Sunday 7th March

Villa 2-0 down against Reading in the cup, the kids screaming....time to get out!  I stayed local and took a circular route from East Barming, west and up through Oaken Woods, back down into Teston village and along the River Medway from Teston to Barming Bridge and home.  The sun was brilliant, and once out of the chill of the bracing wind, felt like a warm Spring day.  I checked the pasture next to Hall Place Farm and saw a noted a flock of 50+ Fieldfare hopping around, joined by 5 Redwings.  Within minutes they were all up in the air, chacking maddly as a male Sparrowhawk swept through their midst.  Unsuccessful in it's pursuit it dropped onto a fence post, gleaming in the afternoon sun.  Three Mistle Thrushes were close-by and a Green Woodpecker added to the performance.  

A Yellowhammer called near the cattle barns, and further on a covey of 14 (fourteen) Bullfinches worked through a stand of Elderberry - probably the largest number of Bullfinches I've seen in a single flock.  Skirting the southern edge of Oaken Wood, by the old quarry, I was hoping to get a glimpse of the resident Buzzard, but was content with the Kestrel that flew ahead of me and masses of Redwings losing themselves in the coppice.  Five Black-headed Gulls patrolled the newly ploughed field that led down to the A26.  As I entered the wood I was pleased to see new areas of coppice opened up, worthy of checking again in a couple of months for Nightjar.  The mature Sweet Chesnut coppice in the wood clanked eerily in the wind, with only a Robin, Wren and Great Tit added to the tally.  Eventually reaching the track that is Livesey Street, I made my way back down to the village of Teston.  A rare Oaken Wood sighting was a pair of Mallards on a 'pool' in an area that was so dark and dank that even the frost hadn't receded.  An old orchard to the east of Livesey Street looked promising, but only supported a pair of Long-tailed Tits.  Through the village of Teston, past Teston  House which a Chaffinch, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird and 2x Mistle Thrushes bouncing around it's lawn.  Onto the medieval bridge over the River Medway.  More Black-headed Gulls sat out on a dead Oak tree, and as it was late afternoon I hoped that may be I get a glimpse of the Barn Owl - it never happened, and I was disappointed to see a Squirrel darting in and out of one the boxes that had been occupied a couple of years ago.  Another Bullfinch was seen, and a Yellowhammer called, with more Redwings, but the best sighting of the day was a Kingfisher, patiently fishing the dark torrent.

......and what a game I'd missed - "never leave a game early"-I did and missed four fantastic goals from the Villa!!!

"John Carew, Carew - he's bigger than me and you, he's gonna score one or two (or three!!), John Carew, Carew"