still managed to eke out a Balearic Warbler, my first since 1999. The local form of Crossbill seems quite numerous, unlike the endemic ssp of Blue Tit which seems very scarce, at least here in the south

The Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Dunge was the very definition of highly elusive; despite singing regularly I managed 3 views (2 in flight and one very brief perched) in 3.5 hours. Nice to get both Bonelli sp in Kent in the same month #kentbirding

Finally, a few of the other species encountered on Fuerteventura

18/05 After the Chat, my most wanted birds on Fuerteventura were African Houbara and Red-billed Tropicbird, both of which had performed exceptionally by 9am, leaving me the rest of the day to reacquaint myself with some of the other desert species

17/05 I had a little daylight left on Fuerteventura so took the time to catch up with the number one target, Fuerteventura Chat, at the Barranco de Rio Cabras, several of which performed exceptionally well

I took the slow ferry from Las Palmas, GC, to Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, with the hope of seeing some seabirds. My hopes were exceeded with 1 White-faced Storm-petrel, 3 Barolo's Shearwaters, 21 Bulwer's Petrels plus the more expected 100s of Cory's Shearwaters

17/05 With a few hours to kill before catching a ferry to Fuerteventura, I split time between Los Tilos laurel forest and Charcas de San Lorenzo to catch up with the remaining GC endemic subspecies, namely Canary Islands Chaffinch and Robin, and to try for the western Canaries form of Stone-curlew

I spent a long weekend on Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, with the aim of catching up with a handful of omissions from my lifelist - it was a very successful few days. Arriving on 16/05 on Gran Canaria I headed inland for GC Blue Chaffinch, where 6 birds were in good voice (but less easily seen!)

A distant Osprey over the adjacent fish farm was the highlight this morning, followed by 3 roosting Greenshank. 2 LRPs, 2 Lapwings and a Common Sand made for a good wader morning for the patch. Good numbers of Swifts too with 30+

After Thursday's Hoopoe excitement, it was inevitably quieter on the patch yesterday and this morning. The first Common Swift of the year passed through yesterday and a Yellow Wag went over this morning #kentbirding

A Hoopoe frustrated and delighted in equal measure on the patch this morning; evidently feeding unseen before flushing to give brief flight views, then @alpavey.bsky.social had the briefest of brief glimpses before it vanished despite much searching #kentbirding

An arrival of Lesser Whitethroats overnight with 3 on local farmland singing this morning. 3 Brent Geese heading low through the mist was far more unexpected though #kentbirding

After much searching of local farmland the last week or so, finally a nice dapper male Wheatear to show for the effort. A singing Garden Warbler on the patch first thing was also well received #kentbirding

Turtle Dove on the outskirts of Marden this morning. Think it is the first record of one in Kent this year - we are lucky to still have a decent population in the farmlands around Marden. Also consistent with my recent series of terrible photos #kentbirding

Although it's annual on the patch with 1-2 records a year, its always nice when a Whimbrel drops in. @alpavey.bsky.social found this bird yesterday morning; one of 52 species recorded in just over an hour #kentbirding

After last night's exciting eagle dash, back to patchworking this morning. Lot's of warbler activity once the sun burned the mist off, with a migrant Sedge (first of the year) the highlight. A Willow, several Reeds, Blackcaps and a Whitethroat were also vocal #kentbirding

Finish bathing my daughter and put her to bed, or get my fiancé to take over whilst I do a mad dash for a Booted Eagle touring Thanet?? Obvs the latter won and 75 mins later I was having good, if distant, scope views of the eagle as it headed low towards Pegwell at dusk. Phew! #kentbirding

The downside of having a series of fishing lakes as your patch - the number of irresponsible fishermen that discard fishing line inappropriately. Seeing this Tawny Owl hanging from a branch tangled in wire today was tough. Managed to get it down & to Follys but its prospects aren't good #kentbirding

Hirundines felt a bit slow to move through the patch, with a Swallow on 29/03 then nothing til the floodgates seemed to open on 04/04 with initially 3 Sand Martins, then flocks of a dozen or so moving through at intervals the last couple of days, with the odd Swallow and House Martin #kentbirding

A pair of LRPs appeared on the patch last week, just making the yearlist in March. First Reed Warbler of the year today, a week earlier than the last two years. 3 likely Woodlark high and distant going east, but I've never seen them moving in a group before? The first chicks now on show #kentbirding

