Wednesday 29 June 2016

June has just about gone and the patch is in a settled mode.
Pairs of Common Terns were seen off and on until the 20th and probably the last calling Cuckoo was heard on 18th.
The Kestrel chicks are growing fast but look alittle way off fledging.

A lot of birds have been fledging including Treecreeper, Whitethroat and the first Reed Warblers.
The 14th saw 34 Stock Doves feeding in one of the cleared orchards.
A total of 32 Swifts were over the village on the 18th and Mandarin numbers have fluctuated as birds are coming on to the lake to moult.
Another Red Kite went south over the house on the 26th.
Two of the local Buzzard pairs have raised single chicks with one leaving the nest on 27th.
Young Buzzard on the nest
The two Great crested Grebe chicks are doing well down at the lake.
Hitching a ride!
Dragonflies have been few and far but I have managed a few shots
                                                                 Broad bodied Chaser
Downy Emerald
Beautiful Demoiselle

The local Grass Snakes have been seen occasionally and I managed to get ashot of one sunbathing:-
Grass snake enjoying the sunshine

Finally, a walk this evening produced my first Sand Martin(95) of the year amongst a group of hirundines feeding below the dam.






Monday 6 June 2016

May into early June

After being away for the weekend of  28th/29th May I got out onto the patch in the late afternoon of the 30th.
On the way down Furnace Lane I found both Great and Coal Tit fledglings in the hedgerow and was pleased to find a Marsh Tit there as well.
Coal Tit fledgling
Down at the lake and I noticed that a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were heading into the cool N/W wind. As I walked up the orchard a Red kite drifted over heading towards Brenchley Wood. This was followed five minutes later by a second bird. I walked along the farm track watching it float west. As I turned to come back down the field , to my amazement I saw two more birds circling over the wood at the southern end.Incredible!!Four Red Kites in such a short amount of time.
The highlite of a walk on Saturday 4th June was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the bottom of Shirrenden.
The day got even better in the afternoon when I nipped out for a quick walk and had a GREAT WHITE EGRET(94) fly over me,going north over Kirkins.Surely this will be my bird of the year.
The local birds doing well and more and more young are being seen.
Blue Tit Fledgling
Young Goldfinch
On the insect front and a Painted Lady was seen sheltering in a hedge in Maidstone Road
Painted Lady

Sunday morning and a Fallow Deer was seen in Shirrenden
Fallow Deer