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Monday, 8 September 2008
Film Night - Wednesday 10th September
Our evening meetings are starting again after the summer break, and to kick off the event we have a special film night. Malcolm has some more special films from the RSPB to show off. Come along to St Botolph's Hall this Wednesday evening for a 07:45pm start. All welcome. See our "Indoor Meetings" page for full details.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Wildlife and Country Fair
Don't forget the Country Fair this Sunday 31st August, 12noon to 5pm One of the most popular events in the Medway Calendar, featuring farm animals, guided walks, children's activities, arts and crafts, music, refreshments, ditch dipping and insect sweeping. Free event!
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Outdoor meeting - Elmley RSPB
This Sunday, 24th August. Meet in the reserve car park for a 10am start. See our outdoor trips page for full details and a google map showing all outdoor meeting venues.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Lizards
Here is also a picture of what I think is a baby lizard that I saw at Cliff Pools open day. Each lizard measured about 7cm so they were very small. And I was very pleased when they finally came out to sunbathe in front of me so I took the opportunity to get some photos. Sam
Great day for crickets and grasshoppers at Cliff Pools Open day.
On Wednesday I went along to help at Cliff Pools open day with the insect sweeping. We all had great fun, and I'm sure the children did too, there were definitely some keen young insect enthusiasts. This photo is of a Macropterous Roesels bush cricket. Sam
Great Green Bush Cricket!!
I had gone to stay at my nan and granddad's for the week during the holidays. Next to their house is a huge field which belongs to the local school, the school may not know it, but they share it with the hundreds of insects that inhabit it long, grassy, brambly borders.So I went to have a look to see what I could find. After a full hour of intense searching I found what I've wanted to see for ages, a Great Green Bush Cricket. I had followed its loud call everywhere, even through the bramble! OUCH! And then there it was, perched on a long blade of grass before my very eyes, I wasn't even expecting a great green I was expecting a dark bush cricket or a roesels, but to find a great green was absolutely amazing. It was well worth the time I spent looking for it, you cannot mistake a Great Green Bush Cricket. This female measuring just under 10cm (including wing span) is the largest bush-cricket in North Europe and one of the largest in Europe and it is what its name suggest green and great. I will certainly remember this find for a long time, Sam
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Outdoor meeting - Oare Marshes KWT
Don't forget the outdoor meeting this weekend is at Oare and it's an EVENING meeting! Meet in the car park on Saturday evening for a 7pm start. See our programme for full details, or visit our "outdoor trips" page for a google map.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Cliffe Pools Safari Fun Day
Don't forget the "Safari Fun Day" next Wednesday, 6th August from 11am to 4pm. Fun activities by the Thames, including minibeast hunts, arts and craft, tabletop pond dipping and meet the Cliffe Pools jellyfish! Refreshments available. The entrance will be signposted off the B2000 on the day. NB: Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free event!
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Lestes dryas
After the Higham Bight clean up some of us stayed at Northward Hill RSPB reserve for a while. Julie and Chris visited one of the ditches and found the scarce emerald damselfly. This is THE special damselfly of the north Kent marshes. It is very similar to the common emerald but can be distinguished by looking at the male genitalia. (Sorry I know this is a family site). Julie's photograph shows this really well. The inner "bits" (appendages) on the last abdominal segment are curved inwards and clubbed - rather like two hockey sticks. On the common emerald they are straight and thin. Well now you know!
Clean-up Crew
On Saturday members of the group, local residents and people from as far as Sittingbourne cleared rubbish from the shore of the Thames at Higham Bight just east of Gravesend. The shoreline of this bay is owned by the RSPB and forms part of the complex of RSPB reserves in north Kent. Higham Bight is one of the most important feeding areas along the Kent shore for migrant and wintering wading birds, such as dunlin, redshank and curlew. But no-one had brought binoculars or a telescope! - however we could hear whimbrel, oystercatcher and curlew calling and common terns were flying over our heads all afternoon. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the shoreline a better and safer place for wildlife. Special thanks to Carol Donaldson, RSPB Community Officer, for organising the event and to our neighbouring landowner, Bretts Aggregates, for the final removal and safe disposal of all the rubbish.
