North Foreland

The most prominent feature at North Foreland is probably the lighthouse (the last in Britain to become fully automated, apparently), but the little red square on the map actually refers to yet another sewage pumping station. This has become the habitual watchpoint. There is a carpark at the bottom of Elmwood Avenue.

This is rather a frustrating area because although it's well placed for migrants, so much of it is inaccessible. The large clifftop gardens and Port Regis school are strictly out of bounds, unfortunately. There are a few places you can get to, but it can get pretty wearying, trudging from one to the other. Most of the roads in this area lack pavements so the constant traffic can get on your nerves. (It does on mine, at any rate.)

RE GOLF COURSE ACCESS - Strictly speaking, the two golf courses at North Foreland are private property. However, since members of the public frequently stray onto them (usually walking their dogs) I don't see why birders shouldn't do the same. Just show a bit of respect - stick to the edges, don't walk in front of people teeing off, be prepared to wait while players make their strokes etc. By and large the golfers have proved pretty tolerant to birders over the years, and it's in the birders' interest to maintain amicable relations. The three best bits of the golf course (sites 8,9 and 10) are readily accessible without making a nuisance of yourself, so long as you act with discretion.

(7) - North Foreland
The pumphouse is a reputable seawatching point, though personally I hate it. It's extremely exposed and can also get rather smelly. The birds also tend to be more distant than at Foreness Point, though you can get higher numbers. I'm told that it's more productive for seabirds than Foreness when the wind is northwesterly but I can't vouch for this since I hardly ever watch from here. Also note that you are facing due east so expect to be blinded on a sunny morning.
Immediately behind the pumphouse is a small weedy field that often pulls in migrating finches and buntings.
Also behind the pumphouse is the Elmwood valley, a rather grandiose name for what is basically just a dip in the chalk, but it has proved to be rather good for migrating raptors. Buzzards and Sparrowhawks are the commonest species, but Montagu's Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Goshawk have also been recorded. The best tactic seems to be to stand at the pumphouse on a promising day (clear and calm) and scan the skies in a full circle. There is a better chance of seeing BOPs as the morning wears on and the thermals build up - numbers peak around about noon. Do note, however, that you are bang next to a rather posh housing estate, and it's not unknown for the residents to call the police out to check on suspicious-looking characters with binoculars.

(8) - The golf course (Elmwood Avenue)
The golf course along Elmwood Avenue is dotted with patches of hawthorn scrub, and there's a particularly large clump of blackthorn just before you reach Elmwood Farm. You can nip through the fence (it's in very bad repair) and see if there are any good migrants around without having to tramp over the greens. The blackthorn copse is often used as a roost by a Long-eared Owl in the winter.

(9) - The golf course (Port Regis)
Towards the upper (inland) end of Convent Road you'll find a trackway for golf course maintenance vehicles, leading to the vehicle sheds. You can follow on from there round the back of Port Regis School, which is quite densely wooded with plenty of undergrowth. Unfortunately the school grounds themselves are off-limits to birders, but the northern edge catches the afternoon sun quite nicely so any migrant warblers are quite liable to be flitting around on the edge of the golf course. Worth a look if there's obviously been a fall of passerines.

(10) - The golf course (Whiteness)
Another promising clump of scrub (mainly sea buckthorn) lies at the inland end of the narrow strip of golf course between Whiteness Road and the housing estate. Easily accessible since the golfers have to cross the road to get to it. Again, this bit is worth checking out on promising days. There's also a colony of small blue butterflies here in the summer.

(11) - The Captain Digby
This is actually a pub at the seaward end of Whiteness Road, and the management don't like non-patrons using their carpark. I've mainly stuck it on the map as a reference point, but there is a path along the clifftop leading to Whiteness, which can often be good for watching finches and thrushes on vis mig.

(12) - Kingsgate Castle and Convent Road
The 'castle' is actually a folly, used as a hotel, and again it's on the map more as a reference point than anything. It stands at the bottom of Convent Road, which bisects the golf course and is canopied by holm oaks. These trees are quite popular with migrant warblers like Yellow-broweds and Firecrests because they offer lots of cover in which to hide from frustrated birders. In summer you can watch out for purple hairstreak butterflies. At the top of Convent Road, past the club house, there is an old overgrown paddock which ought to be heaving with stuff in October but never is (though I have seen three Pallas' Warblers together there).

Kingsgate Bay, viewed from the 'castle'. The natural archway through Whiteness has only appeared in the last few years.

Rare birds recorded from the North Foreland area include: Night Heron, Purple Heron, King Eider*, Honey Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier, Osprey, Dotterel, Bee-Eater, Richard's Pipit, Bluethroat, Melodious Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler*, Pallas' Warbler*, Dusky Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher*, Woodchat Shrike*, Isabelline Shrike*, Serin*, Scarlet Rosefinch, and Ortolan.