Saturday 16th August

Prompted by Simon's reports from the River Medway (Mote Park) I decided to pay a long overdue visit to the river, it is only after all only 5 minutes from home! As reported a Spotted Flycatcher was seen on the West Farleigh bank, below the church. It sallied around and preened quite happily, allowing some distant shots to be taken. A couple Green Woodpeckers yaffled from the oaks in the same area and a Little Owl was seen briefly in flight. On the return leg to Barming Bridge a charm of 30+ Goldfinches flew in a wave across the river to the old orchard where a party of 5 Bullfinches, including one juvenile, remainined largely veiled by the heavily lain boughs of apple trees. A suprise find was a Turtle Dove, sitting resolutely atop a hawthorn tree, undetered by a the GS Woodpecker scaling the trunk below it.