Crane, Dungeness RSPB

Went for the 2 Cranes at Dunge today. They were best viewed from the 1st hide at the visitor centre and showed beautifully. BOU year list is now 171. Full trip report and videos can be seen on my blog

www.josh-birdbrain.blogspot.com

A new Grebe and an old friend...

My original plan for today was to go to Sevenoaks WR but I decided Bough beech would be more productive and indeed it was. As soon as I got out my mums car a birder ( Graham) told me that a BLACK-NECKED GREBE was on the reservoir I immediately got onto it, and it showed for the whole day! What a great bird and lifer! Later on in the day I caught up with an old friend, namely an AVOCET which proceeded to fly around the south basin calling until it finally landed on North lake and fed for the rest of the day, My 3rd coastal self-found bird for Bough beech in just over a week! That brings my 2008 BOU list to 168 and my Bough beech list to 99 (ooh!) I only managed some crappy phone scoped videos of them which are on my blog.
www.josh-birdbrain.blogspot.com
I hope everyone's having a good summer!
JJS

Rentree

Ben here, back from a short break in Yorkshire. Haven't posted much after the lack of faith from one anonymous birder. It was a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, and although my evidence isn't concrete, doesn't mean I'm lying! It was the first really rare bird I'd ever seen (other than a White Stork over Canterbury), so don't spoil it! Some of you should be content with the rarities you've seen/found. ANYWAY...

Yorkshire was great! All target birds achieved: Gannet, Red Grouse and Osprey, all 'lifers', to use a twitching term. It was nice to see so many Bullfinches too; they're so rare down here in Kent. An unexpected bonus was a migrating Short-eared Owl at Bempton Cliffs. It filled the gap that the auks left... they'd all left for the open ocean by the time we arrived. Here are some of the best photos from the excursion.

Inland Kittiwake

I just got back from Bough beech, were I found a juv. KITTIWAKE, lifer. It flew over heading south at 17:10pm. A great inland record and I found it! YAY
More photos on my blog
www.josh-birdbrain.blogspot.com
Cheers
JJS