A dense bank of fog blanketed my walk in to work this morning. Usually I find mornings like this can be suprisingly productive, whether because the birds stay low to the ground or that they stand out more against the soupy, grey backdrop. However that wasn't the case today - with only a kukpowder of Bullfinches (2 males and 3 females) flickering in and out of view on the footpath near the Pea Field (TQ724556) and the territorial drumming of a pair of GS Woodpeckers echoing across the still woods, rat-tat-tatting like some distant battle.
Venturing to the orchard behind the church at lunchtime I hoped to get another look at the Waxwings. Three birders were there along with a couple of old lags from research station past. Gordon and Ray now spend their time wandering around the Kent countryside, inevitably taking in a pub, ordering a meal and then photographing it. This is recorded with all diligence, accompanied by a selection of interesting photographs of things they happen upon on their wanderings, on the similar sounding blog to mine: http://eastmalling.blogspot.com/ and added as a link under 'Twisden's Rambles', well worth checking out. Anyway after hassling the assembled birders they shuffled off leaving us to search for the Waxwings.
None showed in the 40 minutes or so that I was there with mist lifting and then sinking, although a smattering of Bramblings were still present, including a couple of fine males, along with a volery of Long-tailed Tits and a single female Sparrowhawk that dashed past just as we talked about her. A report later on BirdGuides indicated that a single Waxwing was seen late afternoon. It is interesting to note on my record shot below the more defined fork on the tail of the Brambling (left) compared to female Chaffinch (right).
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