Rain stops play at Oare !

Once again I found myself being drawn back to Faversham, this time to purchase some Home Brew equipment, a glut of locally grown Damsons had been found, sufficient to provide a good stock of home made Damson Jam and enough leftover to make some Damson wine, a new and interesting venture to keep us occupied through the long cold winter.

And so it would have been rude not to call in to Oare Marshes to check out the latest Wader situation, but with just a small window of opportunity, some seriously black storm clouds were looming on the horizon.

A shame really, as I drove down hill towards the scrapes, I could see the tide was in, which meant a good show of waders on the scrape, a quick look out of the car window as I passed the scrape proved me right, huge flocks of waders could be seen roosting with a good few close to the roadside viewing areas, a quick look out the other window confirmed that storm was moving in this direction.

I made my way quickly to the viewing areas and started to scan through the waders, all the usual suspects were in attendance, Black Tailed Godwits, Lapwing, Redskank, Avocet, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, huge number of Black Headed Gulls roosting on the scrape, but I couldn't pick out the Bonaparte's gull that is still here. Heron, Little Egrets, a surprise view of  Spoonbill that suddenly appeared from behind a preening Little Egret.

The Spoonbill moved out into the open for a very short time, before returning to its roosting position.
tucking his head down and lost to view.

 This was the calm before the storm, most of the waders appeared to be resting quietly, a few small flocks of birds were still arriving on the scrape

Dunlin

This tranquil scene was not to last, just as I was working my way through the waders, looking for the elusive moulting Spotted Redshank, still not seen by me, the  sky erupted into a snowstorm of birds wheeling, twisting in every direction, a wondrous scene to behold, and the cause, a Peregrine had arrived, not seriously hunting, a few stoops, the Peregrine circled above the panic stricken waders.
I managed to get a photograph of the  bird as it passed above me, the terror of the skies.

Peregrine

Those black clouds were not far away now and the first drops of rain started to fall, I hurried back to the car, just making it in time as the heavens opened up.

A short visit but always worth the effort to see whats about.