After 30 years watching the site we still haven't worked out the best viz mig strategy for the site. Today we may have got it right. After some early Red Kites moving through, it seemed sensible plan to spend the rest of the morning looking for passing raptors with Honey Buzzard being the most obvious target. Our traditional viz mig spot on the clifftop denied us a view over the village and South Foreland valley, as did our back up spot by the Monument. In the end we plumped for a spot in the middle of the paddock, which lacked a view down towards Hope Point but turned out to be ok.
Red Kites continued to move north throughout the morning with a final total of 33 being recorded along with 21 Common Buzzards, two Hobbys, three Kestrels, and two Sparrowhawks. Finally at just after 11 we picked up an interesting raptor over the sea but lost it before we could clinch its identity. We relocated it inland and confirmed our suspicions of Honey Buzzard. Sadly it was never close enough to photograph and we struggled to confirm its sex although we suspect it was a male. After gaining height with a Common Buzzard it then rapidly set off inland.
Other birds of note this morning included three Yellow Wagtails, 19 House Martins, 72 Swallows, one Sand Martin and 41 Common Swifts, four Siskins plus single Tree Pipit, Reed Warbler and Cuckoo
Phil, Jack, Simon and Brendan
