Sunday 24 February 2013

This week has seen a few ducks appear on the lake. A short visit on Tuesday produced the first Tufted Duck (74) of the year. Yesterday I popped in on my way home from work and found five Teal (2 Drakes and three ducks), as well as three Coots, a pair of Mandarins, five Great-crested Grebes and two Kingfishers.
On this mornings walk it was noticeable that a lot of gulls were moving N/east, with counts of                   260 Black-headed, 14 Common, 10 Herring and 3 Lesser-black backed.
The lake held 16 Moorhens, 1 Coot, 5 Great-crested Grebes and 6 Goosanders(all redheads).There were very few winter thrushes about with just 5 Fieldfares and 2 Redwings seen plus a Mistle thrush.
The stream below the lake held a Grey Wagtail.

Sunday 17 February 2013

The weekend hasn't produced much of note although yesterday I had a hybrid Canada x Greylag on the lake. Five Mandarins flew over and a Grey Wagtail was on the waterfall.
The Alders held a flock of thirty Siskins and nine Lesser Redpolls. The Great-crested Grebe count was three and there was a single Kingfisher.In the early afternoon I had to drop my daughter in Tonbridge and on the way back found fifteen Waxwings eating rose hips in Vale Road.
Today's walk was abandoned when I reached the dam end as the fog was so thick I couldn't see anything although I could hear a Treecreeper singing.
Later on I had a quick walk down to the lake but found not a lot. I decided to watch the sky for a bit over Kirkin's farm. This produced six Buzzards circling together, which was great as I've only seen odd birds recently.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Despite the appalling weather on Sunday I went for a walk around Furnace Pond. This turned out to be a bit disappointing, not unsurprisingly. However  there was a flock of seventy plus Siskins in the alders with a mixed flock of Goldfinches and Chaffinches feeding beneath them.
The lake held a few Mallard and Moorhens as well as a Coot and a pair of Great-crested Grebes.
In the new orchard I had some great close views of a Buzzard feeding on earthworms on the ground.
The local kingfisher had been joined by another and they were chasing each other up and down the lake.
After a while I decided to give it best and go home to get dried out.
I sat watching the feeders in the garden and was treated to a pair of Siskins coming to the sunflower hearts.

In the afternoon I went for a walk around Share Farm,on the other side of the village, in the hope of adding Snipe. Which didn't happen. I did see a flock of twenty five Yellowhammers and four Skylarks as well as another Buzzard feeding on earthworms. Presumably these are easy pickings when the ground is so wet.
On to today, with the highlight being a redhead Goosander(73) on Furnace Pond.
A rather distant Goosander which I couldn't get close to.