Tuesday 30th October 2012

The first Fieldfares on the East Malling Research Station were sen this afternoon, with 20+ birds on the wires in the orchards.  A couple of Common Buzzards also drifted NW at lunchtime.

Thursday 25th October 2012

No Redstarts today (on remained on the Sweets Lane paddocks yesterday), but 17x Fieldfare over Kiln Barn Farm heading SE this morning.

Tuesday 23rd October 2012

Well I'm back, and so are the arrows.  Only 20 minutes at lunchtime but I had a feeling it would be productive.  Sure enough two Black Redstarts were seen flitting around the manure pile on the Sweets Lane paddock, East Malling.  Where there's muck there's......Black Redstart. They were joined by 12+ Pied Wags, 3+ Meadow Pipit, 20+ Linnets and a large flock of Chaffinches (but no Brambling - I was getting greedy).  A couple of Chiffies flitted around in the surrounding hedgerow.  Moving onto the Paris Farm paddocks, East Malling I picked out a 1st-winter Ring Ouzel with a small group of Blackbirds on the furthest paddock nearest the railway line, my first autumn record of this species.  No, I didn't attempt a photograph.  Plenty of Blackbirds around today - surely new in.  Quite day of Turdus.

Tuesday 7th October 2012

Nine Swallows swept through Gallagher's Gallop as I cycled through this morning, nothing out of the ordinary on the paddocks, but Jays were numerous and I ended the day with 16 birds seen in a number of sites on patch.

An hour grabbed at lunchtime to carry out part of the BTO Winter Thrush Survey which was was successful in turning up my first Redwing of the winter, with 13 birds feeding in elders in Ditton Court Quarry.  This was trumped moments later by a high-flying Raven, drifting SW and cronking as it went!

Sunday 7th October

This afternoon's sunshine brought this little gem into my front garden in South Street, Barming - a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, my first for the year.