Neil Burt

A perfect orange sunset over still water on a cold day at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, with the last blue sky and wispy cloud above.

The perfect Christmas present for someone who loves Rye Harbour is membership of the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve... ryeharbourfriends.net/join-us
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A very damp day. Checked out the Rother Levels again. Great White & Little Egrets plus a Kingfisher. Another Kingfisher on Walland Marsh near Old Cheyne Court plus the 4 Bewick’s & 1 Whooper Swans near Swamp Crossing. The 1stW Scaup was still at Scotney too.

2 Goldeneyes (1 drake) on Burrowes, several Caspian & Yellow-legged Gulls too, 2 Ravens on Lydd Ranges, 1stW Scaup and BN Grebe on Scotney GPs plus 1000s of Golden Plovers at the Kent end of the pit. On Walland Marsh near Lydd, 4 adult Bewick’s Swans & 1 adult Whooper Swan near Swamp Crossing.

The murmuration, waders & wildfowl flocks attracted the attention of at least 3 Sparrowhawks, 4 Marsh Harriers & 1 Peregrine. 1 Common Snipe, a 3rdW Yellow-legged Gull and 2 Redwings were also noted. A female Goldeneye on Kerton Road Pit earlier, 3 Cattle Egrets between Cooks Pool & Cockles Bridge.

A superb end to the day… with the fantastic sight of the Starling murmuration & roost at the ARC Pit, Dungeness RSPB. A Bittern even joined them in flight at one point. Also 1 Cattle Egret, 4 GW Egrets, 1 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher, Cetti’s Warbler & Water Rail, 4 Goldeneyes (2 drakes)

Lovely 👍.

A lovely morning in Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne. The 1st winter Black Guillemot showed rather well for birders and the general public alike. 👍 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne… As well as the Black Guillemot, it was also nice to see a Common Guillemot, 2 GC Grebes, Cormorants, common Waders, 5 Harbour (Common) Seals and a Great Northern Diver (feeding offshore).

A quick look in the Rother Valley this afternoon. At least 4 Great White Egrets and a Kingfisher between Blackwall Bridge, Wittersham and Potman’s Heath.

A visit to Pett Level at lunchtime… 2 Ravens, 1 Ruff, Marsh Harriers & C Buzzards, Pochard and a lovely family group of 10 dark-bellied Brent Geese (2 adults with 8 juveniles). @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

A twitch to Sussex and Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne. The 1stW Black Guillemot is showing rather well 👍 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

1stW Scaup now on the main pit at Scotney GPs from the double bends with Pochards & Tufted Ducks. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Dungeness RSPB & BO this morning. At least 4 Goldeneyes from the ARC Hanson Hide (1 drake), 2 Kingfishers & 3 GW Egrets. A female Peregrine had a wash there too. A Merlin, 7 C Scoter & at least 10 Kittiwakes from the Fishing Boats (09:30 to 10:20) as well as 2 1stW Caspian Gulls.

#PatchBirding walks this week… relatively quiet but a few winter thrushes & finches starting to appear. Little Grebe at Singleton Lake, 9 Greylag Geese N over the Hothfield Waterfall Lake, a couple each of Kingfisher & Grey Wagtail, 6 Teals and 3 Stonechats at the Flood Gap.

The flocks of Pink-footed Geese in North Norfolk are always impressive. I never get tired of scenes like this. At dawn on our last morning (23rd November) thousands moved from their roost out in The Wash, over our holiday home & out to the farmland to feed in the Beet fields. SPECTACULAR !!!

Pray for rain 💦😃

After work walk to Hothfield Waterfall Lake today was noteworthy though as a Cetti’s Warbler called & sung briefly. A new species for the site (wonder if it is the Singleton Lake 2-day bird that has gone AWOL), next stop for it, Eastwell ??? Also a pair of Gadwall & at least 4 Teal. #patchbirding

The #patchbirding walks on Monday & Wednesday were fairly quiet, although it’s always nice to get views of Kingfisher & Grey Wagtail. The garden feeders have been attracting good numbers of Blue, Great & LT Tits plus 2 Goldfinches & a Sparrowhawk visit. A Common Gull was noteworthy today.

An excellent week of birding in Kent with a Desert Wheatear, 3 Dusky Warblers and 5 Pallas’s Warblers. The Pallid Swift remained on show and the mild weather brought some interesting sightings of late summer migrants. See: kentos.org.uk #kentbirding

Review of the Week: 3-9 November 2025 Sam Viles reports on the best birds in Britain and Ireland during the week of 3-9 November 2025. A special start to November produced Killdeer, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Siberian Rubythroat, Soft-plumaged Petrel and yet more Black-faced Buntings.

Review of the Week: 3-9 November 2025

A special start to November produced Killdeer, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Siberian Rubythroat, Soft-plumaged Petrel and yet more Black-faced Buntings:

Great photos Paul 👍. Well done for getting both birds in the frame and thanks for finding 2 Pallid Swifts together!!!

Back to @DungenessBO & @RSPBDungeness today: highlights were another Pallas’s Warbler (Moat) with Goldcrests, Firecrest (Pilot Path), 2 Water Pipits (Cooks Pool), female Goldeneye on Burrowes Pit and a Black Redstart at Dengemarsh Gulley. Peregrine & Sparrowhawks also noteworthy.

Per other Kent birders “left at 16:10 and it was still on the sea wall”. Good luck tomorrow 👍.

Moved on to Westbrook and the Sunken Garden where the Dusky Warbler showed and called well in both the garden and at the bottom of the cliff by the beach huts. Goldcrest & Stonechats also noted.

Started the day on Thanet at Botany & Kingsgate Bays where the Pallid Swift showed well… and then there were suddenly two birds present. Thanks to Paul Holt. Also Black Redstart, Stonechats, RN Parakeets, a Short-eared Owl in off at height then S, Sparrowhawk & Cetti’s Warbler.

Other sightings at South Swale NNR this afternoon: a Black Brant and male Eider with the large noisy flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Teal & Wigeon, 6 RB Mergansers, Bearded Tits, Dunlins, Turnstones & Grey Plover, Shelduck & GC Grebes. Earlier 2 Common Scoters at Minnis Bay.