Pallid Swifts

 A couple of Pallid Swifts had been reported on Thanet, favouring the area between the Captain Digby at Joss Bay and the pumping station at Foreness (07/11/25). Although conditions were not favourable for photographing Swifts, i.e overcast grey skies with a small amount of drizzle throughout my stay, the one bird I saw, spent most of the day along the cliff top and was very close at times, allowing for a few reasonable record shots to mark the occasion.

It was actually quite a good session with a Drake and Duck Eider and a Yellow-legged Gull seen along the shore line below us, two Short-eared Owls and a female Hen Harrier in off the sea and three Black Redstarts along the cliff top fence line between Botany Bay and The Captain Digby.

Drake Eider

The next day (08/11/25) the weather was the complete opposite. Clear blue skies with just a gentle breeze. I retraced my footsteps and although this time there were two Pallid Swift's on show, unfortunately, they both remained distant over the housing estate behind the Botany hotel and were very high up. No images in spite of the better weather conditions but that is sometimes typical with this scenario. Poor weather and the bird dances about in front of your lens, much better conditions and the bird remains distant. I did take advantage of the sunshine and captured a few photos of the seemingly plentiful Stonechats in the area. Only one Black Redstart on the frontage of a house but thought better of pointing the lens in it's direction.

Stonechat (Male)

Stonechat (Female)