Tuesday 24th March

Nought to see on the way into work (East Malling Research), but once there I was pleased to see a pair of Pied Wagtails picking through the guttering and roof voids, prospecting nesting opportunities I'm sure. Over to Ditton Quarry at lunchtime, and too be honest I was in one of those moods where I didn't expect to see anything - fatal! As soon as I entered the quarry I recognised the song of a Linnet, often heard on the nearby research station, but never in the Quarry - and there he was on top of an Elderberry - great tick for the Quarry. Still I had expectations of Hawfinch or Mealy, I'm getting greedy of late! I scanned the alders and concluded there were no Redpolls - I struck forward and disturbed a whole flock of the things! 12+ took the air, noisly bounding up and away. I latched onto the flock and saw a couple rop down on to a nearby tree, while the rest of the flock disappeared out of sight. These were Lesser Redpolls, very buffish, brown with a deep red cap - what were the other 10?! I lingered a while, hearing the first Chiffchaff of the year for the Quarry, and Ross joined me, but even he couldn't entice them back. We eventually managed 4x Lessers and few lisps from a Bullfinch.


Cycling home at dusk I had a Sparrowhawk float over and a Bullfinch restlessly bounding ahead of me as I laboured up the bridleway hill to the Water Tower, Barming.