Monday 16th February

Another warm day, made all the better for hearing my first Chiffchaffs of the year. Two were heard as I cycled into work; one in Oaken Wood, Barming and a second at the bottom of Gallagher's Gallop near the underpass. A mixed flock of BH and Herring Gulls sloped around the pasture near Kiln Barn Farm. I scanned across the gallop and manure heap hopind to emulate Warren's Wheatear but no luck today. A couple of Yellowhammers looked resplendant, singing out their new territories.

There's a Redpoll in there! Suprisingly well-camoflauged on the ground......

Hoping for more butterflies I made an afternoon visit to the bonfire site on the East Malling Research Station site to see if I couldn't find another Small Tortoiseshell. A Kestrel hovered overhead and a couple of Skylarks exalted the fine weather. Moving onto Ditton Quarry I spotted a pair of Peacock butterflies chasing each other, and then the first of 5x Commas basking on the path near the Buddelias in the SW corner. Ahead of me a small bird dropped to the ground and fed furtively, as I approached I could see it was a Lesser Redpoll. I followed it aroun the copse, and it was joined by a second bird. I watched the pair for 10 minutes or so, hopeful a Mealy might suddenly join them, which it didn't! As I left the quarry a single Goldcrest flickered round an ash - it's moss green plummage perfectly matching the lichen on the tree it was feeding around. Back at work Ross phoned to say he'd located a Small Tortoishell on some heather opposite the Chief Executive's house. Trying to grip me off I'm sure but I was happy with the one I'd seen yesterday on part of my larger 'patch'!

.......and sometimes even more difficult to see in a tree!

On the way back home I was suprised to see my first Chiffchaff of the year in the hedgerow alongside Gallagher's Gallop, silently flitting around. It was dusk, and apart from a Green Woodpecker nothing else had shown.