Saturday 19th July

Two short outings today. One between 5am and 6am to New Hythe. It was fairly overcast and didn't really brighten up enough during my visit for any photos. I went to see the White Mullien that Adam Whitehouse noted on his blog yesterday. Not a plant I had ever seen before - I may go back and try and photograph it but it is the other side of a chain link fence (that Adam had helpfully marked by putting a red plastic bottle through the fence. The grid ref is TQ7109 6029 if anyone is interested. Apparently it is a fairly scarce plant in Kent.

During my visit I also noted 2 juv. Green Woodpecker, 10 Swift, 2 Reed Warbler and 2 Blackcap.

Between 3 and 4 I went up to Holly Hill again. I am hoping for a Dark Green Fritillary up there but a fairly stiff breeze kept many butterflies down. I did see 1 Marbled White, 1 Chalkhill Blue, 1 Large White, 10 Meadow Brown, 8 Ringlet, 1 Large Skipper and 12 Small/Essex Skipper. Also 8 Slow Worm and plenty of Pyrammidal Orchid.

Small Skipper

Meadow Grasshopper

Chalkhill Blue

Gatekeeper

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar and Soldier Beetle

Sunday 13th July

I managed 2 hours out today. An hour and a half at New Hythe followed by just under half an hour at Holly Hill just up the road.

Principally I was looking for butterflies and was quite pleased in the end with my haul. At New Hythe I saw 2 Purple Hairstreak, 3 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 2 Small White, 1 Large White, 3 Essex Skipper, several Small/Essex Skipper, 6+ Gatekeeper and 10 Meadow Brown. Also at New Hythe was a single Water Vole, 2 Slow Worm, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2+ Reed Warbler singing, a Green Woodpecker and family parties of Whitethroat.

Up to Holly Hill I added 6 Marbled White (my first here), a fresh Chalkhill Blue, 20+ Small Heath and 40+ Ringlet. 6 Slow Worm but no Adder seen here.

Around home this lunchtime I have had a Yellowhammer singing in the tree next to my garden and a few Speckled Wood and Large White around.

Comma

Chalkhill Blue at rest and in flight (lucky shot!)

Essex Skippers (New Hythe)

Gatekeepers (New Hythe)

Marbled Whites (Holly Hill)

Meadow Brown (New Hythe)

Purple Hairstreak (New Hythe) - bit distant!

Ringlet (Holly Hill)

Small White (Worn) Holly Hill

Saturday 12th July

I may get out to New Hythe tomorrow but at the moment I am needed at home with the new baby and our other 3 cherubs....I did manage to drag them around Ryarsh Wood this afternoon for about half an hour. I was hoping for a White Admiral or maybe even a Silver-Washed Fritillary...no such luck. I did see 3 pristine Comma, 20+ Ringlet (mainly fairly worn) 4 Speckled Wood and 2 Large White......

Comma

Ringlet (worn)

Speckled Wood

Thursday 26th June

Ok, Ok so I'm not getting out much! Here are another couple of pictures of the Spotted Flycatcher taken this morning on the school run! Much happier with these.

Spotted Flycatcher

Tuesday 24th June

As mentioned yesterday I saw a Spotted Flycatcher in Ryarsh the next village to mine, in gardens opposite the village school. I went back this morning and there was at least one probably two calling and catching insects on the wing from bushes and overhead wires. I did manage a snap but not great......light was a bit harsh and I was a bit rubbish!

Spotted Flycatcher

Monday 23rd June

I had an hour to spare today so I decided to go to the lower slopes of Trosley Country Park just down the road. This is one of the premier areas in Kent, if not the country for butterflies - it is extensive chalk downland - part of the North Downs area of outstanding national beauty. I was prompted by John Young's blog post yesterday that he had had a Dark Green Fritillary at Lullingstone yesterday. Trosley has always been a great spot for this species but the numbers have declined dramatically in recent years.

Bee Orchid - wide angle shot showing some of the downs

Meadow Brown

I am sorry to report that I didn't see any Dark Green Frits but I will return for another go in a week or so. I did however see 1 Grizzled Skipper, 20 Ringlet, 12 Meadow Brown, 50+ Small Heath and 4 Common Blue. I also saw an Adder (prob a female but moved quickly once I'd spotted it) and 2 juv Slow Worm. Lots of Pyrammiddal Orchid out and 4-5 Bee Orchid.

