Kingsgate - Red-rumped Swallow

Making the most of a week off and hot on the heels of the Scoter trip, I headed down to Kent and based myself in an area between Margate and Ramsgate.



It was great and a little frustrating too having missed the Pallid Swift by a matter of minutes at Kingsgate,  What this did result in during the search was an unexpected Red-rumped Swallow that breezed through in the company of a House Martin.  Both pale rumped, this was an obviously totally different bird and perhaps the juvenile that was seen the previous evening.


The day turned out to be quite leisurely, the warm sun and breeze, and the stunning backdrop of golden sand and white cliffs.  It really is a lovely area.

Barn Swallow were passing through in small groups all day, speeding low along the cliff-face fighting against a head-wind.  Another interesting feature were small groups of Chaffinch heading inland in-off the sea with a few Skylark and Siskin.

The sea was interesting later on in the day.  A Great Skua passed close by, a Red-throated Diver flew west, a single Sandwich Tern and two 1st winter Mediterranean Gull flew past and a couple of Harbour Porpoise were loafing about offshore.

A rare sighting of an ageing Cavok Air AN-12A on a cargo flight from Stansted to Budapest.

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