Monday 31st January 2011

With my legs warmed up from yesterday's cycle ride, I breezed into work, taking 5x Bullfinches at the N perimeter of Oaken Wood and my old mate, the Little Owl, back in his usual haunt at Kiln Barn Farm.

The sun showed signs of putting it's hat on (hip, hip hooray) at lunchtime, so I decided to trespass on Alan Woodcock's nearby patch.  Mike Easterbrook joined me and as we arrived at the chosen Cotoneaster tree the Waxwings duly left!  Luckily Alan was on the scene and guided us to the privet hedge just down the road, where despite the dull light we got some excellent views of 21x Waxwings, a few Blue Tits and a Chaffinch!  A very quick look at Little Alders Lake turned up a Goldeneye that seemed to be favouring an aquatic lifestyle, barely breaking the surface to get decent views.  And when I got back to work the sun shone non-stop until dusk!

Sunday 30th January 2011

I took in 5x TTV BTO Atlas this afternoon on a 9-mile bike ride with my two lads.  They were all centred around TQ75, starting off in my own tetrad of Barming Heath and crossing into Aylesford, Allington, Maidstone, Tovil and back.  Amazingly I only managed to add four new species to the winter atlas; 2x  Coot by Allington Marina and Jackdaws on the walls of Allington Castle (Allington TQ75N), A Grey Wagtail at Allington Lock (Sandling & Pratling St TQ75P) and Chiffchaff next to the toilet block between the two bridges at Fairmeadow, Maidstone (Tovil TQ75M).  I was amazed not to add more to the Allington square which has a winter species list of only 31, now including a Coot which was apparently the first one in 4 years if you believe the Atlas records!  I fancied my chances at ticking off Mute Swan, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Fieldfare, Jay and Goldfinch which are still absent from this square, but despite locating some ideal habitats for all these species I couldn't fine them!  Perhaps they aren't there?!

Saturday 29th January 2011

A couple of hours this morning on patch, completing the BTO Atlas second winter TTV for Barming Heath (TQ75H).  The obvious change from the last TTV was the massive increase in Fieldfare and Chaffinch numbers in the South Street Orchards, there were literately swarms of the latter, but no a single Brambling amongst them!  Most of the walk was rather disappointing, but I managed to add to new species to the tetrad in the form a single Moorhen near the only water body in the square, a small, hidden pool to the east of the Hospital and 5x Siskins feeding nearby Alder trees.

A huge, heavily-laden Cotoneaster bush hid a good number of Redwings, but unfortunately no Waxwings...though I wouldn't be surprised if doesn't get 'discovered' before the winter is out.

The old mental hospital site only yielded a single Goldcrest today.  The site has been converted into very nice flats/houses, but it's austere façade still gives me the creeps.

It has a good collection of mature trees in the grounds including redwoods and London Planes, and only on of these planes a bright bracket fungus was taking hold...I really must gen up on the names of these and not have to rely on Greenie!

A footpath along the northern perimeter of Maidstone Hospital took me temporarily out of the square but provided some excellent sightings; it was alive with finches and tits with a GS Woodpecker and a couple of Jays thrown in for good measure.

Bullfinches being as elusive as ever! 

This afternoon I made a fleeting visit to East Malling Research to seed the track and saw at least one Brambling sitting in the nearby cherry trees.  To top of the day The Bald Birder popped by on a rare visit into Kent - little was said about the Slaty-backed Gull!  He did tell me he'd added a link to his flickr site which included his famous shot (well it made all the nationals) of the Humpback Whale breaching off the Isles of Scilly, check it out, along with lots of other goodies here.

Friday 29th January 2011

Just a quick glance in the corner orchard before going into work - 5x Brambling feeding on the seeded track.

Thursday 27th January 2011

Just 10 minutes outside today so at the risk of same old, same old I visited the corner orchard on the Research Station, East Malling to see if the Bramblings were still showing.  The orchard had been pruned and mown and surrounding windbreaks flayed yesterday so I wasn't sure they'd still be around.  The orchard was surprisingly alive, perhaps a combination of the brisk north-east chill and the disturbance exposing new food sources.  

I was pleased to immediately pick out 3x Bramblings sitting out in a Cherry tree.  Despite the change in wind direction the gloom of the last week persisted and I didn't reckon on getting any decent photos, especially as the birds were fairly distant.  However the birds seemed quite content and I managed to creep a bit closer to get probably the best photo I've got of a Brambling...shame the sun couldn't have come out!  The birds knew I was there but didn't fly, although looking back at my snaps one bird was giving me the evils (not dissimilar to the stare a Hawfinch gave me in my garden in 2008)!

Check out those eyes!

Wednesday 26th January 2011

A slippery cycle into work, with Bullfinches, Jay and GS Woodpecker the highlights.  Drawing up at the seeded track on the research station I picked out 8x Brambling washing in the puddles along with 20+ Chaffinches.  No camera though!  A couple of Herring Gulls were 'stomping' on the grass no doubt trying to raise a few earthworms to eat.

I managed 10 minutes out at lunchtime, no Bramblings probably due to the Sparrowhawk that glided low through the orchard as I arrived.  The only other sighting of interest was a rare one, Twisden and his chums slipping past on their return from a ramble, blurred photo on account of their great speed.  'No Exit', a great motto/mantra to live by boys!

Monday 24th January 2011

The corner orchard was being pruned when I arrived at work this morning and then the windbreaks were flayed so as I expected it was pretty bird less by lunchtime.  The pruning has also involved knocking the apples from the trees that the Waxwings were feeding on so I suspect they won't return.  I made my way to Ditton Court Quarry, picking up 5x Siskins in the alders just N of Ditton Lab.  The quarry was as usual; Fieldfares, a lone Redwing, a couple of Bullfinches, vocal GS Woodpecker, Jays and Magpies and 'charming' Goldfinches.

I noted what looked to be 14x Bee Orchid rosettes in a part of the quarry I've not seen them before and also an interesting bracket fungus, but I have no idea what it is (Greenie?).

The tree it was growing on was covered with lichen, moss, fungus and bugs - a micro world.