Later in the day I picked my daughter up from Ryarsh Primary school and had some cracking views of a Spotted Flycatcher in the front garden of the Vicarage opposite. I only had my wife's point and shoot digital camera with me and my photos were woeful. I will take my camera with me tomorrow so I hope it's still around.

Saturday 21st June

Pretty much confined to home today. I did however take one short walk from home along the lane by my house. A young Little Owl showed briefly in an Ash Tree, also a Yellowhammer calling, 6 Goldfinch, 4 Skylark, 2 Whitethroat and a Kestrel.

Later I took a short drive to try and get baby Felix to nod off, I drove past some of my best local sites for Spotted Flycatcher but no sign in a few brief scans. I did stop off on the Pilgrims way at the foot of Trosley CP and added my first Ringlet of the year, with two in close succession feeding on hawthorn at TQ 647 611.

Tuesday June 17th

Late news for yesterday was a Hobby flying low past Birling Church at 8.45 last night.

A visit to New Hythe today between 9.45 and 11.30 today. Despite it being warm and sunny the lack of butterflies on the wing continues to be startling. 1 Large Skipper, my first for the year north of the scrape and single Speckled Wood in the small copse by the car-park were the only sightings. Odonata faired a bit better with 25 Black-tailed Skimmer, 1 Hairy Dragonfly, 8 Banded Demoiselle and numerous Blue Damsels including good numbers of Blue-tailed.

Large Skipper in flight

Bird sightings were thin on the ground. 1 Nightingale, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow and 10 Swift.

Banded Demoiselle (female)

In the East scrub 1 Grass Snake and 3 Slow Worm. Pyrammidal Orchid continue to emerge with at least 15 seen, also 1 'new' Bee Orchid.

At 3.45 this afternoon I was driving back into Birling when I saw a large Raptor fairly low being mobbed by Crows. I quickly realised it was a Red Kite, a second Kite then appeared alongside it and they disappeared towards New Hythe........

Sunday 15th June

With our other three staying with their cousins and the new baby fast asleep I managed to get out for an hour and a half. I spent my time just in the east and west scrub and the area around the scrape.

Best sighting were 4-5 Twayblade which I found after a tip off from Jerry Warne. Also a few Bee Orchid, hundreds of Common Spotted Orchid and the first emerging Pyrammidal. 4 Slow Worm and a Common Lizard in the East Scrub and only 1 Red Admiral and 1 Common Blue Butterfly, 1 Male Black Tailed Skimmer and several teneral BT Skimmers, a few 4-Spotted Chasers and innumarable Blue-tailed, Common Blue and Azure Damsels.


Birds of note were 2 Nightingale, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Willow Warbler and a Blackcap.

Twayblade

Bee Orchid

Juv. Starling

Saturday 14th June

Our fourth child arrived yesterday (I resisted adding Stork to my New Hythe list!) This is obviously going to affect my posts a little for a few weeks (or maybe not...perhaps he will like a few walks around the patch!?) Added a Little Owl driving back into Birling along Bull Road from Maidstone Hospital at 8.30 last night.

Felix - 9lb 8oz born (Friday!) 13th June 10.12am

Sunday 8th June

National Moth Night last night so I put my Moth Trap out. A Tawny Owl was calling as I did. They are only occassional around my house in Birling. I was a bit disappointed with my haul, a Snout, a Common Swift and White Ermine was about it. During the day I had a Hobby and a Kestrel over the house.

Snout Moth (you can see why!)

I did manage an hour at New Hythe from 5.20 until around 6.20. I wandered around the East and West scrub. I didn't see one butterfly, but did see several Black-Tailed Skimmer, Four-Spotted Chasers and loads of Common and Azure Damsels. In the West Scrub there was a Cuckoo, Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Willow Warbler, Cettis Warbler, Whitethroat and Green Woodpecker. Also lots of Common Spotted Orchid, 1 Bee Orchid and 1 Southern Marsh Orchid (which was nearly over)

Common Lizard

Common Spotted Orchid

In the East scrub I saw 2 Grass Snake, 1 male, 2 female and 1 juv Slow Worm and 1 Common Lizard. Also 1+ adult Water Vole and 1+ young Water Vole near the Diver's bridge.

