Tuesday 23rd February

Wow wee - 3 (three) Song Thrushes in the garden this morning - small sand all that, but I was pleased when one returned in December, and the last time I think I can remember seeing more than 2 in my garden was probably 1984, so a big event for me!  There seem to be good numbers around at the moment, let's hope they stop and breed successfully (if the cats don't get them).  Got a snap of two of them above.

I tried something different at lunchtime today, and instead of turning left at the research station gate I went left.  A 40-minute jaunt took me off under the railway and then parallel with it and back to East Malling church.  Despite the looming rain there seemed to be plenty of things on the move.  Seven Blackbirds, 3 Song Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker all hopped around a field just SE of the railway bridge.  A GS Woodpecker did a undulating fly-over one of the gardens at Kiln Barn Cottages.  All the usual suspects were seen including good numbers of Blue Tits, however the best find was a murmaration of 500+ Starlings feed voraciously in the paddocks near Paris Farm.  Fieldfares and Redwings were mixed in with them, but it seems like quite a roost has built up here. 

Friday 5th February

This bird had me going for all of a couple of seconds this morning. I'd been scanning across the pasture just south of the railway bridge on Kiln Barn Road, Ditton - noting 5 Blackbirds when this little beauty dropped down onto a fence post and then onto the grass. A Blackbird with a dash of white - Ring Ouzel? Surely not in Kent in February? Of course not, just a Blackbird but an interesting one nevertheless. The photo doesn't show it too well but there's a clear white, albeit narrow, band just under the bird's 'chin' but no white on the on the opposite wing of the bird . Of course within a second I knew what it was, wrong shape, size, bill, stance, no broad chest crescent, but it doesn't stop me living in hope, a Ring Ouzel on the patch is long overdue. Elsewhere, an army of Fieldfares hopped across the pasture by Kiln Barn Farm and a record 14x Stock Doves picked through the freshly manured field on the other side of the track.

Tuesday 12th January

A walk around East Malling Research land again today. A slight thaw had set in, and the cereal stubble just started to poke through. The usual massed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings, 3x Green Woodpecker, 42x Blackbirds, 214x Greylag Geese, 2x Common Gulls, 16x Linnets....but no Woodcock, grrrrrrrr!

Monday 11th January

Winter Thrushes on the cane supports of the concept Pear Orchard

(bit washed out, but click to enlarge)

Back at work, masses of Fieldfares and Redwings at usual and another feeding frenzy brought on by the snow - it really is something to behold, the noise of hundreds of Fieldfares and redwings squabbling over fallen fruit is quite something. The ratio of Redwings to Fieldfare seemed to have changed with more Fieldfares than of late. Opposite the Great East Hostel I was pleased to see a small parcel (13) of Linnets with 5+ Skylarks pecking amongst the same herbs. In the orchard alongside I was suprised to see a gaggle of 90+ Greylag Geese, picking over the apples that the winter thrushes had been feeding on last week (see Monday 4th January blog). The Genebank (orchard at back of East Malling Church) held good numbers of Blackbirds, and the orchard nearest the main Laboratory building held a few Song Thrushes, Chaffinches and Green Woodpecker amongst the assembled flocks and crowds of Fieldfare and Redwing. A male Kestel was also about.

Thursday 31st December

A cat had cornered something behind my shed this morning, and going out to investigate I was suprised to see a Jay cowing behind some pots and trays. I shooed the cat off, but the Jay seemed reluctant to fly. I wondered if it was injured, so picked the bird up, it seemed to be in shock more than anything. I showed my two lads, they were fascinated by it's electric blue coverts and dusky-pink colour, James took a photo (above) before I let it go. It hopped around the lawn and then flew up to one of the Field Maples before flying off south, apparently none the worse for it's feline encounter.

The morning remained overcast, with occasional drizzle, as I set of to do an Atlas TTV in nearby Pizien Well/Mereworth. Despite the weather it was a lovely walk, without another soul in sight, taking in the hamlet of Pizien Well, some of the surronding orchards and wooded areas on the perimeter of Mereworth Castle.

