Sunday 25th July 2010

A Hedgehog returned to the garden last night and 5+ Silver Y moths were caught feeding in the security light that beamed on to the Verbena bonarensis.  I seem to be seeing these everywhere, along with Red Admirals, definetly a recent influx.

I visited Wouldham briefly this morning to see if I couldn't catch up with one or more of the seals that have been hauling themselves out on to the mud at low tide.  There was evidence they'd be there (I later learnt 2 had slipped into the water at 08:00, an hour before I arrived), but I was content with 2x Turtle Dove, 3x Common Sandpiper, 1x Little Egret, 10+ Lapwing.

Back at home in Barming I was suprised to find a Whitethroat in my lean-to!  A first for both my house list and after I had eventually captured it, for my garden list!

Later in the afternoon I visited Igtham Mote with my parents - a Lancaster Bomber overhead, a very worn White Admiral and a Pied Wagtail visiting a nest high up in the main building. 

The lanes back to my parents cottage near Chart Sutton were alive with House Sparrows, Linnets and Yellowhammers and returning along the same lane near Church Hill, Boughton Monchelsea at dusk I was pleased to have a Barn Owl flying ahead of me.

Sunday 31st January

A lovely crisp, frosty morning. I went for an early morning run from Barming Bridge to Teston and back. Only a couple of Canada Geese on the way out, but I managed to flush a Common Sandpiper from one of the streams by the railway line on the way back. I've seen this species on the river edge but never on one of the streams.

After lunch I took the lads out for a walk - we decided to explore the footpath to Upper Fant, Maidstone. The orchards in East Barming were pretty much devoide of winter Thrushes, but when we eventually reached Fant I realised why! At Fant Farm, just off Upper Fant Road a large orchard still held some fruit below their boughs - the place was alive with Redwings and Fieldfares. I estimate there must have been +1000 Fieldfares, with perhaps +300 Redwings. Walking back along Rectory Lane we stumbled upon a dead Common Shrew which wasn't there when we had passed earlier. It was a tiny little thing, immaculate, and the kids were fascinated. As we looked it over a lady walked by and we started to chat. It turned out that Linda, who lives in Barming, was a reader of my blog (so someone does!) - my youngest started to have a crying fit so we did talk as long as I would have liked to, but Linda nice to have met you and keep leaving those comments, promise I'll read them! Linda drop my an email at adam.whitehouse@emr.ac.uk if you get a chance, interested to know more about the finches you were talking about!