Saturday 7th June

I was woken up at 3.50am this morning by at least 2 Little Owl calling near my house, a Skylark in full song and a Yellowhammer going at full pelt. I knew I was going to have little time to get out today so I decided to get up and go straight to New Hythe. I was there at 4.05am just as it was getting light.

During an hour and 45minutes I didn't see one other person...not even the dreaded dog walkers! Best sighting was 3 Hobby that were swooping around the round pond/scrape area at 4.15am. They were feeding on the wing and when I first saw them reminded me of the Nightjars I had seen a few days earlier. Amazing to see these silhouettes dashing just as dawn was breaking.

Female Chaffinch with nesting material

I walked through the west and east scrub, over the river, around Abbey Mead lingering by the sunken marsh and then around Brooklands Lake and back along the Millstream. In total I saw/heard 20 Whitethroat, 8 Nightingale, 10 Reed Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Cuckoo, 40 Swift, 4 Reed Bunting, 7 Blackcap, 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5 song Thrush, 9 Cettis Warbler, 1 Shelduck, 1 Great Spot and a Black Swan!

All this and I was back home by 5.45!

At 11.30 I was driving past Alders and Tesco Lake, I did my usual scan for Terns and at last added a Common Tern on Tescos sitting on a buoy. My 96th species here for the year.

Wednesday 4th June

My annual visit to Mereworth Woods this evening a few miles away. Arrived at 8.30 and left around 10.30. Heard at least 3 Nightjar with some great fly-past views and wing-clapping. Also c4 roding Woodcock and a distant Tawny Owl. Also hundreds of Common Spotted Orchid around the wood and a number of fly past Pipistrelle Bats.

Tuesday June 3rd

A quick visit between 4.30 and 5pm today - it was drizzling which was a shame. Best sighting was a Hobby over the west scrub, 5 Nightingale still singing, 6 Swift, 2 Linnet still in the east scrub, 1 Green Woodpecker and a Mistle Thrush. 1 Grass Snake and 1 juv Slow Worm.

Sunday June 1st

I was out between 9.30 and 11.15 today, overcast but still. 4 Nightgale were heard, 1 Cuckoo, 8 Reed Warbler, 10 Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, c40 Swift and best of all 2 Linnet in the East scrub - my 95th species for the year. Also a Kestrel in the area. Around the East scrub I also found 1 Grass Snake and 4 Slow Worm.

Overcast and warm conditions are good for insect photography....these would have all been better with a tripod but I can't be bothered to lug one around!

Cardinal Beetle

Male Scorpion Fly (gets it's name from the tail)

Male Banded Demoiselle (thought I'd post this as it's better than the one I took the other day)

Long-Jawed Orb-Weaver

Late update - here is a White Ermine, one of three I trapped last night.

Saturday 31st May

From 4am this morning I had 3 Little Owl calling around my garden. One was viewable from my bedroom window high up in a tree. We usually have 2-3 pairs breed around the village so good to hear they are still holding strong. I also ran my moth trap last night just one Treble Lines moth (Charanyca trigrammica) and two male Common Swift (Hepialus Iupulinus)

My only visit to New Hythe today was again with the children from 2 - 3.30. We took our pond dipping stuff and spent our time on the dipping platform again over the Round Pond. Lots of Pond snail, Ramshorn Snail, Water Beetle and Whirligig Beetles. Also 6 Damselfly Nymphs - anyone any idea of the species?

Damselfly Nymph

My three cherubs looking at our pond dipping catch

Best bird sighting was a Hobby circling over, 4 Whitethroat, 3 Reed Warbler and 2 Pairs of Reed Bunting feeding young.

Friday 30th May

I took some time off work today to help out with the children. We spent some time behind Birling church then an hour and a half with a picnic at New Hythe followed by an hour at a playground in the next village of Ryarsh.

I was hoping to see a Spotted Flycatcher in Birling Churchyard but no sign. Just a calling Cuckoo and a Whitethroat. Over at New Hythe we walked from Lunsford Lane to the dipping platform on the round pond and back. Not many birds singing, just a few Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting and Blackcap. On the Round Pond we watched 2 Four-spotted Chasers duelling over the water and chasing Blue Damsels. Later back-up at the Millstream on Lunsford Lane we saw at least 6 female and 4 Male Banded Demoiselle.