Friday, 25 July 2008
FW: Raft spider?
At Thursley Sam found a small spider on one of the bog runnels. It looked at home and stayed on the water for at least 30 minutes. Other raft spiders found on the day were much bigger. Does Sam's photograph show a young raft spider or another species just enjoying a swim! It was quite a hot day.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Volunteering Opportunity and Family Event
This Saturday (26th July) there are a group of volunteers helping to clean up the banks of the Thames at Higham Bight beach. If you would like to help, please contact Malcolm Jennings for further details, or contact the RSPB North Kent Marshes office: Telephone: 01634 222480 E-mail: northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Where?There!
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On Sunday the group visited Thursley Common in Surrey. This National Nature Reserve of open heath, woodland and bog is one of the best sites for wildlife in England. The birds seen on the day were very special. Dartford warbler was seen after only a few minutes and by the end of the day we had seen hobby, woodlark, redstarts and other more common species. Excellent views of a lesser - spotted woodpecker were a real bonus. However, at Thursley, many of the wildlife gems can only be seen by looking down! The photograph shows Malcolm trying to persuade Sue that black darters (a small dragonfly) are just as interesting as the hobbies that like to eat them! Keeled skimmer and small red damselfly were all seen flying low over the bogs and common lizards were found on the boardwalks. A very enjoyable day - thanks to Paul for leading the group.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Outdoor meeting - Rainham Marshes RSPB, Essex
Meet in the reserve car park on Tuesday 22nd July, for a 10 am start. See our Outdoor Trips page for more details and a Google Map showing exact location. Another chance to visit this new reserve, this time in summer, to see black-tailed godwits, whimbrels, greenshanks, snipe, avocets, and many other waders and wildfowl, plus marsh frogs and wasp spiders!
Friday, 11 July 2008
Outdoor meeting - Thursley Common NNR
This coming Sunday (13th July). Meet in the Mote car park (SU899417) in time for a 10am start. See our "Outdoor Trips" page for a Google Map which you can zoom to find the location. A superb heathland reserve with some wonderful acid bogs. Heathland speciality birds such as Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Woodlark, Tree Pipit and Redstart all occur here, and Thursley is possibly the best site in the south east for dragonflies and damselflies, and of course their predator, the Hobby!
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Medway count reveals high numbers for Kent
thought you may be interested in this article about bird numbers on the Medway from the RSPB News feed: http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-193992
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Cub Green Day
On Sunday 22nd June our group organised a Green Day for the District Cub Scouts at their Hope Hill camp site.The children were excellent and enthusiastically joined in birdwatching, plant finding, craft activities, insect sweeping, environmental games and recycling. Our thanks go to the Cub Scout leaders, Helen Morley from Plantlife, Lisa Selby from Gravesham Borough Council, Jenny Collins from Groundwork Trust, David James and his RSPB team, Pauline Heathcote, Sally Jennings, Sam Yetman and, most of all, Maria Yetman for the smooth organisation of the whole day.
Longfield Fete
On Sunday 29th June, Jan & Mick represented the RSPB at the Longfield Fete.They enjoyed good weather and the Fete was a great success. They sold £53 of RSPB sales goods and gave out lots of information & advice. Don't they look professional in their RSPB tabards!
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Great day out at Minsmere
Last Sunday 49 group members enjoyed a coach trip to RSPB Minsmere. The weather and wildlife were superb. Between us we saw 80 species of birds and a great variety of other wildlife. This included 5 butterfly species, one of which had not been seen at Minsmere before, the Swallowtail butterfly! Also, at the end of the day, many of us had good views of a nightingale out in the open feeding it's young. Lovely! The birds on our joint list were; Cettis warbler, sand martin, nightingale, oystercatcher, lapwing, redshank, avocet, ringed plover, garden warbler, common tern, reed warbler, sedge warbler, little egret, little tern, spotted redshank, barnacle goose, Canada goose, greylag, roseate tern, shovelar, shelduck, Med Gull, BH Gull, GBB Gull, LBB Gull, H. Gull, kittiwake, gadwall, skylark, tufted duck, teal, mallard, chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, LT tit, G tit, B. tit, bearded tit, coal tit, marsh tit, treecreeper, whitethroat, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, linnet, swallow, swift, pied wagtail, wren, robin, cormorant, sandwich tern, dunnock, sparrow, stonechat, blackbird, knot, winchat, pheasant, moorhen, coot, mute swan, L. grebe, G,C grebe, marsh harrier, hobby, kestrel, bittern, grey heron, wood pigeon, magpie, jay, jackdaw, carrion crow, starling, green woodpecker, gt. spotted woodpecker, cuckoo. Not bad eh?
