Sunday 1st March 2015

2x Buzzards lingered in the East Farleigh/Barming area most of the morning.  Later 8+ Bullfinch were seen feeding in some of the dense blackthorn bushes just west of Barming Bridge

Monday 2nd March 2015

3x Med Gulls on the cattle field near Kiln Barn Farm this morning, along with 65+ BH, 20+ and 2 LBB Gulls.  Not quite as many as the 48+ I had in Mote Park last week, but good to have on patch.

Sunday 11th January 2015

A Woodcock flew out of woodland east of Teston Bridge this afternoon (16:30) as I walked the dog along the banks of the Medway between Barming & Teston Bridges.  It was followed by a calling Kingfisher that dashed along the river and a Tawny Owl calling near Tutsham Hall, West Farleigh.

Saturday 20th December 2014

One of those mornings you dream of, no expectations of anything out of the ordinary and BANG a cracking bird, Great Grey Shrike turns up on patch!  I was walking the dog on part of the patch that I've kinda neglected for a the past couple of months, and to be honest only ventured there on the hope of a Yellowhammer.  However I noticed in the corner of my eye fly into a hawthorn/wild rose bush and knew straight away what it was.  The grey but bright plumage stuck out like a sore thumb and lifting up my bins I could see the bird had it's back to me, but it glanced side ways and I had a clear view of it's lovely black mask.  It lingered for probably a minute or so but looping low off to the west and behind a line of trees and out view, reminiscent in flight to a small grey magpie - longish tailed!  To cut a long story short I spent another 40 minutes fruitlessly trying to relocate it.  Hopefully it'll stick around, habitat looks good for it.  I managed to tot up 23 species including Buzzard and a good-sized flock of Medaow Pipits.  No Hawfinches yet, but a nice flock of Greenfinches are now regularly visiting the South Street playing fields so hopefully with a bit of patience......

Friday 3rd October 2014

A lovely last day of sunshine and warmth, as the summer slipped into autumn.  A good run of records on patch, included another Stonechat, my 4th this autumn, 12x Mistle Thrush, singing Chiffchaffs, a couple of Buzzards all on a walk along Church Lane, Barming to just west of Hall Place Farm.  A bonus was my first Clouded Yellow butterfly, along with a trickle of Red Admiral all heading W-SW  with purpose.  

Tuesday 30th September

My run of migrants continues, another Wheatear, this time on the Sweets Lane Paddocks, East Malling at lunchtime.  Distant, not even worth posting the photo ;-)

Sunday 29th September

A bright start and another migrant in, this time a Wheatear on the newly rolled/tilled field N of Church Lane, Barming.  It had 56+ Meadow Pipit, Pied Wags and a small flock of Linnets for company.  A Yellow Wagtail called overhead, and a Blackcap (male) and 3 Chiffchaffs flitted around in the elderberries along Church Lane.  Later, with the temperature soaring, up to 5 Buzzards were catching the thermals, distant dots but given away by their mewing.  Later afternoon, while checking to see if the Wheatear was present (it wasn't!), a Hobby dashed through SW and down into the river valley.

Saturday 27th September

My run of migrants continued this morning with another Stonechat in the 'pylon' hedgerow just W of Hall Place Farm, Barming (and probably viewable from the burger van layby on the A26 between Barming & Teston).  Later a juv/female Blackcap in one of the farm hedgerows.

Friday 26th September 2014

Both the Wheatear and Stonechat were still present on East Malling Research Station land this morning, but unexpectedly a Kingfisher dashed across the stubble field behind, calling, as it flew east! A small group of House Martins (26) and Swallows (2) flew west.

Later, back in Barming I was pleased to find another Wheatear feeding on the newly tilled field between St Margaret's Church and the A26.  Four Yellowhammers were in the hedgerow near Hall Place Farm.

New theme, birds with church in background:

Wheatear, St James' East Malling

Yellowhammer, All SaintsWest Farleigh

Thursday 25th September 2014

I was lucky to be out walking some of my strawberry plots on the East Malling Research site mid-morning and quickly noticed a Wheatear feeding around the Research Station weather station.  Meadow Pipits (26) were also flitting around the stubble, with a Skylark and Yellowhammer amongst them, with a few Swallows and House Martins over on their way south.  On the adjacent blackcurrant plot a Stonechat moved from perch to perch with a few Chiffchaffs calling nearby.

I put out the news and soon there was a full on East Malling twitch in the form of the Bald Birder sauntering out of his office, squinting and blanched from the exposure to the sun....it's now rare for him to come out for anything other than flies beyond dusk.

Wednesday 24th September 2014

No grounded migrants this morning but a good passage of Swallow with 206 west in 10 minutes early morning, and a trickle of 36 through in the late evening.

Tuesday 23rd September

The first day of Autumn was greeted with a blanket of dense fog which precluded many sightings, with only the Meadow Pipit flock showing well as they foraged along the edges of Church Lane, Barming.

A dusk visit to Hall Place Farm gave brief, but good views of a juv/fem-type Redstart, my second this week.  I was lucky to get this bird, the light was fading fast and a number of distant passerines flitting around the hedgerows were frustratingly left unidentified.  However this bird, perched on top of the hedgerow, constantly flicked it's orange-red tail which caught the last rays of sun beautifully.