Banded Demoiselle (female)

Banded Demoiselle (male)

Ryarsh was very quiet and as we went back to the car I heard a Greenfinch making a strange alarm call by the village hall. I turned expecting to see a Sparrowhawk shoot by but instead I was suprised to see a Little Owl sitting on the village hall roof. I grabbed my camera and managed to get one shot before it flew off. Not bad picture seeing as I took it with my macro lens!

Little Owl

Thursday May 29th

I had an hour to spare this afternoon and after the good weather this morning thought I would get a chance to take some photos around New Hythe...no chance, it was bucketting down again. I did hear 2 Nightingale, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and 2 Willow Warbler and around 20 Swift and 3 sand Martin were forced down low by the weather.

6 Slow Worm, 2 Common Lizard and 1 Grass Snake were found sheltering from the rain in the east scrub. I also saw c6 Common Spotted Orchid and some nice Ragged Robin.

Sunday May 25th

It was the Leybourne Lakes CP Bird Walk this morning from 6am. Of course this coincided with heavy rain almost throughout. Still 5 of us braved the weather. Bird song was significantly down on recent weeks we heard/saw 4 Nightingale, 1 Cuckoo, c40 Swift, 1 Sand Martin, 3 Willow Warbler, several Reed Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Also 1 Great Spotted and 1 Green Woodpecker and a lone Stock Dove. Looks like more of this weather for the rest of the day and tomorrow as well....

Update for mid PM Sunday, i was driving back into Birling and there was a Little Owl on wires over the road. I later went up the road to Holly Hill for half an hour as the weather picked up. Here I found this Adder, 3 Slow Worm, 1 Dingy Skipper, 1 Grizzled Skipper, 2 Small Heath and 8 Common Blue

Adder

Slow Worm

Small Heath

Wednesday 21st May

I am off to Bristol for a few days with work but managed to fit in an hour and a half visit around lunchtime today.

Best sighting was 2 (probably 3) Hobby (94 for year) hawking over the Millstream path/Millstream Lake - a new one for the year for me. Other birds of note were a single Cuckoo, 2 displaying Sparrowhawk, several Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a single Nightingale. A few Swift, Sand Martin and House Martin were also around.

Butterflies were thin on the ground. A Grizzled Skipper was in the far corner of the East Scrub by the railway line, a probable Small Copper, 1 Speckled Wood and a Small White were about it.

A dark (newly emerged?) Broad-bodied Chaser was in the West Scrub, a single Large Red Damsel, 2 Hairy Dragons, 1 Banded Demoiselle and hundred of 'blue' damsels of various species. Some Common Spotted Orchid are also emerging in the West and East Scrub.

Monday 19th May

I didn't get to New Hythe at all over the weekend....our fourth child is due in less than a month so home called! I did a quick half an hour on Saturday out of home along the lane at 5am. A Cuckoo called and flew across the path in front of me. Also 4 Whitethroat were heard and a Yellowhammer sang as did a Skylark - two birds I don't see too often at New Hythe.

On Monday I did manage 45 mins at New Hythe between 5 and 5.45pm. I hoped for some butterflies but didn't see any at all. There were 100+ Swift screaming overhead, as well as a few sand martin and house martin on Alders. Several Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Nightingale sang. A Water Vole was in the usual place, 2 Slow Worm, 1 Common Lizard, 2 Hairy Dragonfly, 1 Blue-Tailed Damsel and several Common-Blue Damsels completed the sightings.

Common Lizard

Sunday 11th May

I was out between 6.15 and 9.15 today. Shortly after parking near the Water Walks I saw a Treecreeper - a fairly scarce patch bird. It flew onto a tree fairly near me and then fed on the outer branches. Really pleased with that but couldn't get a decent picture. Across the area today I had 21 Whitethroat, 20 Reed Warbler, 11 Nightingale, 8 Blackcap, 3 Garden Warbler, 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Turtle Dove, 2 Cuckoo, 1 Sedge Warbler, only 5 Cettis, and 5 Swift. In addition I also saw 1 Great Spot, 4 Long Tailed Tit, 3 Chiffs, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Trush, 1 Male Bullfinch, 1 Reed Bunting and a Green Woodpecker.

WATER VOLE

LESSER WHITETHROAT

GREEN-VEINED WHITE

Best sighting of the day was a patch tick in - a Green Hairstreak! Fantastic, I found it feeding on Buttercup at the west end of the scrape. Also a Green Veined White, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Small White and several Orange Tip.

