Wednesday 2nd.November 2011

Yesterday , Carol and I travelled down to her brother's house near Rochester , to give him some help with a guttering problem . Unsure how long the help would take , I took the opportunity to put the camera bag and binoculars in the car with my tools , just in case . The job was finished just before lunchtime , in dull , overcast conditions . Whilst we had a sandwich and a cuppa , the sky began to open up , and by the time we were leaving , it was positively barmy . My original plan , if time permitted , was to head for Shellness on the Isle of Sheppey , where a second Rough-legged Buzzard had been reported over the weekend . To get there , we had to almost pass through Chatham , temporary home of a juvenile Long-tailed Duck and reported by Ken / Wildlife in Focus and others recently . On arrival , I parked up alongside No.2 basin , handed Carol her book , and I set off in search of the duck . Having scanned the basin without success , I thought it might have moved on ,

but then I headed for the corner with the footbridge , and found the duck diving and feeding , just the

other side of the footbridge . Not exactly the most striking of ducks , but I certainly haven't come across that many of the species . Having been successful there , we set off for Shellness , hoping that I would be as lucky there . The weather got better and better on the way , and arrived at the start of the Shellness track on what could have been mistaken as a summer's day . Driving slowly down the track , my hopes took a knock , as there were no signs of any other birders , or anyone at all . At the rise in the middle of the track , where you get a view across the grazing marshes , all seemed very quiet , the only movement being the blades on the wind pump out in the marshes . Arrival at the car park at the end of the track , and finding not a single car there also dented my hopes . I parked up with Carol and her book in the sunshine , got kitted up , and at last heard some bird life in the form of a flock of noisy House Sparrows in the bushes alongside the car park . On inspection , there were

also several Reed Buntings , a few Starlings and at least one Dunnock and Robin also in the bushes .The tide was about half way in and could hear calls from the beach and saltings , but as I made my way slowly along the sea wall , I didn't see any more birds until I put up this female ring

tail Hen Harrier from the long grass on the side of the path . Having taken to the air , she then proceeded to fly straight across the saltings and into the sun , making sure no more photographs were

 possible . Further out on the same saltings I found three Little Egrets , seemingly having a

communal wash and brush up , and also a bit further on , one of three Curlew that showed briefly , before fading away into the longer vegetation on the saltings . Whilst scanning the area , I came

across my first sighting of the afternoon of a Short-eared Owl flying low over the saltings , which would turn out to be the start of a true SEO fest . Shortly afterwards , another birder arrived at the car park and made his way up onto the sea wall , and when we met , he told me he had also come for the Rough-legged Buzzard . With two pairs of eyes now scanning the 360 degree viewing area provided by the seawall , and with birds seemingly waking up from their early afternoon snooze , sightings started coming thick and fast , albeit the vast majority being distant . Several Marsh Harriers were sighted , and , with great joy from the other birder , one of the Rough-legged Buzzards hovered for some time before disappearing again . Both male and female Hen Harriers were seen on several

occasions , and at one point , both made it into the same frame , the male higher and on the left , but once again at distance . A brief view of a Merlin was closely followed by that of a Common Buzzard , and the time these sightings was filled with constant SEO sightings . At one point , I had three SEOs in view over the saltings , whilst the other birder had at least another three around the

wind pump , 180 degrees in the other direction , but none came really close . We both agreed that there must have been at least ten , and possibly even more SEOs over the grazing marshes and the saltings in the hour between 3-4 o'clock that afternoon . Well pleased with what we had seen , the other birder left for the Raptor Point at Capel Fleet , whilst , with Carol still happy with her book in
the sunshine , I had a look at the beach , it being just about high water . On the water , still catching the quickly dropping sun , were about 20 Brent Geese , several of them being juveniles with the

white bars on the wing and lack of white neck flash , like the one on the left . In the air , a small flock

of Golden Plover were wheeling , trying to decide exactly where they were going to land . Later , we saw 50+ on the grazing marsh as we reached the end of the track . Further along the beach there were

 a few Turnstones and a small flock of Ringed Plover , the latter proving not to be interested in a

group photo . With the sun dropping fast and darkness not far away , we drove back down the track , once again stopping briefly at the high point , and checking every fence post and high spot along the way . This proved well worth while , as just behind the few houses half way along , but unfortunately

 on the shaded side of the track , a Little Owl was posing on one of the posts . Reaching the end of the track , I failed to see a Kestrel that was perched on top of one of the telephone posts . He flew off over the rough grassland between the road and the beach and I watched it disappear behind a tree . In the same line of sight , but unsure exactly where it came from , appeared a Peregrine , flying low tom the grass and passing right over the top of the car . What a great finish to a wonderful afternoon . I very much doubt if I will ever see so many SEOs again , but feel very lucky to have been there to see them today  and that's not taking anything from the other species on view .