Tuesday 11th May

A tour of the coppiced areas of Oaken Wood before work failed to turn up a Tree Pipit, a species I'm likely to have to miss off the patch list again this year.  Numbers of Willow Warbler seem to have increased.  With news of a Black Stork in Mote Park, and then it's subsequent disappearance I felt the need to check out Bradbourne Lake/Sream and the surronding fields just on the off-chance.  Of course I didn't find it (a possible was reported over Dagenham as I looked!). 

I did see a 'swarm' of Swifts and Swallows over the Sports Ground opposite Bradbourne House lake. 

A couple of Whitethroats were flycatching from a willow at the western end of the lake - the first time I've had this species in this location. 

Crows hopped amongst the Greylag Geese near the stream, with one individual having very worn primaries, showing as a white band on the upperwing as it flew.  A couple of Coot chicks were being well protected by their parents

A Lesser Black-backed Gull sat on the roof the Ditton Laboratory as I cycled home.

Monday 19th April

Back on patch today after a 2 week holiday - and what a difference.  Blossom everywhere, the first Bluebells emerging and some new patch/walk-in ticks...and not just for the year!  Walking from Barming to East Malling on my usual route I was suprised to hear a Nuthatch calling as I approached the allotments at the top of North Street, Barming.  What's unusual about that I hyear you say - well I've never seen a Nuthatch in Barming in the 5 years I've lived there!  There's plenty of suitable habitat, but I've just never seen or heard them.  It got better - as I approached the track I saw not one, but two birds calling loudly to each other and chasing each around an oak.  A GS Woodpecker was equally vocal and joined in the chase - fighting over a nest hole?! 

Moving on a couple of Chiffchaffs called along Gallagher's Gallop and a Song Thrush sang from alongside the quarry.  Then my second new tick for my 'walk-in' route - a lone Greylag Goose flying low west.  As I approached the underpass a couple of Blackcaps could be heard, with one bird showing briefly - a new patch tick for the year.  A male Bullfinch also called.  The Little Owl was in his usual spot at Kiln Barn Farm, and just a bit further on a couple of Swallows (another patch tick for the year!) sat on the wires near Kiln Barn Cottages.  I'd seen loads of these in Cornwall, but always reassuring to see them back on patch!  A couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls sat out on Kiln Field (just west of the East Malling Conference Centre).

At lunchtime I paid a brief visit to the Paris Farm paddocks, East Malling, hoping for a migrant.  A couple of Stock Doves sat out on land at the back of East Malling church with a crowd of Wood Pigeons.  A GS Woodpecker drummed away from within a nest hole near the railway crossing and a Coal Tit flitted around the pines at the east end of the railway station.  No migrants were seen in the paddocks, only a Mistle Thrush hoped around on the turf, and a Peacock butterfly basked in the sun.

Friday 26th February

A windy but sunny day - a couple of good sightings (for me) on the way into work - five Lesser Black-backed Gull on the field in the field at the back of Kiln Barn Farm, Ditton, an uncommon visitor on the deck on my patch.  Better still - 43 (forty-three) Stock Doves, I've struggled to get double figures so this was species, so this was a real result.  Viewing them en masse I was struck by how glaucous they're plummage looked.

 Down to Bradbourne, East Malling (private site) at lunchtime.  The wind was rippling the leaf-strewn surface of the lake, and I was was rewarded with yet another duck tick - a pair of Gadwall - not a new one for site but my first for this year and only my second for site.  A couple of Mute Swans which had been noticeable by their abscence had returned.  Even better was to come as I struggled against the wind at the end of my lunch break, I stopped off at one of the plots and flushed eighteen (yes, one eight - 18) Skylarks, out of a Miscanthus test plot.  They took flight in 3 groups, all flappy, nice white sides to tail feather and a few bits of subsong as they lifted, circled and then dropped down in the adjacent wheat stubble.  Five Yellowhammers, inc 2 males, were also present as well seven hen Pheasants.  I've often had a small group of five Skylarks near my strawberry plots this winter, but 18 is a new record for me.

Monday 8th March

A strong westerly wind made for a suprisingly cold start to the morning. Little was seen on my cycle into work, except 7x Herring Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull wallowing in the wind, drifting and sliding across the sky. I stopped off at Ditton Quarry and spread some wild bird seed on the ground under the alders I'd seen the Redpolls feeding on yesterday afternoon. However I didn't see any, only a Bullfinch and Goldcrest were braving the dog walking rush-hour.

Back over the quarry at lunchtime with Mike Easterbrook, we met David Blakesley with scope scanning the ground under the alders. 3x Lesser Redpoll crept through the leaf litter but no Mealies. Checking the other alders were found a Siskin and had teasing glimpses of more Redpolls but these were all to too brief to ID.