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

Sunday 7th February

A quick jaunt down the River Medway first thing with the kids, we managed to flush 3x Snipe on a marshy area just west of Barming Bridge this morning, and the noted the remnants of a Blackbird and a coughed up pellet (Sparrowhawk?) nearby.

Later I escaped to do the late visit for BTO Atlas Tetrad TQ65R. I started in the hamlet of Pizien Well, just west of Wateringbury. A few of the gardens were well-stocked with feeders and was continually visited by Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Goldcrest and a Coal Tit, but no sign of the Marsh Tit or Blackcap I'd seen on the earlier visit. The owner of the garden saw me scanning his bird table and came out and asked if I wanted to sit on the bench in his garden to watch the birds....how many places do you get residents making an offer like that! He then produced an impressive list of all the wildlife he'd had in the garden over the last 20 years. The list included Tree Sparrow, Hawfinch and most surprisingly Hoopoe that he told me had landed briefly on the lawn of the adjacent garden a few years back! I wasn't to be so lucky today, and as I left the hamlet the weather deteriorated - I tramped through the derelict orchards which were deserted, not a single Fieldfare or Redwing, amazing has I'd seen 200+ a couple of days ago near East Malling.

Up Park Road, skirting round the grounds of Mereworth Castle and towards the Triumphal Arch (contour 108), I was lucky to get a covey of Bullfinches (7 in total) and a single Redwing. No sign of the Common Buzzards I'd expect on this patch and only another single Goldcrest by the old East Peckham church. Things weren't looking too good, I seemed to be well down on the species count of 34 I managed on the earlier visit. However things were to take a turn for the better. I nonchalantly scanned a small pool that is cut in half by the southern axis of the tetrad where I added Mallard and Moorhen to the list, but was amazed to see a drake Mandarin Duck sail past - then another, and another and then a squabbling group of another four - eventually I saw 9x drakes and a single hen - what a result! I ended up with 30 species, but some shocking omissions such including Magpie!

I finished off the afternoon by driving home via Teston Country Park to scanning the area check for a Barn Owl that had been reported just west of the bridge. I saw the smart new owl box and roost pole but no sign of the bird itself. Something to check for again.

Wednesday 20th January

Three Bullfinches in there somewhere!

A quiet day with nothing ordinary seen on the walk from Barming to East Malling. The flock of Stock Doves and Common Gulls had increased in number, 10 and 12 respectively. A glance into the cattle barn at Kiln Barn Farm saw the Little Owl exit! Ditton Quarry was equally desrted during a 30 minute sortie at lunchtime, a group of 5 Bullfinches entertained me for a short while, the repetitive 'teacher-teacher' call of the Great Tits started to grate!