Friday 3rd December 2010

An early morning visit down to the River Medway in Barming turned up 10x Snipe, a Lapwing and Grey Wagtail crouched down in one the streams that ran down to the river just west of Barming Bridge.  A Cormorant fished on the river and a male Sparrowhawk sitting in a tree next to the railway bridge at the bottom of South Street eyed up the Blackbirds and Song Thrushes (x3) that were flitting back and forth on the road.

Back to work today after spending an enforced day sledging with the kids!  The snow had really collected in Oaken Wood, 16" or so, which made it hard work to walk in but had left lots of tell tale signs of what had been around.  It was absolutely silent - not a bird to be seen, no Redpolls, no Bullfinches, nothing.  By Kiln Barn Farm Barn a couple of Pied Wagtails and Chaffinches fed around the hay that had been left out for the cattle, and with 2x tolerant Robins....a tolerant, non-territorial Robin - things must be getting desperate!

At lunchtime I checked out the orchards on the East Malling Research site.  Plenty of Woodpigeons, Chaffinches, Starlings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares but not in numbers I'd expect in such harsh conditions. The churchyard held high numbers of Redwings feeding in the Yews and Goldcrests were heard calling.

I then met a couple scanning the genebank at the church and asked if they'd seen anything of interest.  They told me that there was a big flock of what they thought were Chaffinches feeding to the west of the road to Park Farm.  Hoping for a Brambling amongst the flock I set off and quickly located the birds they had told me about feeding in a weedy plot to the west of the road.

There were a number of Chaffinches (20+), but also a few Goldfinch (5+) and lots of Linnets, probably 60-70 birds.  However, alongside the plot and on the road were a collection of birds I didn't instantly recognise, but one of the birds took the air and sang....Skylarks!  I'm not sure if it was because they were away from their usual habitat or just the sheer number of them, 52+ but I was completely thrown out!

Some of the large exaltation of Skylarks feeding on one of the Research station roads (click to enlarge)

Walking alongside the fence, checking the finches I noticed what I thought was the back of a hen Pheasant crouching in the weeds, I walked closer and up flew a Woodcock!  It flew silently (apart from it's wing beats) across the plot and round the back of me towards the Bullock Yard.  At last - I'd heard a few reports of one on site, I was just glad to connect with one at last!  Suddenly a Sparrowhawk glided low from the east and put everything up in the air, and had me wondering if it was me or the Sparrowhawk that had flushed the Woodcock.

Sparrowhawk spooking Skylarks

I carried on towards Bradbourne House, skirting the stream to check for Snipe...and bingo, a Snipe took flight from the edge of the waterfall pool - a species needed for the East Malling Tetrad (BTO Winter Atlas).  I thought today would be the day with so many Snipe being reported from around the county.  Bradbourne Lake had the usual Coots, Moorhens, Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls as well as a pair of Gadwall, an infrequent visitor to the patch.  The last part of the patch was to check near the bridge to the Pavillion at Bradbourne where I expected a Grey Wagtail or even another Snipe, but was extremely surprised to flush another Woodcock sitting out near a Yew at the side of the bridge - this one shot across the boundary wall, over New Road and towards the Clare Park Estate.

The day was just getting better, but was topped off by a Lapwing drinking from a puddle in the Bradbourne House car park, an occasional flyover species but quite rare on the deck.  What a day!

Tuesday 16th November 2010

Tetrad TR51I (Aylesford and British Legion Village)

A hard frost in Barming this morning, but I missed out on my usual ride into work as I had to drop my car off for repairs on the Quarrywood Estate, Aylesford.  I unloaded my bike from the car and rode the short distance along the footpaths from Aylesford to East Malling.  As soon as I left the industrial estate in Aylesford I heard, then saw, 3x Jackdaws on the newly ploughed opposite Calves Leys Cottage.  This was quickly followed by a Bullfinch that darted in front of me and ducked into the adjacent hedgerow.  This got me thinking whether either of these species had featured in the winter records form the BTO Atlas?  This is the final winter for Atlas work and Tim Hodge recently posted an excellent summary of the 'species richness' for each tetrad in Kent on the KOS website.  So when I got a break at work I quickly checked if either of these species were needed for TQ51I (Aylesford & British Legion Village)....and they were!  With this in mind I got back on my bike at lunchtime and went off patch, well 5 minutes east to see what I could find.  By the end of the hour I'd filled in six gaps; Stock Dove (x2), Grey Heron (x1 sitting in a stubble field), Pheasant, Little Grebe (2x on a small pool next to BHS!), Linnet and Skylark (37+ and 6 respectively in the same stubble field as the Heron).  Others seen but already on the list were Jay (x5), Goldcrest (x2), Woodpigeon (+160), Carrion Crow (+45), Common Gull (x3), Black-headed Gull (x23) and low numbers of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit.  A very satisfying hour and a chance to discover some new places and habitats close-by.  I know I can probably add a few more species; LBB Gull has got to be a cert on the warehouse roofs, a small grove of Holm Oaks and Scots Pine should turn up a Coal Tit (possibly overwintering Chiffies or even a Firecrest?) and Yellowhammer or Meadow Pipit have got to be in or around the stubble field.  This nut platt was a nice find, though not sure what potential it has bird wise?

To top it all off, a work colleague told me he had a Woodcock feeding on the grassy area adjacent the research car park at 18:30 last night as he left work - he described it perfectly-and one I still need for then patch!

Finally, with the sun shining I wasn't too surprised to see a butterfly flitting around outside the office window - a Red Admiral that had tucked itself somewhere warm to avoid last night's heavy frost. 

