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.

Wednesday 24th January

Nice start to the day, seeing a steam loco coast past the East Malling Research station - for you train buffs it was 70013 Oliver Cromwell on 'Sussex Belle' duty (even manage to get bloody branches in the way on my steam engine photos - consistent eh!).  Another site tick - and would have seen it from the office if I'd been in (directly below square roof in centre background, The Downs beyond).

Back in the office I was pleased to hear and then see a Song Thrush singing at full throttle - it stayed there most of the day and was still singing at 18:00 this evening!

I managed another quick visit to Bradbourne Lake at lunchtime, a Little Grebe was shooting the rapids, the poor light put pay to any decent photos again. 

Further along a Little Egret posed long enough for me to get another crappy  (this time through the car windscreen) - and confirmation at last that it wasn't just a plastic bag - 

before it took flight, giving me some more fantastic photographic opportunities (and you thought those Shoveler photos were bad!!!) 

Not much else about in the brief respite from the heavy showers, though the House Sparrows were making the most of the puddles.

Thursday 29th October

A foggy start to the morning, with only 3x Pied Wagtails sitting out on the fencing around Gallagher's Gallop nr Kiln Barn Farm. The Little Owl was also still present in the barn. The day inproved and at lunchtime I went out in search of winter thrushes, but despite kicking through the orchards on the research site I failed to find either a Redwing or Fieldfare, amazing when numbers have been reasonably high around the county. I decided to check the area south of the research station and did a circular walk through The Rocks back to Kiln Barn Road. A Kestrel aborted landing on a post after catching sight of me nearby (!), 30+ House Sparrows washed in a newly-created puddle and another couple of Pied Wagtails sat out on a barn roof. There is a large area of horse paddocks in this area, lying slightly elevated and directly south of the Medway gap and full of posts, fences and short turf that ought to make it ideal for migrants, but have I ever seen any here?! Of course not. I was hoping a Ring Ouzel might be loitering as quite a few have been dropping in and around London today - no chance!

The picture above is looking north towards the Downs (Upper Halling by exposed chalk face and Snodland/Holborough by chimneys). The large shed-like buildings are Aylesford Newsprint (adjacent to M20). The railway line is the Maidstone west - London mainline, between East Malling and Barming mainline. The area immediately north (just the other side) of the railway is research station land. The tower of St Peter's Church, Ditton can be see just above the first train carriage on the right. From where I took this picture I could just make out the M2 Medway bridge near Rochester. I can't understand why this area isn't more productive for migrants - it's right opposite the Medway gap which must surely funnel birds between the downs in a strong N-NE. Oh well, I'll keep watching!