Wednesday 18 April 2007

Monday 16th April


First day back from holiday in Devon. Fantastic 2 weeks in Devon (view from our cottage at Torcross above) with wall to wall sunshine. Witnessed the arrival of the first swallows, sand martins, wheater, terns and copious amounts of Chiffchaff. Dipped on a Hoopoe at Beessands Ley on Friday, but spent a good 3 hours watching Ravens, Peregrines, Dartford Warbler, Gannets, Manxies, Scoters and Cirl Buntings at Start Point the day before. Lucky enough to see Clouded Yellow and Wall Brown butterflies here aswell. However Adder and 2 Common Lizards (one on my shoe) were the highlights and and assortment of beetles..any help IDing would be gratefully received.




The walk into work had changed dramatically - gone were the hawthorn and buckthorn blossom - replaced by that fresh spring green that typifies April. Chiffchaff numbers up, and good to see a pair of Bullfinches carrying nesting material in the shrub close to the Pea Field. A single Swallow sad on the telegraph wires on the corner of Kiln Barn Lane/Sweets Lane - my first for Kent this year.
A quick sortie to Ditton Quarry at lunchtime was well worth worth the effort to see numerous Blackcaps and 2x Whitethroat.
Inspired by Steve Nunns latest updates (and avoiding the shopping trip to Tesco's after work) I took James on a walk round Leybourne Lakes. Heard a Nightingale by the water works, 2x Water Vole showed from the bridge to the Divers' car park, and 4x Slow Worm, 1x Grass Snake, 1x Common Lizard and a Field Vole on the West Scrub. Shame a Jehovah's Witness spoiled the rest of the evening!

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