Today really is fine weather for ducks! Have you heard that saying before? Lots of bird related idioms, or sayings, exist in the English language. Here on the North Kent coast, we are very lucky to host internationally important numbers of lots of waterbirds: waders, ducks, and geese. We have a soft spot for some of our lovely overwintering duck … Read More
Time for the summer wardrobe – summer plumage in waders
We are excited to start welcoming our waders back to our coast but don’t worry if some of them look a little different to when they left our shores earlier this year. Many of the birds returning through late summer will be in their breeding plumage. Just when you think you’ve got identification sorted the birds throw in breeding plumage … Read More
Watch your step!
In this article, Ranger Mel takes a look at two of our more common sights seen on and around our North Kent coast, the Mute Swan and the Mallard Duck, and what we can do to help them as they do their best to raise their young. We generally write (and talk, when we can) about trying to lessen the … Read More
Birding Basics – Quacks and whistles, how to ID ducks by sound.
Welcome to part 3 of our Duck ID blogs. In this final part, Ranger Julie explains how you can use sound to identify different ducks out on the north Kent coast. We’ve included some video clips to help so you don’t even need to leave the house to practice! Quacks Like a Duck, Must be a Duck: ID part 3 … Read More
Birding Basics – Duck ID part 2
Ranger Julie is back with some more expert hints and tips to help you identify different duck species you might spot this time of year on our coasts, even when they are far from view or the weather is making it difficult to spot them clearly. Duck ID: part 2 In part one we looked at the concept of GISSS. … Read More
Birding Basics – Hello Ducky
The current lockdown restrictions might mean we can’t get out very much to watch birds, but that doesn’t mean we can’t brush up on some ID skills at home. This week we are bringing you three articles to help you ID ducks from the comfort and safety of your own home. In part 1, Ranger Julie introduces us to some … Read More
On your marks, get set…….
Taxi-ing onto the runway – Ranger Mel takes a look at the pre-flight preparations our ducks, geese and waders are undertaking as we head towards spring. As we Bird Wise rangers approach the end of our seasonal contract we aren’t the only ones getting our house in order. It’s that time of year when the vast array of over-wintering birds … Read More