Monday, 9 June 2008
RSPB reserves feature on Countryfile this weekend
Two of the RSPB's stunning Welsh island reserves will be featured on Countryfile on Sunday 15 June (BBC One, 11am). Alan
Monday, 26 May 2008
Tern Raft - at least someone is having success!
No nesting terns on the Cliffe Pools raft yet, but the RSPB have a webcam on a similar raft at Rye Meads:
Friday, 16 May 2008
A simpler way to get news updates
Further to my article in the latest newsletter, I have implemented a much simpler solution for those of you who are a bit unsure about "RSS feeds"! If you look on the home page, you will see a new blue box on the left inviting you receive news updates as emails. If you click this box, a new window will pop up asking you to enter your email address. Once you have entered your email address you will be sent a confirmation email, and you need to click on the link in that email to activate your subscription. You are free to unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in any of the news emails you receive. Your email address will remain confidential and will not be used for anything other than the Gravesend RSPB News Feed. Hope this is a better solution for you all and I look forward to seeing the number of registered email addresses going up very quickly!
Alan
Friday, 2 May 2008
Tern raft update
2 common terns were seen on the raft yesterday (thurs) - fingers crossed...!
Thursday, 10 April 2008
One good tern (raft) deserves another
The Thursday team of volunteers built and launched a second tern raft at Cliffe last week. Unfortunately, there were a few buoyancy issues resulting in some comments from passing birdwatchers such as " 'ere mate, yer rafts sinkin" and "Gone-Tiki, eh, ha ha ha". So this week, our intrepid volunteers have been re-adjusting buoyancy tanks and re-balancing the tonnes of gravel and the result is a level platform on which any self-respecting tern with a pilot's license could land on a sixpence.
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
black throated diver at Danson Park
Ian took this photograph of a Black Throated Diver at Danson Park yesterday (24th March).
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Tern raft - the movie
This is a video clip of the official launch of tern raft no 1 at Cliffe Pools:
credits: Cameraman - Steve
Editor - Alan
Starring - Nick, Brian, Alan (and Steve behind the camera) plus RSPB warden, Paul
Friday, 22 February 2008
Tern raft at Cliffe Pools
The Thursday volunteers have been working hard over the past few weeks preparing to make the first of several (well, maybe two or three) Tern rafts to be floated on the pools at Cliffe. Once we'd bolted the frame together, we added the platform boards with supports and then attached 10 drums for buoyancy before the big launch. We then added over a tonne of gravel to the floating platform (all shovelled by hand!) before attaching the concrete anchors with chains and towing it out into position. If you look carefully, you can just make out a small raised covered section on the platform - this is for the chicks to hide from predators. Despite the proximity to water, the only casualty was Steve with one wet foot!
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Elmley
Steve went to RSPB Elmley reserve on a guided fact finding tour on our behalf. Alan Johnson, RSPB North Kent Marshes area manager, was leading the walk and providing the latest reserve information for the benefit of local groups. Steve said it was hard work but made slightly easier by brilliant views of peregrine, marsh harrier, hen harrier etc etc! He was welcomed to the reserve by a volunteer kestrel.
Falcated Duck
I don't really want to get involved in this. Allegedly this is a falcated duck but after my recent efforts with kingfishers I will let you decide. Its a very smart duck though. It turned up just outside Gravesend and Julie sent me this brilliant photo. I say no more. Argue amongst yourselves! John - its probably plastic anyway.
