Friday 19th March

Another early start and off to Boughton again to see the showy Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  I was with James Bushnell for whom this had become a bit of  a bogie bird - he needn't have worried as the bird showed very well as soon as we stepped out of the car, albeit in rather poor light (hence the dull image!).

The rest of the day was spent at a meeting in London, but added Bald Eagle to my 'train' list as one swept above the train just past Eynsford (Eagle Heights bird presumably!).

Monday 15th March

An early morning visit to nearby Boughton Park scored a great Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, drumming and showing very well.  I was back home by 07:15, breakfast and then off to work.  I half expected a Chiffchaff to be calling as I cycled from Barming to East Malling, but nothing new today, although the Little Owl sunned itself out in the open by Kiln Barn Farm.

Back out into the sunshine at 12:40, and across the plots on the research station on my bike.  A large flock of gulls were circling high above the weather station, with two birds giving out a very vocal 'yaah' - a pair of adult Med Gulls in summer plumage.  They were easily picked out as the sun shone through their wings - clear white, lacking black tips.  I hoped they would land on the newly-ploughed ground but they drift high and west.  Onto the lake where aflock of 45+ Black-headed Gulls interspersed with 5 Common Gull.  A couple of Jackdaws flew out one of the Plane trees, and a record 18 (eighteen) Pied Wagtails picked through the turf on the sports field, amongst the massed gulls and geese.  Oh, and the first Daffodil of Spring had opened!

Friday 31st July

Running the East Malling Research Running Club's relay at lunchtime I was sure I heard the bisyllabic call of a Quail! It was only heard once, from a stunted cereal field next to weedy area, as I sped past. I had someone of my heels so didn't stop! I racked up a reasonable 6:37 mile and returned to spot latter in the day. Nothing heard or seen, except a hen Pheasant. Intriguing. Kent's had a good year for Quails, but late-July in the midday sun - mmmmm?!

My earlier disappointment was soon to be forgotten. I sat out in the orchards between South Street and Rectory Lane, Barming early this evening, hoping for a Spotted Flycatcher (my garden bird has been absent for 10 days now). A couple of Swallows dipped low over the burgeoning 'Discovery' trees and then a small bird took flight from a pair of old, knarled apple trees. It's deep undulating flight, black-and-white colouration with a dash of red on the head meant it could only be a Spotted Woodpecker. It's very small size, and the deep troughs it dipped into in flight, made me instantly think Lesser. Fortunately it alighed into the uppermost branches of a large willow on the bank of the River Medway not to far from where I was sitting. I had excellent views of the white-barring on its back and small red cap as it swivelled around the branches and flitted amongst the treetop. By far the best views of had of Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, and my first for this patch (although I've heard reports of them further upstream).