Friday 19th October 2010

Nothing in the mist this morning about from a flock of calling Herring and Black-headed Gulls near Kiln Barn Farm.  With the fog lifting mid-morning I made a concerted effort at lunchtime to get Coal Tit on the East Malling Atlas Tetrad.  I reckoned my best bet would be the yews/conifers in and around the churchyard in East Malling, but after 30 minutes, with various near misses with Blue and Great Tits I realised it wasn't going to happen today!  Still I managed a nice brace of Thrushes, with 2x Mistle Thrushes, 5x Song Thrushes (amazing number!), 2x Redwing and 30+ Fieldfare and even better for the patch - a Grey Wagtail on the roof of Court Lodge in Church Walk - not the the most obvious place to look for one, perhaps I should have gone looking down the stream for the Coal Tit!

A Sparrowhawk flew into the churchyard and perched high up and partly obscured, but his bright eyes gave him away!  He managed to put everything into the air so finally putting a nail in the coffin for my Coal Tit....but I've got until the end of February so no rush.

There is a Sparrowhawk in there...honest!

Moving into the next Tetrad to the west, Mill Street and West Malling, I hoped to  pick of a Greenfinch or Goldfinch or two - again another species missing off the Atlas and within 10 minutes got 3x Greenfinches, 12x Goldfinches, 1x GS Woodpecker and 2x Jay - all gaps on the winter distribution map.  I'll get the East Malling area dark green before the winter's out!

Thursday 18th March

Still no migrants despite it feeling positively barmy!  Five Jays were seen on the bike ride in from Barming to East Malling.  A couple of Stock Doves were on the pasture opposite Gallagher's underpass, joined by 26 Black-headed Gulls, five Common Gull and six Herring Gulls.  The Little Owl skulked on the roof of the outbuilding of Kiln Barn Farm cattle shed - can you pick it out in the photo below (click to enlarge if it helps)?

  Here's a clue.....

Thursday 18th February

'Snipe marsh' by the River Medway, but only 1 bird today.

Another frosty trip down to the River Medway first thing. I was hoping to get a pic of one of the Snipe that have been frequenting the small marshy area just west of Barming Bridge. I took my time scanning the relatively the stream and vegetation, no sign of any Snipe, well until I walked off to go and predictably, 'SQUELCH', up flew a Snipe! So bloody well-camouflaged! Nearby a couple of Cormorants dived in and out of the misty river.

No sign of any Harris Hawks this morning as I cycled to work, but lots of Crows round by Kiln Barn including 2 in the cattle shed (the usual haunt of the Little Owl).

Just for Greenie - a scramble of Coots - notice the bird centre left - he tripped up, like only a silly Coot could!

The weather deteriorated during the morning, and by lunchtime it had become a steady downpour - things might be more lively down the lake at Bradbourne in this weather I thought. Armed with the camera (for return of the Shoveler) I made my way down to Bradbourne, picking out 4x Green Woodpeckers feeding on the grassed area just east the Hatton Garden. A Jay flew across my path a little further down the track. The lake was disappointing, the usual Moorhens, no Little Grebes, 12 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls. 32 Coots scrambled towards the lake and 112 Canada Geese kept 6 Greylags company on the west lawn. A flight of 6 Pied Wagtails busied themselves around the feet of the geese.

Keeping a low profile, tucked in tight to the left bank.

Surprise of the day was yet to come - a GREEN SANDPIPER - another site tick for me. I caught I glimpse of a white rump fly up a ditch in front of the house - and then as I walked on an elegant wader suddenly towered up, nice white belly, no upper wing markings and prominent white block on the rump (like the Bullfinches and Jays I'm seeing everyday). It flew high, zig-zagging and dropped down into the stream. Creeping towards it I managed a few crappy record shots of it's head (always the most diagnostic of features!!!) before it took flight again - high again and then lost to view, for all I know probably further down the stream, through the grille in the wall and into that garden on St Peters Road (please respect residents' privacy) ! It did throw me slightly as its upper parts were so light - more Common Sandpiper in colour, and not really dark at all. There wasn't any obvious mottling and I couldn't discern the bars on the tip of the tail - in flight it looked like a single block of brown. It certainly wasn't Common, there's nothing else it could have been but Green.

Not as dark as Greens I've seen before and no sign of mottling but Common it ain't!

Please note that unfortunately Bradbourne House and estate is a PRIVATE site with NO PUBLIC ACCESS.

There will be a public Open Day in April - details to follow.

Wednesday 10th February

Dropping the car into the garage at Quarrywood Estate, Aylesford for diagnosis - don't buy a RENAULT - I noticed a number of gulls sitting out on the warehouse rooves, predominantly Herring Gull dwarfing a few Black-headed Gulls.

I walked across the footpaths at the eastern edge of the research station, somewhere I rarely venture and was suprised at how good some of the habitat looked. I passed Calves Ley Cottage, the old gamekeepers cottage for Preston Hall now shadowed by the warehouses on the industrial estate. The old kennels are slowly failing into disrepair. Suddenly a snowstorm blew up and I was glad to finally get to work!
At lunchtime the snow had all but melted and I got on my bike and went exploring - finding a good stand of Holm Oaks that cried out for crests, a scrubby area filled with Silver Birch that bordered a Sweet Chesnut woodland to the west of Hermitage Lane, and then more Holm Oaks - all good potential....I'll be back!

Tuesday 8th December

A Mute Swan flying above the River Medway valley was the first of 27 species I clocked up on my walk into work this morning. Other 'extras' included a flyover Cormorant and both Herring and Common Gull amongst the Black-headed Gulls by Gallagher's Gallop. A couple of large flocks of Fieldfares were seen with a flock of c80 near Kiln Barn Farm and another flock of c120 on approach to the research station. Redwings were seen in small groups all along the route.

Over the Quarry at lunchtime and a couple of mega species for the quarry in the form a Yellowhammer and Skylark, both very difficult species to pick up here despite being relatively common on the adjacent research station. Only 3 Lesser Redpolls today, how the flock has reduced over the last week.