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Caught in the Act!
Now you know who it is that leaves a pile of feathers on the lawn. Poor old collared dove! On Wednesday at the Cliffe Pools RSPB reserve consultation meeting a chap walked in and showed me a series a brilliant photographs of this sparrowhawk. I said that I liked them and he went home and returned for the evening session with a CD full of great pictures. I wasn't there but he left the CD for me but didn't leave his name! To whom it concerns - thanks!
Friday, 18 January 2008
Lydd Airport Protest Meeting
Please note that this meeting has been cancelled. Thank you very much for offering to help with the activities we were planning for the Shepway Council meeting on January 30. I am pleased to be able to tell you that your support won't be needed that day because, since we asked people to help, the situation has changed dramatically. The Council has backed away from taking an early decision and is no longer meeting on January 30. It all happened very suddenly when on Monday morning at 10.45 a.m. Shepway District Council issued a statement saying that needed more time to gather information about the impacts of the airport expansion. As a result, they were postponing the Council meeting on January 30 for between two and six months. Although this doesn't mean that we've seen back of the airport expansion plans, we believe that the Council is at last beginning to recognise how serious an impact a larger airport will have on the surrounding area. The very fact that they are asking for extra time to gather information to help inform their decision is further proof of the complexity of the issues and adds weight to the argument that the final decision should be made at a Public Inquiry.
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Shellness - the horizon of the future?
As the Oystercatchers make their way out for afternoon tea, wind turbines fill the horizon behind them. Will this be the sea view all around Britain in years to come? What do you think - good or bad?
Shellness NNR meeting
About 20 hardy souls braved the cold on a gloriously sunny day looking for waders and raptors. Here we all are sheltering out of the chilly wind watching a large flock of Knot and another of Oystercatchers, all roosting on the beach waiting for the tide to go out. Well done Malcolm for spotting a Purple Sandpiper which everyone else missed!
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Website changes
Just to let you all know that the 2008 events programme is now available to download online. Also, on the Outdoor Trips page I have added a link to a "Google Map" which will show you all the locations for this year. Within Google Maps you can zoom in and out, and switch to a Satellite image that lets you see from above exactly where to meet, so you can have no more excuses for getting lost!
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
It wasn't me Guv - honest!
Paul is having a well earned break from removing tree guards from young oak trees. Two members of this work group remember collecting acorns from the existing wood and growing them on in pots. The oak whips were planted out about 10 years ago. The oak and bramble scrub is now full of breeding whitethroats in the spring. Many insect species are attracted by oak. Recently a study of a species of moth that feeds on oak leaves was carried out on these young trees at Northward Hill. The moth is quite common but during the study a rare parasitic hymenopteran wasp was found attacking the moth caterpillars. These trees are only the second known location for this species in Britain! By the way. Paul would like it to be known that he is not responsible for the damage to the RSPB truck.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Christmas Working Group
On the Friday after Christmas volunteers from the Gravesend Group met at Northward Hill reserve to work off the Christmas excesses by removing wire and plastic tree guards from some oaks that we had planted about 10 years ago. The new woodland area is just below the woodland that contains the Northward Hill heronry. The herons should start gathering on the marsh in the next few weeks. They have a favourite ditch along which they like to gather after spending the winter dispersed throughout the Thames and Medway estuaries. Our group of volunteers worked in the morning and after lunch visited the northern sections of the marsh near the Thames. Two marsh harriers were with us most of the afternoon but a couple of hares soon vanished! Several herons were seen so perhaps they are already starting to return to Northward Hill.
Sunday, 23 December 2007
This really is a reed bunting
Reed Bunting
Oare Marsh. A reed bunting feeding on the seeds of Spartina on the saltmarsh. Tried to get a photo of the avocets but they were too far away.
North Kent Marshes Volunteers
On Thursday volunteers from the RSPB North Kent Reserves gathered at Oare (a KWT reserve!) for a festive birdwatch. The floods were frozen but it was a beautiful morning. Merlin, marsh harrier, waders and rock pipit were among some the birds seen. Five bearded tits were found in the small reedbed. The volunteers then went to the Shipswright Arms for a team building session.
