A total of 83 species for the month, though much better than last year’s very poor 73, was still below the ten-year average of 89.8 species. Nevertheless, it was an interesting month. It started with only our second Purple Heron for the site on 1st, two Spoonbills on 18th unusually landed on the beach to feed and rest, and six Cattle Egrets on 26th and 16 on 28th, even more unexpectedly, were roosting on the beach early morning. Numbers of the common waders were building up with 60 Ringed Plovers and 120 Turnstones on 23rd. Returning migrant passerines included Grasshopper, Reed, Sedge, Garden and Willow Warblers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Whinchat and a Wheatear.

A total of 148 species so far this year

138 species by the same time last year

31st

The Garden Warbler was still present along the east bank amongst a variety of other warbler. Again, there was a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper on the beach and also noted was a Kingfisher at the mouth of the brook, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and, belatedly, our first Wheatear of the autumn.

Given the state of the brook, a Water Vole, only the second noted this year, was a surprise and gives hope that we may well hang on to this species at this outlying site.

30th

Sunny, warm with a light SW wind. More activity along the east bank with five species of warbler which included our second Garden Warbler of the year and a first Willow Warbler since 13th. Waders included 43 Ringed Plovers on the beach off the Obs and a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper in the East Bay.

28th

Sunny, light SW wind. There was a huddle of 16 Cattle Egrets on the beach early morning. In the same area as the six on 26th. 14 of them flew off heading inland and then turning west. Two remained on the beach. There was one Great Crested Grebe offshore and waders included single Redshank and Common Sandpiper. Also noted was a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Elm Wood and six Whitethroats in the scrub.

Butterflies noted were Small and Green-veined Whites and Small Heath, and a Willow Emerald Damselfly was in the Elm Wood.

27th

Cloudy, light SW wind. There were eight Little Egrets along the shoreline on the incoming tide. Waders included a single Sanderling on the beach, and 20 Common Terns circled offshore before drifting west. Two immature Peregrines offshore circled around an Oystercatcher which had ditched on the sea. They lost interest and the Oystercatcher flew off. Also noted was a duck Mallard with three mid-size ducklings and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

26th

Cattle Egrets are usually recorded a singles flying by, although there was an unprecedented flock of 20 flying west on one occasion, and so a group of six on the beach early morning was unexpected. They were present for about an hour before flying off inland when flushed by “beach surveyors”.

25th

Sunny, warm, light SE wind. A Spotted Flycatcher, in the trees behind the Obs early morning, was our first of the year. It soon flew off high west over the sewage works. A Reed Bunting, in the grassland west of the caravan park flew off east. There were five Little Egrets on the beach. Waders included three Curlews on the beach and 92 Turnstones between the groynes. Also noted was a female Great Spotted Woodpecker in the churchyard.

Butterflies noted were Small, Green-veined and Large Whites and a Meadow Brown.

23rd

Cloudy with a light NE wind. The numbers of common waders had increased with 25 Oystercatchers, c60 Ringed Plovers, and a 120 Turnstones, roosting between the groynes on the incoming tide. Two Whimbrel were hear calling and two Common Sandpipers were along the shoreline. Also noted was a single Sandwich Tern, two Whitethroats , two Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff.

The, until recently, abundant Gatekeepers have not been reported since 18th but a single Meadow Brown and three Small Heaths were seen.

21st

Cloudy, fresh NE wind. One Gannet flew east, a flock of 20 Teal flew west and, at last, three Arctic Skuas, our first of the year, flew west. Another addition to the year list was a juvenile male Ruff that dropped in on the shoreline by the Obs. However, it only remained for a few minutes before being flushed. Also noted were a party of six Sanderlings along the shoreline early in the morning, two Curlews on the beach and a Greenshank heard calling. More luck today with warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and two Blackcaps along the east bank and a Common Whitethroat in the scrub.

20th

Cloudy, showers, fresh NE wind. Winds perhaps not strong enough for a decent sea watch and there does not appear to be many birds in the southern North Sea at the moment. Four Gannets flew east and three flew west, eight Common Scoters, accompanied by a Teal, flew west. 16 Sandwich Terns flew west; part of a local daily movement. However, the winds were strong enough to batter the bushes and keep small birds hidden.

19th

Three Gannets flew east, four flew west, 14 Teal flew east and small parties of Common Scoters were offshore. A Common Sandpiper was in the brook. Also noted were a Peregrine west along the beach, two Yellow Wagtails west and a Whinchat, our first of the autumn, in the scrub.

18th

Cloudy, showers to the north, light NE wind. Two immature Spoonbills dropped onto the beach off the Obs at 10.20 am. They proceeded to feed vigorously and then settled down to rest. However, the local gulls took exception to this and dive-bombed them until they flew off east along shoreline at 10.55 am. Our first here since 2022 and unusual not to be just a fly-by. Two reported in Margate Harbour at 9.34 am that morning were probably the same birds. Also, a Brent Goose was again on the beach, 14 Teal flew west and a Common Scoter flew east. Waders included a Common Sandpiper on the beach and Whimbrel heard. Also noted were 12 Sandwich Terns east, a Skylark on the shingle ridge (our first report since March), and a Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Whitethroat and three Chiffchaffs.

#16th

Cloudy, some light rain and a moderate to fresh NE wind. The brisk onshore winds gave some hope for a successful sea watch. However, disappointment was averted when, at 10.45 am, a Sooty Shearwater flew west at a reasonable distance. Our first for two years! Otherwise, two Gannets flew west, a Teal and eight Common Scoters, five Mediterranean Gulls, three juvenile Kittiwakes and eight Sandwich Terns east. A modest result. There were also 16 Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach.