GREEN HAIRSTREAK

1 Water Vole was also noted as well as 2 Grass Snake, 6 Slow Worm and a Common Lizard. Also 1 Hairy Dragonfly, and several Azure and Common Blue Damsels

Later I joined a KRAG walk (Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group) walk at Wrotham Water about 3 miles away. Here we noted 1 Grass Snake, several Slow Worm, 12 species of Butterfly - Small Heath (20+), Common Blue (20+) Dingy Skipper (c10) Grizzled Skipper (c10), Brimstone (2), Peacock (1) Comma (1) Speckled Wood (1) Green Veined White (2) Small White (c10) Holly Blue (3) Orange Tip (c10) Also lots of spikes of Man Orchid, Common Twayblade and one Common Spotted Orchid

GRASS SNAKE - WROTHAM WATER

COMMON BLUE PAIR MATING

Saturday 10th May

Out between 6am and 7.30am today.

Most prominent bird was Reed Warbler with 24 seen/heard. Interestingly numbers of Nightingale and Whitethroat seemed to be down with only 7 of the former and 12 of the latter noted. I wonder if they have now paired and bred so are not singing as much?

Also noted today were 11 Blackcap, 5 Willow Warbler, 11 Cettis, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Turtle Dove, 7 Chiffchaff, 7 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush and 2 Bullfinch including a stunning male. A Water Vole was also seen in the usual place.

WILLOW WARBLER

Thursday 8th May

I visited from 7.45pm to 9.15pm tonight. I was hoping for Hobby but no sign. I added a Common Sandpiper to my yeat list along the Medway - i think that takes me to 93 bird species. Also 3 Cuckoo, 6+ Nightingale, good numbers of Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Reed Warbler.


1 Grass Snake, 6 Slow Worm and a Water Vole were also seen.

Bank-side Orb-weaver (thanks Greg!)

Tuesday 6th May

Now things don't often fall into place like this.......I decided to drop in quickly post work (4.45 - 5.15ish) principally to try and find either Green Hairstreak and/or Hobby. I saw neither BUT had the fantastic sight of 3 Crane drifting over for about 10 minutes. They first appeared over the east scrub and then drifted first over the west scrub and then towards Tesco, then came back over me and drifted over Snodland and towards the North Downs. Obviously a New Hythe tick for me!! excuse the pictures...I managed to wrestle my macro lens off whilst holding my bins and throw my 100-400 lens on. So silhouettes are the best I could manage at such range.

3 CRANE drifting over at 5pm

Only other sightings of note in my half hour visit were 7 Slow Worm, 2 Grass Snake, 1 Common Lizard, 1 Orange Tip, 1 Peacock, 2 Nightingale and several Whitethroat.

Monday May 5th

I had a couple of hours out yesterday afternoon (4th) and then a quick half an hour today was all I could manage.

GRIZZLED SKIPPER - HOLLY HILL

2 COMMON LIZARD - THEY WERE EVERYWHERE ON HOLLY HILL

Yesterday I went to Holly Hill first at around 1.30 - 2.30pm. 5 Grizzled Skipper, 2 Dingy Skipper, 2 Brimstone, 3 Orange Tip and a Peacock. Also 7 Slow Worm and numerous Common Lizard - rustles in the grass everywhere.

I then nipped down to New Hythe principally to try for Green Hairstreak - a species that has eluded me here for a number of years. No sign but I did see another nice Grizzled Skipper and managed a better photo than my last New Hythe effort.

GENUINE NEW HYTHE GRIZZLED SKIPPER!!

Today, Monday, I literally had a quick half an hour wander around the scrun to the west of the scrape, again on the look-out for Green Hairstreak. Still no luck but I did see 1 Holly Blue, 2 Orange Tip (males) and a Large White.

HOLLY BLUE - IN SCRUB BY SCRAPE

Sunday 4th May

Overcast but very warm fro my visit this morning. I only had an hour and a half so it was a quick trot around between 5.50 and 7.20am.

I may try and get around again later principally for butterflies. Yesterday around Birling i had several Orange Tip, a few Speckled Wood and a Holly Blue.

