Sea Watching on Grain

October 27th


As per last year we are visiting part of the Isle of Grain down past Cooling Towers towards the Sea Wall and Egypt Bay.The land is private but the sea wall is all public access.
Part of the survey is to cover the river at peak low and high tide for a couple of hours, today we were optimistic with a north westerly that we might connect with some ‘good ‘birds.

To say it was cold was an understatement, the wind was gusting over 40 and the driving rain and dark skies made for a true winter feel, the 1st of the year.
Ideally we needed a north easterly or an easterly in these conditions, if we had we would have likely seen more, Paul was sea watching further up so hopefully we did not miss too much.

2 Bonxies

Dark Bellied Brents going past a Common Seal

Canvey had some good birds today but we were further up river opposite Coryton Refinery, we never connected with the Sooty Shearwater, Sabine’s or the Little Gulls but none the less still had some good birds.

Highlights were

Bonxie – 3 all going up river, a single and 2 together
Kittiwake – a single flock of 15 +odd singles
Swallow – 2
Dark Bellied Brent Goose – 23 likely some duplication as they were up and down
Gannet – 11 all turned and went back out
Common Scoter – 26 all up river
Guillemot – 1 in and out
Peregrine – adult Falcon
Merlin – 2 seen by Paul
Knot – 100
Black Tailed Godwit – 1030
Wigeon – 28

The Black Tailed Godwits numbers were impressive coming out of the river, they were in large flocks hugging the Kent side looking for some exposed mud after high tide; we suspect they all came from Cliffe RSPB along with the flock of Knot.They all went straight past us continuing east.

Despite the weather a good day, need more north easterlies/ easterlies!