15th

Sunny, warm, light NW wind. One Gannet flew west, the Brent Goose was again on the beach and 40 Mallard were at the mouth of the brook. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling, nine Swallows flew west and a flock of 12 Yellow Wagtail flew west from the beach. Three Lesser Whitethroats and a Whitethroat were along the east bank.

14th

Light cloud then sunny, warm with light NW winds. A typically elusive Grasshopper Warbler was in the scrub, our first this year. A lone Brent Goose was present on the beach all morning and 43 Mallard lined the shoreline early morning. Also noted were 11 Mediterranean Gulls west and a single Sandwich Tern. A Kingfisher flew downstream towards the sluice, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling by the Obs, two Swallows flew west and a Yellow Wagtail flew was on the beach.

Butterflies included a Small Copper and a Painted Lady near the Obs.

13th

Light cloud, warm, calm. Five Teal flew west. Waders included 43 Ringed Plovers, a Sanderling and a Curlew on the beach, five Whimbrel west and a Common Sandpiper at the mouth of the brook. There were five Sandwich Terns offshore and three Common Terns flew east. Also noted were six Swallows west, ten Pied Wagtails on the beach, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Whitethroats and a Chiffchaff, and a Willow Warbler that dropped into the trees by the Obs.

12th

A good collection of waders included four Greenshanks on the beach, two Green Sandpipers west, Whimbrel heard , four Redshanks and a Lapwing. One Gannet, 30+ Common Scoters and a juvenile Kittiwake flew east. Also noted was a Yellow Wagtail west.

11th

Sunny, warm, calm at first then light easterly wind. There were four Little Egrets on the beach, Whimbrel were heard calling and four Sandwich Terns offshore were heading east. Six species of warbler included Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat along the east bank and a Willow Warbler in the scrub. Two Kingfishers flying downstream from the upper brook must have been appalled at the state of the brook.

Butterflies included Red Admiral and Small Heath and Migrant Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies were noted.

Water report – the Marsh Pool which was partially re-flooded after heavy rain over the weekend of 19th/20th July has now been reduced to a damp patch with no standing water. During this period when the pool, to the untrained human eye, looked quite inviting, no waders were reported from there. The brook is no longer flowing into the sea and, today, from directly opposite the entrance to the sewage works downstream, has resumed a grey and impenetrable hue.

9th

Sunny with a light northerly wind. Two immature Gannets flew west, there were three Little Egrets on the beach and a Grey Heron flew NW towards Sheppey. Waders included 14 Oystercatchers and 14 Ringed Plovers on the beach and two single Curlews flying west. There were ten Mediterranean Gulls on the beach, another seven flew west, five Lesser Black-backed Gulls, including a begging juvenile, on the beach and a Sandwich Tern offshore. Also noted were single Buzzard, Kestrel and Hobby, a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the churchyard, 14 Swallows and five Yellow Wagtails west, and a Lesser Whitethroat and two Willow Warblers along the east bank.

8th

More evidence of the encroaching autumn with a Great Skua west, new for the year, a Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, our third record of the year but with few signs of fish in the brook, and our first Sedge Warbler of the autumn.

7th

Cloudy, light southerly wind. A Grey Heron flew west distantly out at sea. Waders included 14 Oystercatchers on the beach, three Ringed Plovers, a Redshank heard and a Curlew west. Three Peregrines could be viewed distantly on the remote end of the Herne Bay Pier, a Kestrel was on the church spire and a Hobby flew west. Also noted were an adult Common Tern on the buoy off the skate park, one Swift west, a vocal Great Spotted Woodpecker in the churchyard and the Elm Wood, and two Willow Warblers and a Chaffinch along the east bank.

The insect world gave us a Meadow Brown, a Jersey Tiger and a Migrant Hawker, amongst others.

6th

Sunny, light SW wind. There was more warbler activity along the east bank with six species which included at least two Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and our first returning Reed Warbler. There were five Little Egrets on the beach, and waders included two Ringed Plovers and a Redshank.

4th

Sunny with a freshening SW wind. A juvenile Marsh Harrier headed west from Studd Hill mobbed by crows. Our first of the species here since March. There were three Little Egrets on the beach, a Whimbrel dropped in with the gulls on the beach and Turnstone numbers were up to at least 60. Also noted were 141 juvenile Herring Gulls on the beach, six Swallows west and our first returning Willow Warblers, heard calling in the scrub and at the Obs.

Butterflies included a Red Admiral and moths were a Rush Veneer and a Jersey Tiger.

2nd

Cloudy, cooler, moderate NW wind. A two-and-a-half hour seawatch produeces very little with one Shelduck, a flock of 25 Common Scoters and seven Common Gulls west; the winds were not strong enough and early in the season. Waders included two Ringed Plovers and 42 Turnstones. Also noted was a Hobby flying west over the church.

Butterflies included a Holly Blue and the daily sighting of a Jersey Tiger.

1st

Sunny periods with a light to moderate NW wind. A juvenile Purple Heron flew NW over beach and headed across to the Isle of Sheppey at 10.47 am. This was only the second record for the site after one, also a juvenile, was present for about 40 minutes, on 31st August 2018. That bird perched in bushes in the scrub, and dropped into the nearby brook, before flying off west. It transpired that today’s bird had been seen at Reculver about half an hour earlier but there were no subsequent sightings on Sheppey or elsewhere. Also noted were 5 Little Egrets on the beach off the Obs, 33 Mallard at the mouth of the brook, a single Redshank, 33 Turnstones and 26 Mediterranean Gulls flying west. There were two Lesser Whitethroats and two juvenile Long-tailed Tits along the east bank and 66 Carrion Crows gathered on the beach.

Butterflies noted were Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Small and Green-veined Whites, and Comma and a Jersey Tiger moth was also seen.