Andy Taylor
@tankertonbirder
Bird watching & Moths, and all other wildlife on my patch of Tankerton & Longrock SSSI Whitstable Kent. Wildlife Gardening.
Longrock SSSI Decided to do a dawn raid before heat hit had this 1st winter Wheatear Hopping around my feet 1st thing later had my 1st Clouded Yellow my 26th species for patch which includes garden.
Some Insect interest from Longrock SSSI Its say a lot about the sites modest Odonata list that this is the 1st Black-tailed Skimmer I have seen here. The mating Fire bug were only the 2nd rec 1st found by @grahamthings.bsky.social an ironic & appropriate find as part of the site was burnt last week
Longrock SSSI this elusive Purple Hairstreak a very scarce visitor to this coastal site was only my 3rd record good to Red Bartsia Bee again despite very few plants this year
Longrock SSSI A huge surprise today was seeing this day flying Long-eared Owl circling distantly over the back of the site hence the poor rec shots. @kentishplover.bsky.social #ukbirding #owls #patchbirding
Among the clouds of Gatekeeper, several Whites, Painted Ladies & a few Common Blue I found my 1st Brown Argus for the Garden inc a pair courting in the wildflower meadow. Also a fresh Small Copper on the wild Marjoram #savebutterflies #gardensforwildlife
Ruddy Darter tho widespread & Common I have not seen this species around the Garden pond before. Yellow-legged Mining Bees have been frequent visitors to the Greater Knapweed. #insects #ukwildlife #wildlifegarden
Whitstable Brown-veined Wainscot another new Wainscot for the Garden list & another Reed specialist that has wandered from the marshes #TeamMoth
Whitstable. Shore Wainscot. A 1st for my North Kent coastal Garden After finding a Bright Wave on my doorstep in the field yesterday another species associated with the counties South & East coastal sites turned up in the trap last night. #TeamMoth
Longrock SSSI VC15 a brief visit this a.m. before the heat hit was rewarded by finding a Bright Wave several Km from the known strongholds. A V welcome addition to the site list #Teammoth @savebutterflies.bsky.social #Kentwildlife
Always good to know that you have Fiery Clearwing in your neighbourhood found while looking for other beasties. #TeamMoth
The CT5 Eco groups Free guided Wildlife walk exploring Longrock SSSI Is this Sunday 14th June meeting at Swalecliffe Skate Park 08:00 am All welcome
Whitstable Kent (Garden) 25/5 Striped Hawk-Moth finally on my Garden list 1st seen while putting the bins out feeding on Valerian.! Presumed same found on side of trap this a.m. #teammoth
The recent warm spell has produced some Invertebrate interest at last! 1st Dragonfly for year Broad-bodied Chaser A.geoffrella Puss Moth and my 1st local Brown Argus for for a few years #UKwildlife
Longrock SSSI we often get a few Reed Warblers moving through in Spring here they seem to arrive in 2 waves first from mid April and then a 2nd late May to mid June more often heard than seen they rarely show this well
Longrock SSSI Spotted Flycatcher Hawking for Insects after the early morning showers. 1st for year sadly theses days could be the only one for the year. @kentishplover.bsky.social #KentBirding
Green Hairstreak In my Whitstable garden a very welcome and a surprise addition to the garden butterfly list today had never seen one in the Whitstable area before. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #kentbutterflies #butterflies #gardenwildlife
Whitstable Kent (Garden) 1st session of the year produced my 1st ever record of Puss Moth in my 22 years of trapping on the north Kent coast this tatty specimen plugged another hole in my rather eccentric Garden list that often lack common & widespread sp. due to coastal location. #teammoth
Longrock SSSI a decent start to the month & at last some decent spring weather. My 1st Hobby for yr Streaked over The marsh pool which earlier held 2 Avocets and 2 of the 9 common Sandpiper (dwarfed by this Shelduck ) great spot showed well #kentbirding #ukbirding
Longrock SSSI After deafening us for month the Cetti's Warbler finally did the decent thing and showed well if briefly this morning. this Brimstone posed nicely as well in the front Garden.
#BirdOfTheDaytheme set by @robcrank68.bsky.social #Black&Red birds with black & colours in their plumage Scarlet Mountian-tanger Columbia #birds #nature
Longrock SSSI 2 Spoonbill dropped in at dawn before heading west. Also good to see a Water Vole in the in the Brook again @kentishplover.bsky.social
Longrock SSSI a change in wind direction & a morning of 1st's for the year for me Wheatear, Raven & 2 Sandwich Tern . Also 1st day this spring that 3 Hirundine sp. seen 1 House Martin 2 Swallow 16 Sand Martin west @kentishplover.bsky.social
Tankerton/Swalecliffe as March draws to a close still V few signs of Spring the Comma proving an exception rather than the rule. Purple Sandpiper still present on 27th. some nice views of Red Kite. Hearing & 3 Corn Bunting was a nice surprise today
Water Vole Longrock SSSI. Still clinging on here? (in every sense) last sighting August 2025. Used to be far more regular and had naturally colonised but always faced many challenges here. @kentwildlife.bsky.social @kentfieldclub.bsky.social #watervole #ukwildlife #mammals
I'm not saying its wet on the patch but when the drake Pintail that been hanging out in the Marsh finds the coastal "Path" to its liking there maybe signs. 3 sp. of Diver seen today a B-t flew east 2 Great Northerns on sea again & good numbers of R-t Diver @kentishplover.bsky.social
A very fortuitous scan of the brooks bank saw me eyeball to eyeball with this Jack Snipe a welcome patch tick as was the smart Drake Goldeneye on sea just offshore & the 20 + Whitefront that flew NW mid morn.
Having contrived to miss one of the best bird ever to be seen on the patch. The superb Ad Ross's Gull. Congrats to the trio that did. I have steadily plodded to 63 sp. this year best being Great Northern Diver & Shag. This Golden Plover & Purple Sand made for a Wader odd couple.
The December CT5 Peoples forum Eco groups Free guided Wildlife walks at Longrock SSSI is this Sun 14th. meet at Swalecliffe Skate Park 08:00am All welcome. #whitstable #wildlife #guidedwalk #localwildlife