11th November - Elmley National Nature Reserve, Kent

Another weekend away this time with our daughter in Kent allowed me the chance to visit Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey, from now through to March is the best time for this expanse of marshland on the southern part of Sheppey.  It was a cold morning and for the first time this winter I had to scrape ice off the car.  I arrived early as opening is at 9.00 am, and headed to the entrance I have always used and noticed that the hut used to check you in was not there.  I then noticed a large sign that said the entrance was now on the other side of the barn.  I then turned around and drove to the correct place where I was the second car waiting.  It was a clear blue sky and a low sun over the marsh and as we waited a Marsh Harrier drifted over the pond that was by the side of the track.

There are large numbers of Marsh Harrier at Elmley, but today this was the only one I managed to photograph.  I saw a few, but nowhere near the numbers I have seen on previous visits, those I did see were distant too, no where near being cooperative to photograph.

For the first time as well there was very little of interest on the drive to the car park, a few Lapwing by the track and good numbers of Curlew but that was about all.  Once in the car park it was all about finding what was about and one of the guides filled me in.  Up to twenty Short-eared Owls, not to worried about them, but always nice to see.  Four Barn Owls, they would be nice and apparently they like to hunt in the afternoon!  A pair of Little Owl at the Old School House and also a pair at the entrance to the reserve.  Finally the owl I was hoping to see, the Long-eared Owl.  There have been three showing in the sallows behind the pond next to the car park, but they were not showing at the present, but it is best to look in the afternoon when they like the sunshine and today looked like it would be good for them.  In addition there were six Merlins and the possibility of a Hen Harrier.  All good stuff I couldn't wait to get out and seeing all these birds.

First, as I walked towards the Swale viewpoint, was a Kestrel hunting by the little huts.

The open water by the path is usually good for Pochard and Tufted Duck, but today I could only see Mallard.  Out on the marsh there was a lot of cows and in amongst them were up to six Cattle Egret, another of the long legged beasties that seems to like the United Kingdom these days.

The squabbling of these two reminded me of the action I have seen with Cattle Egret around Buffalo in Africa.  The bird on the right had caught what looks like a vole and the other wanted its share.

I walked to the viewpoint where the tide was high and Brent Geese and Wigeon were bobbing about on the water.  In the reeds close to the path I heard, but didn't see, Bearded Tits.

There was very little going on over the marsh, very few duck, mostly Greylag and Canada Geese.  There were good numbers of Rook and crows and these would pursue any distant Marsh Harrier that appeared

Sometimes the Brent would fly over from the Swale out to the marsh.

I walked to the hides, these Stonechat in the scrub on the bank.  A male.

The female.

There was very little from the hides, in fact the most interesting thing was a two adults and a boy, who had early been walking on the top of the sea wall and advised by wardens not to.  They came into the hide, no optics at all, but the boy had a toy gun!

I made my way back to the car park, checked for Long-eared Owl, nothing.  Walked to the Old School House, no Little Owl either.  Back to the car park, nothing.  A report of the Little Owl having been seen sent me back to the school house to stare at trees and bricks again, no Little Owl.

Back in the car park, some lunch and then I decided to walk back to Wellmarsh to see if anything was about, it was now the afternoon.  Another extensive thermal search of the Sallow produced...a Woodpigeon!

The Cattle Egret had made it to a Bird Guides report, along with a Short-eared Owl, to be fair I would now happily settle for a Short-eared Owl.  The Bearded Tits were still calling and every so often gave fleeting views as flew across the top of the reeds.

The Cattle Egret though, were now closer and were showing very well amongst the cattle.

The six birds were spread out and could be seen moving around above the cattle, here with one of the wind turbines in the background.

A close up view  as one flew towards me.

Flying around the cattle the egrets provided a distraction from the lack of anything else.

Some of my best shots of a Cattle Egret in flight.

The Lapwing too would fly over.

With time moving on, the reserve closes at 16:00 I decided to walk back to the car park, the sun was now on the Sallow, but there was no sign of any owls.  I had one more walk to the school house to look for the Little Owl.  I was informed when I got there that the Barn Owl had showed briefly but had gone back in its box and there was no sign of any Little Owl.

As I walked back I scanned the marsh and found two Buzzards sat on two of the many posts.

Back at the car park, some action, the Short-eared Owls had woken up, resigned to the fact that they were probably going to be the only Owls I was going to see today I settled in to watch and photograph.

They roost in the long grass of a fenced patch with young trees in it and one was sat on one of the fence posts.

Then some action, us first being alerted to it by the calls of a Kestrel, an owl appeared above the trees in the direction of the school house.

The Kestrel was chasing the owl.

It looked as if the owl was carrying something and that the Kestrel wanted it, there was continual calling and some aerobatics.

As the owl gained height the Kestrel began to loose interest, the owl heading towards all those watching and over our heads.  It was then clear the owl was carrying prey, it looks very much like a Short-tailed Vole.

I wasn't sure where that owl went or the vole but that was probably dispatched once the Kestrel was not around.

There were now up to three birds flying around the field.  The only problem was the light.  The sun was low and the owls insisted on being directly in front of the sun.

But one, especially dark bird, headed away and showed well and the low light through the wings provided a different take against the dark background.

Then moving up and with a white sky behind it.

The count reached five birds in total and they continued to Fly around the grass field and out over the longer marsh land grass.  Every so often they would settle on the posts.

With it now past 15:00 I was keen to spend some time along the entrance track.  Again it was quiet, a Buzzard drifted across and settled away in the distance, but little else.  As I got closer to the exit the Shortie's appeared.  There were three hunting over the rough grass but the light now was almost gone and it was murky, this was the best shot I could get as it came close.

At the last cattle grid a Kestrel sat on the remains of the fence looking down into the grass alongside the ditch, behind it the sun now almost obscured by the clouds.

Back at the entrance I stopped to sort everything out before leaving.  I took one more look back across the reserve, maybe the day had been a little disappointing, I would have loved to have seen the other three owls, but it wasn't to be, I will be returning in a few weeks so I will have all the fingers crossed once again.  One thing about the day, the weather was stunning.