by Bill Nicoll
2nd May 2004
This trip was one of the highlights of the club's excursion calendar. Stodmarsh is the largest reed marsh in the Southeast. It covers an area nearly two miles long by a mile wide along the south bank of the River Stour in north Kent, where 20th century coal mining has caused the land to subside and flood. As well as the extensive reed beds it has areas of scrub, woodland and pasture providing a rich mix of habitats. Its position so close to France and the Channel means that it gets more than its share of passage migrants. Those who like plants, butterflies or dragon flies will also find something to interest them too. The reserve is accessible from car parks at both ends (Stodmarsh NNR or Grove Ferry) via a network of paths, and has 5 well placed hides along the route. It is worth picking up a leaflet if you haven't been there before (normally available at the Stodmarsh centre) because it has a map, and the sign posting on the trails leaves something to be desired. It is just a pity that it is so far from Reading (about 2 hours drive) or it would surely be a more frequent destination for the club. Unfortunately, on the day, most of the 'regulars' were elsewhere (some in Lesbos, others attending family functions) so only four of us met at Grove Ferry on Bank Holiday Sunday, 2nd May. It was a beautiful day, warm with a light breeze and just enough fluffy white clouds (or cumulus if you want to be technical) to stop us getting too hot. We had the whole day so we decided to follow a circular route (about 5 miles) out along the River Stour and back through the marsh. We made our way to the 'ramp', a raised viewing platform a few hundred yards from the car park, past traditional fields with hedges and areas of bramble and hawthorn scrub. Nightingales were singing consistently from the denser bushes, whitethroats and sedge warblers popped up frequently to perform their noisy display flights and we heard the distant purring of turtle doves from the riverside trees. The view from the 'ramp' was disappointing, with only a few common ducks and waders on scrapes that, on their day, can hold some very sought after passage birds. We walked on along the path through the reeds towards the river. Around us, sedge and reed warblers, reed buntings and bearded tits we calling and quite often showing themselves. In the distance a flock of hobby were feeding high over the reedbed. A pair of marsh harriers soared out of the reeds quite close to us, the male carrying prey. They flew together in increasingly turbulent flight until, as they tumbled through the air, the male completely upside down for a moment, they performed a food pass. A few moments later, as we neared the river, another harrier passed over, flying on steeply angled wings and rocking from side to side as it exploited the breeze, a lighter and slimmer bird, not at all like a marsh harrier. We had only a brief view of a grey harrier with black wingtips, but sharp eyed Lynn spotted the black tertial bars that marked it out as a Montague's before it disappeared westwards. The excitement died down for a while, until we approached the Stodmarsh end of the reserve, when the flock of hobbies we had seen earlier, reinforced by this time, fed directly over us. The air was just full of hobbies, the biggest flock I have ever seen. They were all around us - some so high you could hardly see them, others 20 feet overhead. I failed to see what they were taking - very small insects of some sort. Someone said he had counted 42 birds, and though I can certainly believe him, I don't know how he did it! Close to the west end of the reserve, where the reeds give way to scrub and trees again, we were greeted by a veritable choir of nightingales, despite the fact that it was now the middle of the day. There were so many that I can only suppose that a 'fall' had dropped in overnight. They were singing from bushes not much more than 20 feet apart, mostly taking it in turns, but sometimes all at once. I think that probably 5 birds were involved, though I was actually only able to see only two, but they were among the best and closest views I have ever had, of singing birds clearly visible just 6 feet away. As they sang they displayed, fluffing up the feathers on their backs, partly opening their wings and fanning their rufous tails, presumably because they were so close that they could see each other. The return journey was less eventful, but we did encounter a very obliging reed warbler, two greenshanks and two turtle doves on the marsh and several yellow wagtails near the 'ramp'. Cetti's warblers are now so common that I almost forgot to mention the dozen or more that sang from cover along the way, and that could be found, with patience. We got back to Grove Ferry by tea time. We had had a fairly undemanding walk on a fine day through pleasant surroundings, and found a selection of really good birds as a bonus. I think everyone was more than content with the day.