Interesting 45 mins on patch this morning, with @mardenmark.bsky.social as we found 2 Pipits close together, one a Water Pipit great to see and actually more unusually a Rock Pipit, the first record on patch!! 👍

The run of waders on the patch continued today with an incredibly early Common Sand, 3 weeks earlier than last year. That’s the 6th wader sp in March so far, with LRP to come hopefully. Not too shabby for our little inland site #kentbirding

After a very quiet couple of weeks on the patch we had a double wader whammy this morning, first @alpavey.bsky.social finding a Redshank (5th patch record) before I stumbled across this lovely Avocet, only the 3rd patch record. Finished off with drake Gadwall and a Barnacle #kentbirding

Early Woodlark (or a local wintering bird) over Turkey Farm, Marden earlier. 3 Bramblings including a lovely male coming to seed along the track with Chaffinches and YHs

Lots of good birds found around Marden Parish at the weekend. Firecrest (still quite uncommon here, despite the increase of records in Kent), 4 Tree Sparrows and 6+ Brambling in amongst the 100s of Chaffs, YHs & Reed Bunts on one of the winter crops (& I missed a Hawfinch) #kentbirding #mardenbirds

Another day, another good bird for the Parish. This Dartford Warbler was found on Saturday on one of the local farms, and I was able to catch up with it this morning in the sunshine. Another excellent local farmer who is managing their land brilliantly for wildlife #kentbirding #mardenbirds

After a quiet two weeks the patch has produced in the last couple of days. First @alpavey.bsky.social found 2 Russian White-fronted Geese on 27/01, which initially eluded me, then a lone Barnacle appeared and finally 2-3 Water Pipits found today on the receding flood water of the Beult #kentbirding

A few more highlights from our day in The Netherlands on 25/01. Pygmy Cormorant, Smew (5 in total) and White Stork at Lelystrad Nature Park

Spectacled Eider at Texel on 25/01. What a bird! A bit distant for my camera skills so a phonescoped image here. And what a birdy place Texel is, loved seeing the 000s of geese, ducks and waders. Great day with @andyappleton.bsky.social @bc-s.bsky.social @desertwarbler.bsky.social

The patch has been slow and steady so far this year, but the cold weather brought in 5 Pochard to the one unfrozen lake yesterday and improved upon that today, with a fem Goosander. Views have to be distant to avoid flushing #kentbirding

From a wider Kent perspective, kept my recent streak of 4 ticks a year going. Western Subalpine (although pretty sure the bird I saw at Dunge in May 2005 was a Western), Western Bonelli’s, then the late double whammy of Am Yellow Warbler and Scops Owl to end the year with a bang #kentbirding

Closed 2024 with 149 for the Parish year list, and 130 for the patch. Highlights were self found Waxwings, Serin, Goshawk, Hoopoe, Honey B and Red-backed Shrike. Not bad for a small land locked area c20 miles from any coast #kentbirding

Local winter feed crops and associated hedgerows quite birdy. Brambling, 5 Siskin, c150 YH, 200+ Linnet, 110+ Fieldfare, 40+ Redwing, plus Chaffinches, Reed Bunts and Goldfinches at one site, with c60 YH, c20 Reed Bunt, Linnet & Chaffinch at another site close by #kentbirding

Some shaky thermal imaging of the Scops hunting last night at Broadstairs #kentbirding

Lovely to book end Christmas with two very unexpected megas and Kent ticks. Couldn’t make the late afternoon ‘showing’ of the Scops but it was feeding very nicely around head height, often going onto the ground on the NW corner of the cricket field, at midnight.

Incredibly, the Larkfield area now has as many records of American warblers as Porthgwarra does! Maybe we should be taking our birding breaks in the Greater Thames estuary in winter rather than bashing fruitlessly around Cornish valleys? (Porthgwarra had American Redstart in 67 and Blackpoll in 88)

Well that was unexpected. Yellow Warbler at New Hythe today early afternoon; an early Christmas present showing very well (not that you could tell from my photo). What a find for Glenn Honey! #kentbirding

A Merlin performing a flyby near Mill Farm, Marden late afternoon was an unexpected bonus. The patch however has been quiet with little to report. Merlin is #149 for the parish year list; would be great to hit 150… #kentbirding

A visit to Dunge produced the goods, with the Hume's showing well at times in the morning around the Obs, Merlin, 3 Black-necked Grebes (2 Burrows, 1 ARC); whilst I was lucky to find a LT Duck on the New Diggings whilst trying to locate the Slav that had previously been around #kentbirding