Here this morning I counted 16 Nightingale, 25 Whitethroat, 11 Reed Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 3 Cuckoo, 6 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Willow Warbler, 7 Chiffchaff, 6 Cettis, 4 Song Thrush, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Bullfinch and 2 Shelduck on the Medway. It was interesting this morning to watch a pair of Whitethroat chase each other in a figure of eight around some bushes, they must have completed the circuit 50 times!

4 Water Vole were feeding by the divers car park bridge as usual. I can never resist photographing them. In the east scrub I had 3 Slow Worm including a juvenille.

More Water Vole pictures!!

Saturday 3rd May

A visit between 5.30am and 7.30am this morning. A very misty and cold start but it got progressively brighter. I added my first Garden Warbler of the year on the peninsula near Brook House. Apart from that what was most noticeable were Whitethroat numbers - I counted 25 in total. Also 15 Blackcap, 8 Nightingale, 13 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Cuckoo, 2 Turtle Dove, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Swift, 5 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 7 Song Thrush, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Shelduck, 1 Water Rail, 2 Shelduck and several young Heron feeding along the Medway.

WHITETHROAT

CUCKOO
BLACKCAP

Also 2 Water Vole, one by the divers bridge and another at the end of the Millstream by the Brooklands Car park entrance.

Sunday 27th April

I only had the opportunity for an hour and a half visit today between 2.30 and 4 with a pushchair to keep my youngest contained. That meant I was limited to a wander around the east and west scrub area. Nothing new today but 16 Swift, 6 Nightingale, 5 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Willow Warbler and numerous Blackcap.

Cuckoo (heavily cropped as distant)

Jay

2 Water Vole showed well by the divers car-park bridge and there were 2 Grass Snake, including a huge 2 footer, 3 Slow Worm and a Common Lizard in the east scrub and 1 Peacock in the West Scrub.

Saturday 26th April

I was out between 6am and 9am this morning. Bright and sunny and quite warm by the time I left. I counted an amazing 18 Nightingale this morning, along with my first Turtle Dove (my 90th species for the year), 11 Whitethroat, 11 Blackcap, 7 Swift, 4 Swallow, 5 Reed Warbler, 6 Cettis, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spot, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Kingfisher (my first for a while), 1 Reed Bunting, 3 Shelduck on the Medway.

Nightingale - one of 18 today

Turtle Dove - distant but you can see what it is!

Non-bird sightings included a pair of spiralling Speckled Wood in the west scrub, 1 Male Orange Tip, 1 Water Vole, 2 Slow Worm, 1 Newt Eft and a Bee Fly.

Later I visited again with my 3 children running riot. I was hoping for some more butterflies as it had warmed up. I was pleased to add my first Grizzled Skipper for the year (excuse the terrible picture, the butterfly wouldn't allow close approach and my 2 year old was hurtling towards it so I fired off on frame very quickly from 20 feet away!!) Also 1 Small White, 3 Peacock and another Orange Tip.

Grizzled Skipper (east scrub)

This week there have been some other interesting sightings seen here by others. An Otter was seen just down river on Wednesday and a Grasshopper Warbler in the Sunken Marsh area on Friday....

Thursday 24th April

A pre-work visit between 6am and 7.20am today....too murky for any photos. Some good numbers and one new bird for the year today - a Lesser Whitethroat rattling from the path between the railway and Abbey Mead - I think that is my 89th bird species of the year here..I must have a tot up! In addition to this 11 Nightingale, 15 Whitethroat, 11 Blackcap, 4 Reed Warbler, 1 Cuckoo (on wires over the sunken marsh), 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 6 Song Thrush, and 1 each of Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker.

Also one Water Vole in the drainage ditch between the east and west scrub.

Wednesday 23rd April

A quick 45 minute visit between 4.30 and 5.15 today, I was hoping for some butterflies as the weather had brightened up after a dull and misty day. All I saw was a distant 'white' - probably a female Orange Tip but too distant to be sure.

I saw my first Common Lizard of the year as well as 3 Slow Worm and 2 Newt Efts.

Common Lizard

Bird-wise a singing Goldcrest in the West Srub was a a suprise, 5 singing Nightingale, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Green Woodpecker, 5 Willow Warbler, 1 Cettis, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Chiffchaff across the East and West scrub (which was as far as I got in the time!)

Sunday 20th April

I spent a lot of time at New Hythe today. From 6.30 to 10am with Greg Hitchcock and then 10 - 12.45 with the first Leybourne Lakes birdwalk of the year and then again for half an hour 6.15 to 6.45.