Monday 22nd September 2014

Revitalised by the migrant birds that have been dropping down in Barming over the last week I ventured out at sunrise to Hall Place Farm.  With the mist hanging low in the valley a distant honking announced the arrival of the first of 110 Canada Geese to the stubble fields, west of the farm, where they have been feeding for the last couple of weeks.  Meadow Pipits were still very much in evidence, a few lifting from the field, giving their soft 'seep-seep' call which acted as encouragement for their skulking companions to join them.  Soon their was a sizeable flock of 120+ in the air, but no sooner had they appeared, than they were falling back into the stubble, invisible once again.  A small dole of eleven Stock Dove fed with a large flock of Wood Pigeons, with crows and rooks scattered across the fields. 

Back out to the same patch after work, this time the sun going down.  I was pleased to see a small bird boldly perched on a hedgerow next to a couple of Yellowhammers.  Silhouetted against the dying sun I presumed it was another Whinchat, but getting closer I could see it lacked the sharp smartness of a Whinchat, but revealed by it's 'dullness' to be a Stonechat.  A cracking bird to have on patch.  I managed a record shot, but it was fidgety. 

Further along the track one of the Oaken Wood Buzzards surveyed the valley in the vestiges of the Sun.

Sunday 21st September

An interesting couple of days on patch:

Thursday 18th September
Redstart (briefly) working it's way south through the 'pylon' hedgerow west of Hall Place Farm, with a few chiffies around, including a small flock of three showy birds in the elms by St Margaret's churchyard

Sunday 21 September
Another Whinchat from the bridleway west of Hall Place farm this evening, with three Swallows north, a Buzzard on one of the pylons and Kestrel over by BarnJet

Sunday 14th September 2014

An interesting walk from Barming to Teston and back via Oaken Wood and the River Medway this morning.  Two Whinchat were a bonus, flitting along the hedgerow, with a couple of Yellowhammers, just west of Hall Place Farm (almost scopeable from the house!).  

Fourteen House Martins flew north, and 120+ Meadow Pipits flew up as a Kestrel flew over one of the stubble field.  Three Buzzards mewed incessantly over the southern edge of Oaken Wood.  The only other birds of note were a Sparrowhawk low over the old Hockey Ball factory in Teston and a Kingfisher between Teston & Barming Bridges.

The Whinchats were still present at dusk, and a Wheatear was flushed from the field between St Margaret's church and the A26.

4th July 2014

Two Hobbies were hawking after a large swarm of Swifts (50+) that fed over the rape field north of Church Lane, Barming at 13:00 today.  One of the Hobbies attempted to take a Yellowhammer that was perched on a telegraph pole along the lane...but failed!

Winfrith Heath, Dorset. 28th May 2014

Tuesday 1st April 2014

First Wheatear of the year (female) on Sweets Lane  paddocks, East Malling.  Little Owl and a few Mipits still around.  Cracking day for butterflies with Peacock, Small Tort and an Orange Tip all on the wing.

Christmas 2013

It's all be fairly quiet on patch since October, but Christmas Day morning turned up a bonus in the form of a Kingfisher.  It was sitting on the washing line in my back garden, a new one for the garden list.  I knew it wouldn't linger, so instead of rushing for the camera, I simply enjoyed watching this rare visitor to my garden.  Sure enough, within seconds, it darted off, a flash of electric blue into the field maples that in previous winters have harbored Hawfinches.  Now to get a Kingfisher at the top end of South Street, Barming is a sure sign that all was not well down on the River Medway where it would normally choose to feed.  So with presents opened and a hearty breakfast consumed I strolled off towards East Farleigh.  The 'Road Closed' sign on Farleigh Lane didn't bode well, and on reaching the level crossing at East Farleigh station I realised that this was major flooding, the worst I'd seen in the 16 years I'd lived near the river.

One of the first sights that greeted me was a tumbling mass of debris, being tossed and turned in the turbulent current, and amongst it all was a life belt which had proved to be a life-saving aid to a Field Vole!  The rest of the scene was a complete mess, with cars submerged, boats cast against the medieval bridge and number of poor souls being plucked from the park homes and barges by the Fire Brigade and Coastguard.  A check on Teston and Barming Bridges later in the day presented an equally desperate scene.  I think the pictures tell the story:

 Boats and debris rammed against East Farleigh Bridge (26/12)

 South end of East Farleigh Bridge (taken from the bridge) - village cut in half

 Stranded cars (26/12), these were totally submerged on 25/12

 Boats pushed against East Farleigh Bridge (26/12)

South Street Railway Bridge, Barming Bridge submerged (26/12)

 Submerged car, Teston Bridge (25/12)

North end of East Farleigh Bridge (25/12). Lock in background totally submerged.

Wednesday 16th October 2013

At least 2x Brambling in St Margaret's churchyard early morning, but difficult to pin down in the dense foliage.  Also 10+ Goldfinch, 2x Jay, 1x Mistle Thrush, 1x Song Thrush, 6x Chaffinch, 4x Blue Tit, 1x Great Tit, 5+ Redwing, 3x Blackbird.