Sunday 26th December 2010

With some many Waxwings being reported locally I'd thought I'd check out a couple of locations on my travels with my two lads.

I stopped off briefly to check the orchards at East Malling Research - lots of Redwings but little else.

Onto New Hythe where I only managed to get to the East Scrub from Brook House as the kids wanted to throw stones on the ice and break iced-up puddles!  12x Siskins flew overhead and I noticed the familiar figure of Mike Easterbrook  emerging from the scub.  We chatted briefly as the dinner at his daughter's was going cold!  He had also had some Siskins earlier but also a Bittern in flight near Millstream.  He asked if I'd seen the Waxwings that Phil Sharp had seen yesterday, I was just about to reply no when seven Waxwings lifted from the East Scrub and landed in an Alder tree on the periphery of New Hythe Industrial Estate.  Two other birders, Den and Doreen appeared and as we moved towards the flock, Terry Laws emerged from the other side of the Scrub...quite a crowd!  The Waxwings flew off south into the industrial estate, briefly drinking from the guttering on one of the warehouse rooves.  I made my way back to Brook House and saw three Waxwings feeding in the Hawthorns along the track.

As I drove home I amazingly spotted another Waxwing a top of a Field Maple in the garden of one of the Preston Hall bungalows at the north end of Hermitage Lane, Aylesford.  Quite how I spotted it when you look at the photo above I don't know (may be the huge arrow had something to do with it?!), but conveniently there was a lay-by opposite so I could stop to get a couple of record shots in the dying light.

Sunday 10th January

The heavy snow forecast for last night never materialised, so I was off down the River Medway for an hours walk. I did the walk from Barming Bridge to Teston Bridge and back, quite heavy in the snow. Two Snipe were from the streams that run down to the river, a couple of Kingfishers darted ahead of me and themselves put a Grey Heron up from the river's edge. Near Teston Bridge I got onto a small flock of Siskin feeding in a Alder. On the walk back two Cormorants flew over, followed by a single Lapwing. Seven Redpoll were still feeding in the Silver Birch at the top of South Street, Barming and I was pleased to see 12x Greenfinch in the Field Maples at the back of my garden - where they'vr been the last few months I don't know! The afternoon was spent sledging and building a 'snow folly' - didn't get time to put the roof on it! Don't think the local football team will appreciate it when it's still on the centre circle in 5 weeks time!

Thursday 26th March

No chance to get out yesterday, so I managed 30 minutes between showers at lunchtime today. I managed a Jay first off, not the commenest of birds over Ditton Quarry at the moment. Then a pair of Mistle Thrushes and a Song Thrush in the 'lawned' area. No Redpolls, but a couple of Bullfinches whispering to each other in the shrubbery. However top spot went to a pair of Siskins, the male singing.

Cycling home at 18:00 I was pleased to hear a Siskin singing again, this time from a tree on the corner of Kiln Barn Road where the bridleway carries straight on up to the water tower in Barming. Scanning through the treetops I picked out another eight. This really was turning out to be the day of the Siskins! A couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls loafed around in the wind, drifting off to roost no doubt and Green Woodpecker yaffled unseen in Oaken wood.

Monday 8th March

A strong westerly wind made for a suprisingly cold start to the morning. Little was seen on my cycle into work, except 7x Herring Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull wallowing in the wind, drifting and sliding across the sky. I stopped off at Ditton Quarry and spread some wild bird seed on the ground under the alders I'd seen the Redpolls feeding on yesterday afternoon. However I didn't see any, only a Bullfinch and Goldcrest were braving the dog walking rush-hour.

Back over the quarry at lunchtime with Mike Easterbrook, we met David Blakesley with scope scanning the ground under the alders. 3x Lesser Redpoll crept through the leaf litter but no Mealies. Checking the other alders were found a Siskin and had teasing glimpses of more Redpolls but these were all to too brief to ID.