Picture from http://unmitigatedengland.blogspot.com/2007/08/lost-in-woods.html

Halfway along the walk I happened upon the overgrown Triumphal Arch for Mereworth Castle and then the equally isolated St Michaels Church, East Peckham (www.stmichaelseastpeckham.co.uk/index.html), high on the hill overlooking Hadlow and Warren's patch at Pittswood (http://pittswoodpatch.blogspot.com/), but I couldn't see his Goosander, forgot the scope ;-). Pheasants were numerous as might be expected as a regular shoot takes place at the Castle, but the number of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes was a real suprise; I logged 51 and 16 respectively, with 9 of the latter species seen in a single flock. Common Buzzard, Meadow Pipit and Marsh Tit were all unexpected finds, giving a total of 34 species in total.

As I drove back down South Street, Barming I noted a few Redpolls still feeding in the Silver Birch.

Friday 30th October

Over Ditton Quarry again at lunchtime, all the usual suspects, including some elusive Bullfinches. A GS Woodpecker seemed to be very showy and vocal, not a regular species here for me. An added bonus was a Skylark over, often heard on the adjacent Research Station site but as not yet actually seen from the Quarry! Blackbirds were again very vocal. Fieldfares and Redwings continue to elude me - the research station should be a huge Fieldfare feeding station with the bounty of windfalls. Finally I managed to catch sight of 7x flighty Fieldfares as I checked the plots just before dusk, along with 4x Mistle Thrushes.

Wednesday 28th October

Today didn't quite live up to expectations weather or bird-wise. It remainded overcast but suprisingly mild for the end of October. A pair of Yellowhammers dipped into the hedgerow alongside Gallagher's Gallop as I cycled in. At lunchtime I did a tour of the resaerch station site in East Malling hoping to get some winter thrushes, but despite good numbers of them being reported elsewhere in the county today I turned up a blank. I moved onto Ditton Quarry, where a pair of Bullfinches were glimpsed, a Jay made it's prescence known with it prehistoric squawks. Blackbird numbers appeared to have increased with 9 individuals seen feeding in hawthorn, possibly continental birds? Lots of fungi have emerged over the last week - not sure I can put a name to them all, but I think this one's a Blackening Wax-cap (Hygrocybe nigrescens)?

Tuesday 21st April

Another cracking day - warm sunshine and Swallows on the wing (2x Kiln Barn Farm). A low mist hung over at the foot of the downs as I cycled into work by Gallagher's Gallop/Kiln Barn Farm, and apart from the Swallows the only other highlight were 4x Bullfinches.

Blossom is dropping everywhere on the East Malling Research Station site at the moment (there's an open day at Hatton Gardens, Bradbourne House this Sunday if anyone wants to check it out). The cherries are the real showstoppers, all blousy, Barbara Cartland, candyfloss-like creations. Which leads nicely on to Ross - we met over Ditton Quarry at lunchtime and both hoped to get some snaps of the the underside of a female Orange-tip butterfly...don't ask why, it just gets competitive like that! Lots of butterflies on the wing, but being so warm little was settling down, so we both failed in our mission. I did manage the underside of a Speckled Wood though!

Species seen were: 2x Peacock, 2x Speckled Wood, 6+ Orange-tip, 2x Comma. The liquidy, free-flowing song of Blackcaps flowed from the trees in the SW corner, intermingled with the scratchy warble from the Whitethroats in the brambles. Ross had 2x House Martin overhead. A single Willow Warbler sang from the willows (strangely enough!) near the grassed, dip area.
A colony of solitary bees (Red Mason Bees I've been informed) were busy at their colony at the ragstone rock-face. The colony resembles a minitaure Sand Martin colony.

A single Bee-fly prospected around the entrance holes no doubt intend on laying it's eggs that would eventually develop in to the larvae that will parasitise the bees...poor sods.

No sign of the Whooper Swan today.

At home I've noticed a busy Blackbird perching on my fence post with a bill full of worms. I followed him and he led me to a nest tucked away in some ivy right next to the house - with 3 well-developed fledglings, a quick pic and then left them in peace.