Wednesday 17th July 2024: Oare Marshes

 It's that time of year again! Our annual pilgrimage to see the Bonaparte's Gull at one of my favourite reserves, Oare Marshes in north Kent, this time visiting a little earlier than usual to try to see the target bird with it's summer hood, hopefully making it much easier to pick out.

With a high tide, we hoped to find the bird showing well on the East Flood rather than needing to scan vast expanses of exposed mud by the slipway, its other preferred location. We scoped the area carefully, struggling somewhat with the low early morning sun inhibiting our visibility. A fellow birder confirmed it had been seen that morning, and after some time I spotted the bird sat on the nearest shingle spit, it's black bill and darker grey back distinguishing it from the nearby Black-headed Gulls.

Bonaparte’s Gull

With our main mission accomplished, we took our time to scan around the flood area, and as always there were plenty of waders to be seen. Lapwing loafed on the banks and Avocets swished their bills as they waded purposefully through the shallow water. There was a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits roosting at the back of the pool, heads tucked under their wings, and just a few Dunlin wandering amongst them. Keeping their distance, a substantial group of Redshanks also stood motionless in the water. But the star wader was undoubtedly a Wood Sandpiper, not seen brilliantly, as it was quite distant, but the supercilium and distinctive mottled back clearly visible in our scopes. A scruffy, moulting Marsh Harrier flew over, causing the birds to take flight, and we lost sight of the gull.

We walked the circuit of the flood, finding Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers amongst the reeds, and Linnet and Reed Bunting in the scattered bushes. At the slipway we added Whimbrel and Curlew to our collection. We followed the riverside path to Dan's Lock, but thee was little activity here, although we did spot a few Marsh Frogs.

Returning to the flood for another look, we quickly rediscovered the Bonaparte's Gull, and with better light, Tim just managed a shot as it was disturbed by a foraging Avocet and took flight. Finally, on the water's edge close to the road, a fellow birder drew attention to a couple of Little Ringed Plover, which  we could just make out over the top of the grass.