A lovely warm day, and following a tip of from 'Dave' I went looking for a couple of reported Buzzards in Barming. I quickly found the location Dave had reported them from and was immediately met by the sight of a pristine looking Harris Hawk. Another was nearby and they flitted in and out of a tree, one bird seen was even seen to be carrying nesting material! I know of at least one Harris Hawk that's kept on the Tonbridge Road, perhaps the same bird(s) on day release?! I'll keep an eye to see what happens re: nesting/breeding. I encountered all the usual species on the ride into work - Bullfinches and Jays seen in a couple of locations en route, always good to see.
Tempted out by the continuing sun at lunchtime I visited Bradbourne House again (a private site). On the track down to the House I passed a flock of 96 Black-headed and 13 Common Gulls sitting out on a field of winter wheat - waiting for the tractor driver to return to ploughing the adjacent field no doubt. At the bridge over the stream a Little Grebe was seen again, but dived as I approached and disappeared through a grille the wall that straddles the stream. It would have popped back up where the steam passes through someones garden in St Peters Road - nice if you lived there to get that as a garden tick!
Yesterday was obviously a good day for ducks as yesterday's Shoveler and Tufties had moved on. A Grey Heron took off from the side of the lake as I arrived and a flash of blue signalled a Kingfisher, my first here for many months. 34 Greylag Geese grazed the cricket pitch, where more Black-headed Gulls loafed - some almost in full summer plumage now (but no Med Gulls amongst them). The Snowdrops and Winter Aconites were in full flower, the buzz of busy bees making it feel like Spring at last.
