A slightly dismal morning didn't dampen our spirits as 30+ of us gathered at the the old Brickworks to be led by Geoff along the seawall in an KWT walk, an exploration of the waterfowl and waders of the North Kent coast.
We learnt about the long history of the large number of brickworks in North Kent and other areas, which produced the yellow brown "London Stock Bricks", which lasted until the "igneous" clays of the Midland or Flettons that contained 5% lignite, sufficient to replace 75% of the energy needed to produce the bricks, came into use, greatly reducing the costs of brick production. However Flettons are porous and therefore unsuitable for heavy loads or external use, so it may be a bit more complex than this.
We also learnt about the Thames barges trading along the North Kent coast, and saw several examples during the day, including the excellent Edith May.
I was fascinated by the story of the Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying the two thousand miles from Siberia to winter here after their short and difficult breeding efforts. In good "Lemming" years they get a chance to produce a lot of young birds and bring them with them, but when Lemmings are in short supply, the Artic Foxes get very hungry and increase their predation upon the eggs and goslings, so that few if any birds are produced to reach the UK in that particular year.
The bird list for the day at Lower Halstow was 1 female Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus, 150+ Dark Bellied Brent Geese, Branta barnicla bernicla, 20+ Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, 10+ Teal, Anas crecca, 15+ Wigeon, Anas penelope, 6 Shoveller, Anas clypeata, 20+ Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus, 60+ Black(?)-Tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, 100+ Redshank, Tringa totanus, 3 Curlew, Numenius arquata, 200 Dunlin, Calidris alpina, 2 Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus, 50+ Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, 7 Grey Plovers, Pluvialis squatarola, 40+ Ringed Plovers, Charadrius hiaticula, 4 Common Gull, Larus canus, 20+ Black-Headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, 10+ Coot, Fulica atra, 1 Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, 7+ Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, 30 Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, 10+ Carrion Crows, Corvus corone, 8+ Blackbirds, Turdus merula, 8+ Fieldfares, Turdus pilaris, 5 Chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs, 3 House Sparrows, Passer domesticus.
Also 1 Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, fluttering low along the seawall, heading South for sunnier climes, by accident or design. I'm not sure if this one is going to make it to the Med, it may have left it too late, unless its lucky with some late flowers and rotting fruit!
The bird list for the day at Oare Marshes was 20+ Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, 100+ Teal, Anas crecca, 20+ Wigeon, Anas penelope, 10+ Shoveller, Anas clypeata, 10+ Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna, 5 Pintail, Anas acuta, 150+ Black(?)-Tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, 100+ Redshank Tringa totanus, (could have been some Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, among them if the experts on the KOS site were correct), 100+ Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, 10 Golden(?) Plovers, Pluvialis apricaria, 10+ Black-Headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, 4 Coot, Fulica atra, 1 Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus, 1 Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, 2 Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, 20 Starling, Sturnus vulgaris.
I missed out on the two or three Little Stints which have been spotted over the last few days, and I think I should have been there at High Tide for them!
We learnt about the long history of the large number of brickworks in North Kent and other areas, which produced the yellow brown "London Stock Bricks", which lasted until the "igneous" clays of the Midland or Flettons that contained 5% lignite, sufficient to replace 75% of the energy needed to produce the bricks, came into use, greatly reducing the costs of brick production. However Flettons are porous and therefore unsuitable for heavy loads or external use, so it may be a bit more complex than this.
We also learnt about the Thames barges trading along the North Kent coast, and saw several examples during the day, including the excellent Edith May.
I was fascinated by the story of the Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying the two thousand miles from Siberia to winter here after their short and difficult breeding efforts. In good "Lemming" years they get a chance to produce a lot of young birds and bring them with them, but when Lemmings are in short supply, the Artic Foxes get very hungry and increase their predation upon the eggs and goslings, so that few if any birds are produced to reach the UK in that particular year.
The bird list for the day at Lower Halstow was 1 female Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus, 150+ Dark Bellied Brent Geese, Branta barnicla bernicla, 20+ Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, 10+ Teal, Anas crecca, 15+ Wigeon, Anas penelope, 6 Shoveller, Anas clypeata, 20+ Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus, 60+ Black(?)-Tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, 100+ Redshank, Tringa totanus, 3 Curlew, Numenius arquata, 200 Dunlin, Calidris alpina, 2 Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus, 50+ Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, 7 Grey Plovers, Pluvialis squatarola, 40+ Ringed Plovers, Charadrius hiaticula, 4 Common Gull, Larus canus, 20+ Black-Headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, 10+ Coot, Fulica atra, 1 Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, 7+ Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, 30 Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, 10+ Carrion Crows, Corvus corone, 8+ Blackbirds, Turdus merula, 8+ Fieldfares, Turdus pilaris, 5 Chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs, 3 House Sparrows, Passer domesticus.
Also 1 Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta, fluttering low along the seawall, heading South for sunnier climes, by accident or design. I'm not sure if this one is going to make it to the Med, it may have left it too late, unless its lucky with some late flowers and rotting fruit!
The bird list for the day at Oare Marshes was 20+ Mallard, Anas platyrynchos, 100+ Teal, Anas crecca, 20+ Wigeon, Anas penelope, 10+ Shoveller, Anas clypeata, 10+ Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna, 5 Pintail, Anas acuta, 150+ Black(?)-Tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, 100+ Redshank Tringa totanus, (could have been some Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, among them if the experts on the KOS site were correct), 100+ Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, 10 Golden(?) Plovers, Pluvialis apricaria, 10+ Black-Headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, 4 Coot, Fulica atra, 1 Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus, 1 Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, 2 Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, 20 Starling, Sturnus vulgaris.
I missed out on the two or three Little Stints which have been spotted over the last few days, and I think I should have been there at High Tide for them!
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