Little Gull on Brooklands Lake

Some really good sightings today, Terry Laws found a Little Gull on Brooklands Lake which gave some very good views and late PM a male Wheatear in the East Scrub area. I also added a Cuckoo (at last) calling close from the back of the sunken marsh.

Male Wheatear East Scrub

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Other sightings of note included 8 Nightingale, 4 Sedge Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler, 7 Whitethroat, 1 Sand Martin, 5 Water Vole together near the divers car-park bridge - the largest number I have ever seen here. 2 Newt Efts were also seen. The adult Little Gull showed really well on Brooklands Lake. Early evening a Wheatear was found in the east scrub area it allowed a fairly close approach and then sat up in the bushes.

One of the most interesting sightings on our bird walk was the sight of a Water Vole 2 feet or so off the ground in a rose bush near the divers car park bridge. It had obviously scrambled up and was wondering what it was doing there!

Saturday 19th April

A very grim morning today, I left home at 6am in heavy rain. I parked by the water works entrance off of the A228. As i parked up 2 Nightingale were singing close together either side of the road by the Water Works entrance. These were the first of 8 Nightingale heard this morning.

NIGHTINGALE SINGING IN THE RAIN!

I added two new migrants for the year to add to yesterday's Swift. 2 Sedge Warbler (getting quite a scarce bird here now) were seen and heard from the path that runs through the sunken marsh at the top of Abbey Mead, also 2 of 6 Reed Warbler heard today were there. 16 Sand Martin, 9 Willow Warbler, only 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Whitethroat and 11 Blackcap were also noted.

I addition to the birds 1 Water Vole and 3 Newt Efts under a plank of wood (either Palmate or Smooth - pretty impossible to tell at this stage)

Still no Cuckoo for me this year (although one was heard last week here)

Friday 18th April

The day off work today but no chance to get out to New Hythe....I did drive past Alders Lake on the way to do one of my chores and a Swift was wheeling overhead. a very early record for me.

Tuesday 15th April

A male Redstart was seen yesterday by Alan Roman in the East Scrub (exactly the same place that i found one almost exactly two years ago) I visited this morning at 6am pre-work in the hope it would stick around. I could only stay an hour and couldn't find it. I did hear 3 Nightingale and 3 Whitethroat along with at least 5 Willow Warbler, 1 Cettis, 1 Great Spot and 1 Green Woodpecker. These were all in the East and West scrub area.

Sunday 13th April

Another nice bright but cold start this morning. Out at 6.20am until 9.30.

BLACKCAP

2 Nightingale today, one near the Brook House entrance and one still by the stile near the east scrub. Also the Whitethroat that I saw on Tuesday was refound in the same area - I managed a quick snap but it was very mobile. Other birds of note were 19 Blackcap, 12 Cettis, 11 Willow Warbler, 2 Sparrowhawk, a pair of Reed Bunting, 3 Green Woodpecker and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

WHITETHROAT

Also 1 Grass Snake, 1 Slow Worm, 4 Newt Efts (not sure what species they are) and 3 Water Vole, including a 'new' one at the end of the Millstream near the entrance to Brooklands Lake car park.

SLOW WORM

2 of 4 Newt Efts seen today

Saturday 12th April

A nice bright but cold morning for my visit between 6.15 and 9am. I was hoping to increase my list of Spring migrants but added just one, a Nightingale singing close to the stile by the railway line in the East Scrub area. It responded to my whisltles but didn't show itself.

Other sightings today were 17 Blackcap, 13 Chiffchaff, 8 Willow Warbler (lower than recently so a number must have been on passage) 10 Cettis, also 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Green woodpecker, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Soaring Sparrowhawk (a pair which are nesting close by) 1 Bullfinch and 2 Reed Bunting. Also one Water Vole.

Great Crested Grebe with young on her back

Tuesday 8th April

Out between 6.30 and 8.30 this morning. Still more Willow Warbler in with 16 heard/seen in the area. Also a Green Sandpiper on the scrape, 14 Blackcap, 12 Cettis, 13 Chiffchaff and a single Swallow.

REED BUNTING

Best sighting was my 81st species for the year on my patch, a lone Whitethroat near the scrape. Other birds of note were 4 Green Woodpecker, one drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Bullfinch and two Reed Bunting. One Water Vole showed well.