FW: Group visit to Dungeness
Monday, 17 December 2007
Siskins are back
The recent cold weather has led to an increase in the number of siskins visiting gardens. Siskins will use bird feeders - evidently they like peanuts in red net bags. This photograph from Julie shows a female siskin on a niger feeder.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Seasalter - New RSPB Reserve
On Tuesday RSPB volunteers and group members visited the new RSPB reserve at Seasalter. Alan Johnson, North Kent Reserves area manager, gave the group a conducted tour of the reserve and explained the future management of the area. Although there is a lot of habitat restoration required it is hoped that within five years the reserve will support good numbers of breeding waders such as lapwings and redshanks. He explained that there would not be any visitor access for the foreseeable future.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
juvenile malachite kingfisher? maybe not...
Spot the difference. Well, I didn't know. Jan sent me this photo of a kingfisher that she had taken on holiday. What she didn't tell me was that she had been to the Keurbooms River in South Africa!
Holy Trinity School
On Friday 16th November, pupils from Holy Trinity Primary School visited Kingsnorth Power Station on the North Kent Marshes, where Bill Jones has a nature study centre. The children had great fun learning about the wildlife of the area. They visited the ringing station and saw this beautiful great spotted woodpecker.
Peregrine
On Saturday 17th November the Group visited Elmley RSPB Reserve. Unusually for this reserve we did not see many birds although we did see a grey phalarope. Some members of the Group left early and immediately saw a hunting peregrine which came to ground just in front of them. Julie texted me the news and sent me this picture. Of course those of us who stayed on did not see the bird. Well thank you very much Julie!
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Outdoor meeting at Oare Marsh KWT October 27th, 2007
 The weather was quite good for late October. It was deceptively warm in the car park but people soon reached for their gloves once we got on the sea wall and felt the chilly wind - but a gentle walk in the morning sunshine soon warmed us up! There were plenty of waders about in quite large numbers - Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin in abundance, and some Ringed Plover, Curlew, Ruff and Avocet. We also found a Little Stint scurrying about between the feet of the bigger waders. Other birds in or around the water included Shelduck, Shoveller, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Heron, Little Egret and Cormorant. Amongst the reeds we heard a few Cetti's Warblers, some of us saw Bearded Tits, and there were plenty of Stonechats about - we also spotted a few Fieldfare. We thought we had a Buzzard but it was a long way off and not confirmed, but we did see Marsh Harrier and Kestrel. Other animal "spots" were some Seals in the distance, a Marsh Frog hopped across our path, and one or two people caught a glimse of a Water Vole. After lunch, some of us decided to go to Reculver where there had been reports of a Great Grey Shrike and a Dusky Warbler. When we got there, the Shrike had long gone, but the Dusky Warbler was still there. After quite a bit of waiting and watching along an overgrown footpath, one or two of us caught brief sightings of it, but it was very elusive - some hardened "twitchers" had been there for several hours and had still not seen it! Photograph is of the group scanning the estuary for some VERY distant Brent Geese.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
30th Anniversary Meal
Our group leaders past and present; from the left: Malcolm Jennings, current group leader; David Arnold - group leader from 1984 - 1997; Peter Heathcote - group leader from 1997 to 2002. Taken at the 30th anniversary dinner of the Gravesend group.
Friday, 19 October 2007
Installation of Memorial Bench
Brian and Bob have almost completed the installation of the new memorial bench kindly provided by the Bexley RSPB Local Group. The Ernie Hemsley viewpoint gives outstanding views of the RSPB North Kent Marshes Reserve at Northward Hill.
Gravesend RSPB Volunteeers
Brian and Malcolm prepare to set out for the Ernie Hemsley viewpoint at the RSPB Northward Hill reserve. Having spent the morning coppicing woodland they have one last task to achieve today.
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Rainham Visitor Centre
The new Rainham Marshes RSPB visitor centre - Love it or loathe it! The Gravesend group gave the visitor centre a "thumbs up" after their visit on Sunday. Nice teapots!
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