Tuesday 7th September 2010

A suprise in the form of 2x Turtle Doves flushed from a newly combined field north of Easterfields, East Malling. One alighted into a tree over the road where I managed a pic (see below) before it took flight again - top quality as usual...come on it's the reason you visit my site! Amazingly these are the first Turtle Doves I've seen on the East Malling side of my patch, although I've heard them 'purring' in Oaken Woods before. An amazing 32x Collared Doves, 2x Stock Doves and 18x Wood Pigeons also took flight - the Collared Doves weighing down a near-by wire!


15x Pied wagtails were seen in the paddocks, but no Wheatears or Whinchats this time.

Good numbers of Linnets and Yellowhammers and a single Chiffchaff and Whitethroat plumped up the hedgerows.


The day finished with a fantastic sky - a crescent prism and then a brooding sunset.

Thursday 29th July 2010

Up to my eyes again at work so only a few sightings from today.  A Silver-Y caught in the kitchen last night was one of seven seen - numbers seem to be increasing on my patch.  Another moth was also caught, looks like some sort of Underwing to me but I'd be grateful for help IDing.  Just scrolling through Ross' blog, and almost falling asleep in the process, I can positively ID it as Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, long name for a small moth! 

Good numbers of Linnets on the way into work near Gallagher's Gallop and evidence of Kestrels breeding near the Quarry all made for an interesting 10 minute bike ride. 

The Little Owl had changed position and posed on the guttering on the SE edge of Kiln Barn Farm Barn, and when he turned his head he was surprisingly camouflaged.

At lunchtime the light had deteriorated and a my photo of the 'Black 5' was spoilt by not being able to use a fast enough shutter speed. 

As I returned to work a couple of planes 'growled' over - one a Spit, the other a Harvard I think (help me Twisden)?  Steam train & Spit - it was like finding myself back in the 1940s! 

I'd seen the 'Harvard' over yesterday as well - any ideas where it's flying from anyone or white the other plane (white dot underneath) is?  A Spit and Hurricane had flow over site on Friday afternoon as well - is the Battle of Britain really over?!

Late this evening the Hedgehog paid another visit - blurring caused by the speed it moved (like the train).

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 14th July

White-tailed Lapwing

The White-tailed Lapwing was polite enough to linger at Dungeness for another day, and James wanted to see it having missed it a Rainham last week.  With the Purple Herons and Great White Egret all sighted this afternoon I couldn't turn his offer of a lift.  Leaving work I was sad to find a dead Greenfinch at the base of one of the windows on the main lab building of the Research Station.  Waiting for my lift I counted 13 species including Yellowhammers, Linnet, House Martin and Pied Wagtails. 

Arriving at the ARC pit we quickly connected with the White-tailed Plover, rather distant but constantly active and often giving excellent views in the early evening sun (where were the thunderstorms?) including a couple of short flights.  Up to three Green Sandpipers were also present, one sitting out very close to the ARC screen.  This was turning into a lovely evening!

Moving onto Denge Marsh Road for the Purple Heron we were greeted with that thunderstorm that we were expecting earlier - the car rocked and some poor sod who had been down at the bridge got caught in it (see below). 

After the rain came the sun accompanied by a fantastic rainbow topped by a Purple Heron seen in flight for 30 seconds or so before it dipped down back into the reeds. 

Yellow and Pied Wagtails, Linnets, Reed Buntings, Sand Martins and 1000+ Starlings were also on show, many coming down to visit the newly created puddles on the road. A male Sparrowhawk got everyhting into the air as it made a couple of low passes.  A dramatic, and successful evening.

The same view along Denge Marsh Road as the 'storm' pic above, but about 15 minutes later!

Friday 21st May

All the usual suspects on the cycle into work - but Linnets and Yellowhammers more noticeable than of late.  A sortie up to the felled areas in Barming Woods turned up a distant Tree Pipit, heard not seen, and good numbers of Willow Warblers.  It was good to see House Marting, 8 in total, prospecting sites around the East Malling Research main laboratory buildings - they've been around since Tuesday.  Pleasing to see a few more than last year.

Thursday 29th April

Appointments with a couple of visitors today and doing the school run curtailed my usual cycle into work.  After dropping my lad off to school I stopped by take a peek at some paddocks that lie south of Sweets Lane/Easterfields, East Malling.  The habitat looked perfect for migrants, but all I picked out was a Pied Wagtail and a couple of Linnets.  The scratchy song of a Whitehroat carried from the nearby hedgerow. 

Three Orange Tips and a possible Small Tortioseshell flitted by. Taking a final scan around the hedgerows and trees surronding the paddock I picked out a Wheatear sitting a top one of the smaller trees.  It nervously from one tree to the next but never touched down on the ground. 

Not sure if it's 'Greenlander' - didn't seem as big or orange as the bird I had on Tuesday, but still my 3rd Wheatear for the Spring so I'm not complaining!

I managed a quick trip out at lunchtime, no Wheatear but for you train buffs a King Arthur class steam loco through East Malling station as I waited to cross the line - 30777 Sir Lamiel on it's way to Canterbury

Tuesday 12th January

A walk around East Malling Research land again today. A slight thaw had set in, and the cereal stubble just started to poke through. The usual massed flock of Fieldfares and Redwings, 3x Green Woodpecker, 42x Blackbirds, 214x Greylag Geese, 2x Common Gulls, 16x Linnets....but no Woodcock, grrrrrrrr!