Lack of posts

Just a quick note to say I'm still alive but up to my eyes with work which has shown no sign of abating!  Watch this space for updates...after the bumper strawberry season has slowed down!

Monday 9th May 2011

New bike and a new route into work, taking an more extensive area of Barming Woods in the hope of a long overdue Tree pipit.  Not to be today unfortunately, but a couple of purring Turtle Doves were new for the patch for 2011.

Yesterday was a BTO Atlas TTV on East Malling Heath.  Highlights were 3x Cuckoo and a couple of Turtle Doves.

Saturday 7th May 2011

In between running the kids to football, tennis, swimming a birthday party I managed to spot Swifts above Buckland Hill and Mote Park Leisure Centre - my first of the year.  Football took me to Iwade and a slight detour turned up Bird's Nest Orchid in full bloom, Lady Orchids and loads of Green Hairstreak and a couple of Adonis Blues at some sites on the North Downs.

Friday 5th May 2011

Two Wheatears, including a fine male, in the Sweets Lane paddocks, East Malling this morning.

Wednesday 4th May 2011

The Ring Ouzel was still present (distantly) in the Paris Farm Paddocks, East Malling this morning and was still being reported late in the afternoon.  Blackbirds, Pied Wagtails, Magpies and Starlings all hopped around in the same paddock and a small group of Swallows scythed along the low turf nearby.  A flyover Yellow Wagtail was also seen (per John Clements) in the afternoon and a Red Admiral was also on the wing along the footpath.

Nearby 2x Wheatears and a Little Owl were seen in the Sweets Lane this morning, with Yellowhammer, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Skylark and Linnet all singing along Easterfields.  Gallagher's Gallop held Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler.  A Cuckoo was also heard calling from the Easterfields/Sweets Lane area in the morning.

A unexpected sight was the BBMF Lancaster flying directly over the research station, East Malling at midday.

Tuesday 3rd May 2011

Lots of news to catch up after from the last 3 weeks, but thanks to Ken Beckett I managed to catch up with a fine male Ring Ouzel in the Paris Farm Paddocks.  A female Wheatear was also present (per Steve Nunn) so suddenly it's all happening!  My ability to take a good photo hasn't approved during my extended break - come on you can see what it is!  An April update will be published soon.

Wednesday 6th April 2011

What a scorcher, but I only managed to get outside for the cycle into work.  8x Chiffchaffs, 1x Willow Warbler, a Blackcap singing but not seen (first for the year).  Other birds seen along Gallagher's Gallop and the East Malling paddocks included 4x Bullfinches, 1x Nuthatch, 1x Yellowhammer, 4x Linnet, 2x Green Woodpecker, 1x Sparrowhawk (with a charm of Goldfinches 'bouncing' nosily above it!), 1x Little Owl and at long last my first Swallow of the year...phew!  But no Wheatear - and there were 25 in a paddock in Crayford this morning!!!

Back at home in Barming this evening, 2x Jackdaws, 1x Pied Wagtail, 2x Collared Dove, 3x House Sparrows, 1x Wood Pigeon, 2x Chaffinch all sat out on my roof (not necessarily at the same time) while I mowed the lawn.