Monday 15th December

It was so dark and murky this morning I doubt I would have seen the Hawfinch even if it had been around in the Parish playing fields, Barming. I managed a quick 5 minute scan from the house, plenty of other things including Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Redwing, Black-headed Gull, Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits and Blue Tits - but no Hawfinch.

LATE NEWS: Hawfinch still present according to report on Birdguides this afternoon. Definetly not by me - unfortunately at work - but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who sees it.

A jaunt over to Ditton Quarry at lunchtime compensated in the form of 2x Lesser Redpoll feeding in the Alder trees in the SW corner amongst a flock of Goldfinches. I could have got some fantastic shots of them, along with a pair of Bullfinches and Green Woodpecker if the batteries in the camera hadn't have gone dead!

Fieldfares and Redwings are positively swarming over East Malling Research station at the moment, feasting on the bumper crop of fallen apples. Very good views can be had from the public footpath that leads through the site, particulary in the orchard north of footpath coming from the Kiln Barn Road entrance. A scan along the ground inevitably turns up Fieldfare, Redwing, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Starling and Green Woodpeckers - I've yet to find a Brambling but I'm sure there must be one in there somewhere! Occasionally the whole lot goes up when a Sparrowhawk skims along the windbreak, in an enormous cacophony of chacking.