A drive along the entrance track turned up Lapwings and Redshanks with young, loads of Little Egret, Skylark, Swifts, House Martins and a Yellow Wagtail, the latter well camouflaged against a back drop of buttercups!
East Malling, Ditton and Barming
A report of wildlife sightings from the western edge of Maidstone, Kent. I note anything of interest in the vicinity of my home in Barming and from walks into work at the East Malling Research Station along the edge of Barming Woods and down to Ditton. Occasionally, when time allows, I get out to Ditton Quarry, a rich habitat hemmed in by residential and industrial developments on one side, but with open countryside on the other.
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Saturday 16th June 2013 - Sheppey
A drive along the entrance track turned up Lapwings and Redshanks with young, loads of Little Egret, Skylark, Swifts, House Martins and a Yellow Wagtail, the latter well camouflaged against a back drop of buttercups!
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Tuesday 7th May 2013
Yellowhammers seem to be just about everywhere on patch at the moment, cracking birds, especially when the sun catches their glowing heads. I think they're superbly marked, especially when seen close-up. Just can't get enough of them at the moment.
Monday, 29 April 2013
Friday, 26 April 2013
Friday 26th April 2013
Some highlights from the East Malling section of the patch this week:
Nearby up to 4x Yellowhammers showed well, as did a couple of Whitethroats and 3x Skylark and 2x Wheatear on 25th April, and 3x on 26th.
Swallows have also been in evidence around the area, including this showy individual on the wires in Sweets Lane. Willow Warblers and Blackcaps were also in full song in Ditton Court Quarry.
Not one, but two Whinchats on site on 26th April, only the second record for the patch and first on research station land both for me and the Bald Birder (whose been watching a long, long time).....
....here he celebrates in his finest office attire.
Nearby up to 4x Yellowhammers showed well, as did a couple of Whitethroats and 3x Skylark and 2x Wheatear on 25th April, and 3x on 26th.
Swallows have also been in evidence around the area, including this showy individual on the wires in Sweets Lane. Willow Warblers and Blackcaps were also in full song in Ditton Court Quarry.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Wednesday 17th April 2013
A few interesting things have dropped in on patch in the last couple of days:
A blurred White Wagtail on one of the East Malling paddocks
Meadow Pipit; one of three birds seen today
Princess Anne......
....who kindly planted a 'Waxwing' tree right opposite my office window, which was nice.
Even the Bald Birder joined the 'twitch', the 2nd record for him on patch (1st record for East Malling was in 1988), although something in the distant windbreak seemed to distract him!
Also first House Martins of the year over the research station today.
A blurred White Wagtail on one of the East Malling paddocks
Meadow Pipit; one of three birds seen today
Princess Anne......
....who kindly planted a 'Waxwing' tree right opposite my office window, which was nice.
Even the Bald Birder joined the 'twitch', the 2nd record for him on patch (1st record for East Malling was in 1988), although something in the distant windbreak seemed to distract him!
Also first House Martins of the year over the research station today.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Monday 15th April 2013
Just back from two weeks in Cornwall/Devon which didn't yield many of the summer migrants I have come to expect when visiting in April in previous years. Some excellent birds were still to be found, but more of that in another post.
I had the first Swallow of the year on patch this afternoon, looping over the research station. Comma butterflies and Beeflies also in evidence so things must be warming up.
I had the first Swallow of the year on patch this afternoon, looping over the research station. Comma butterflies and Beeflies also in evidence so things must be warming up.
Saturday, 30 March 2013
Saturday 30th March 2013
The cold spell continues, but in this morning's snow showers I was pleased to find the first Wheatear of the year on the Barming part of my patch, a cracking male, albeit distantly!
Yesterday also saw a single Hawfinch, and a couple of Buzzards soaring in the afternoon sun.
Yesterday also saw a single Hawfinch, and a couple of Buzzards soaring in the afternoon sun.
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