Monday 6th December 2010

Bradbourne House - PRIVATE SITE

It wasn't a good start to the weak - freezing fog, black ice and a puncture!  I managed to locate the Redpolls again near at the northern end of Oaken Wood, all I could pick out were Lessers and I think that's all there is in there.  They were feeding close to the track from Gallagher's Underpass but the fog was so dense they seemed little more than murky blobs on the end of branches. Five Bullfinches were seen, with three of them associating with the Redpolls, even joining the flock when they flew.  A pair of Jackdaws 'chak-kowed' near Kiln Barn Farm, a seemingly regular visitor to the patch now.

Three distant Pochard - the bird on the right sporting a 'blue' bill

At work I had a couple of reports of a Lapwing near the bypass road at the back of the main lab buildings and 3x Woodcock being flushed near Bradbourne House on Friday evening.  So at lunchtime off I set towards Bradbourne.  I passed through the apple orchard just west of the main lab buildings and it was alive with winter thrushes (Fieldfares and Redwings) as well as Starlings, a noticeable increase in numbers since Friday.  The windbreak Alders were still frozen and a small charm of Goldfinches fed voraciously on the catkins and on the fallen seed in the road.  They weren't as flighty as normal, obviously getting desperate for food.

Spot the Gadwall - a master of disguise, it's plumage identical in colour to dank, browny-grey, winter lake water!

Walking towards Park Farm, I picked out 12x Skylarks, 40+ Linnets and 7x Pheasant in the weedy patch near the white gate but no Woodcock today.  A mist hung over Bradbourne Lake and all the usual suspects were in attendance (Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Grey lag Geese, Black-headed Gull, Little Grebe, Mallard) but were joined by 3x Pochard and 4x Gadwall - rare ducks for this lake.  I tried my best to get some pictures through the fog but they were all pretty disappointing!  I noticed one of the Pochards had what appeared to have a blue tag on it's bill, but I could make out the marks/lettering on it.  A quick search on the internet revealed a thread on BirdForum which suggests its a system used on the Continent...I'll have to investigate further.  

4x Lapwing were feeding under the Holm Oaks near the Hatton Fruit Garden, another sign of the desperation.  However the best bird was to be found last, a Woodcock, sitting out the sub-zero temperatures in the steam outlet.  To think it had taken me 12 years to get this bird on the patch list but managed three sightings in as many days...and what a fantastic view!

Another case of spot the bird. 

Saturday 27th November 2010

A hard frost this morning with freezing fog saw me heading off to the northern perimeter of Oaken Wood to try and get a better look at the Redpolls I'd seen yesterday.  21x Jackdaws and 15x Rooks sat out on the gallop pasture near Kiln Barn Farm with some of both species sitting in the trees that form part of tetrad TQ75C - two new species for the winter list.  The Redpoll flock were in the same spot as yesterday but equally as difficult to watch as they constantly flitted through the top of the silver birch trees.  They were joined by a pair of Bullfinches and some Goldfinches and Chaffinches.   All the individual Redpolls I could pick out seemed to be Lesser, although the individual show below kept me guessing (bird on the left)...it was one of 3 birds that kept separate from the remainder of the flock even when they took flight.  There were areas that looked buffish, probably too much for Common, not a classic 'bleached wash' about it although the supercillium and cheek looked whiter than the adjacent birds...it seems to get harder each winter...stringing a Lesser into a Common!

Compare the bird on the right (Lesser) to the bird shown on the left in the four proceeding photos; more buffs tones around the cheek/head and less 'clean' underparts and flanks.  Another  'Lesser' is shown in the photo below.

I took in the orchards at East Malling Research and as expected saw vast numbers of Fieldfares with a few Redwings and Chaffinches feeding on the fallen apples.  The best orchard at the moment for watching these birds is the one just to the west of the main lab buildings where the approach road bends around the back of the buildings.  This can be approached from East Malling village by following the footpath through the church, past the genebank (where the Waxwings were seen last year, but which is currently disturbed by new road construction and grubbing) and on towards the main lab buildings approx 0.5 miles away.  The orchard can be viewed from the footpath where the windbreak ceases (just beyond the signposted 'Pear concept orchard').  Please remain on the footpath as the orchards themselves are private property.

Late this afternoon I heard that a 'few' Waxwings had been seen in nearby West Farleigh - I hope they hop the river and come my way!

Friday 30th July 2010

A couple more moths caught overnight included a Willow Herald (?) and Riband Band. 

Cycling into work was met with all the other species; 2x Little Owl (although one didn't want to pose as normal!), family groups of Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Great Tit, Linnets with Swallows and 2x Bullfinches all thrown into the mix. 

At lunchtime I did a circuit of Oaken Woods, nr Barming.  Butterflies were the order of the day with Gatekeepers (60+) predominating, but Speckled Wood (x3), Red Admiral (x3), White Admiral (x1) - in good nick on a buddeleia near Gallagher's Underpass, Meadow Brown (x16), Peacock (x9), Large Whites (x7), Common Blue (x5), Holly Blue (x3) and best of all a Silver-washed Fritillary. 

This only my second SW Frit on patch, but it wasn't hanging around and I struggled to keep up with on my bike!  It touched down briefly a couple of times, long enough to get a record shot.  It was seen in almost exactly the same location as the one I had 2 years - is there a small undiscovered colony in these extensive woods or am I seeing roaming males?! 

Southern Hawker

Migrant Hawker

Lots of Dragonflies on the wing as well with Emperor, Migrant, Southern and Brown Hawkers and even a Black-tailed Skimmer.  Only one moth, a Rosy Footman. 

Going back into the woods I was suprised to see how dank they'd remained in this recent heatwave.  Lots of puddles, skated over by Water Boatmen (how did they find themselves on puddles in the middle of a wood?!).  Also on the track verges the first mushrooms of the season (any suggestions for ID welcomed!)

Mushroom A

Mushroom B

Mushroom C

Monday 26th April

A tour of Barming Woods and Paris Farm Paddocks before work this morning turned up good numbers of Blackcap and Chiffchaff, but no Tree Pipit or other migrants. 

A quick visit to Ditton Quarry at lunchtime proved more successful with my first Whitethroat and Garden Warbler of the year.  Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Bullfinches were also seen.

On the way home I caught sight of a couple of Swallows and the Little Owl opposite Kiln Barn Farm, Ditton. 

A visit to the orchards just before sunset produced a couple of Linnets and Chaffinches but no sign or sound of the Cuckoo that has been reported by other locals. 

The pear trees were in full blossom with the first apple blossom starting to open.