Swale/Shellness NNR, early February 2023

I finally caught up with the Bewick Swans at Swale NNR, Sheppey at the second attempt.  The road to the Swale NNR deteriorates is an assault course for tyres, as you near Shellness point.  The Bewick swans, three adults and seven juveniles were in a field with distant but good views from the footpath that leaves the car park.  It was good to see them before they migrate back east for the spring.  

 There were a lot of Reed Buntings in the trees by the car park this morning.



Kestrels patrol the area and one kindly landed very close to the car, giving me my best Kestrel shot yet. Swale NNR was a very pleasant place to walk in the sunshine. 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Purple Heron, Black Stork and White Stork, July 2025

Image
Purple Heron A juvenile bird was reported on the River Cam near Kingfisher Bridge NR.  This species is slightly smaller and slenderer than the grey heron, they have chestnut-brown plumage with dark streaks and a long, sinuous neck. These secretive birds prefer reedbeds and wetlands and are more often heard than seen. While traditionally passage migrants or occasional breeders, recent conservation efforts have seen small numbers attempting to nest in southern England. I had no expectations of actually finding the bird, especially as I seemed to be the only one looking. Amazingly I spotted the bird on the opposite bank after a short walk and the timing was perfect, as a passing boat flushed 60 seconds later.    The bird was lost to view but reported the following day in the Mere at Kingsfisher Bridge NR.   Black Stork A juvenile bird was reported repeatedly for about a week at Boyton Marsh, Suffolk. This species is typically found in continental Europe and Asia, ne...
Read more

Osprey CJ7 and White tailed Eagle G463, Friday 15th August 2025

Image
The 'mugging' of Osprey CJ7 over Poole Harbour by the resident male White-tailed Eagle G463 in pictures - as seen from the always excellent Birds of Poole Harbour Osprey Cruise.   The tide was low and CJ7 caught a fish close to where G463 was sitting on a small island, watching and waiting... He immediately launched himself into the air and went after CJ7, forcing her to drop the catch.  He tried to catch the fish when it was falling but failed.  However, he caught a bigger fish on his own immediately afterwards and CJ7 also caught another fish within a few minutes.  Poole Harbour is an amazingly bountiful environment, and it is a privilege to see these birds at such close quarters.   
Read more

New Zealand, Oct 2024

Image
This was a family holiday, not a birding expedition, so photography was on an 'ad hoc' basis. I shouldn’t have been, but I was stunned by the birding situation in NZ. The introduction of rats, stoats, cats and possums has devastated the native bird life, which evolved without exposure to many natural predators. On top of these challenges, the European settlers introduced an array of familiar birds to out compete the local fauna e.g. Blackbirds, Swallows, Starlings, Song Thrush, Yellowhammers and Mallards.  Really sad to see. Seabirds We had good views of seabirds from the whale watching boat from Kaikoura, although I'm not sure of the species level ID.       Albatross          Shearwater        Petrel Banded Dotterel The Banded Dotterel (also known as the Double-banded Plover) is a small, native shorebird found throughout New Zealand.  These birds inhabit coastal areas, estuaries, riverbeds, and sandy beache...
Read more