3rd April 2015

It was a horrible damp start to the day which persisted for most of the rest of it.At least the wind had died a bit but wasn't the light N/Westerly I was expecting.
The walk around kirkins didn't turn up anything new but it was good to find the male Linnet still singing at the top of the field.
The walk around produced 7 Chiffchaffs and a fly over Meadow Pipit which will probably be the last until autumn.A Skylark was singing over the large field at Swigs Hole and as I approached Furnace I was pleasantly surprised by bird song all around. Spring seems to have arrived even if the weather hasn't improved much.
The Yellowhammer was singing from the hedge near the pumping station but there didn't seem to have been any new arrivals.
I continued my walk around the orchard and down to the lake with a Grey heron flying over towards the stock pond. With not a lot to see I chatted to the lone angler at the lake and was delighted to see the first Swallow(72) of the spring fly up it.
A pair of Goldcrests busied themselves building a nest in some lakeside ivy and as I walked towards the Great Crested Grebes nest I was pleased to see 2 eggs.

Grebes nest

It's amazing how strong the urge to nest must be for them to start again within a week of loosing the last clutch.

Just before dark the weather seemed to have changed to what the weather man had predicted so hopefully something might turn up tomorrow.

Footnote:- Whilst driving in to Tonbridge this afternoon no less than 8 Buzzards were circling over the village of Five Oak Green.

Once again the month has whizzed by and the list has crept along.
The 12th saw me adding Red Legged Partridge(66) at six o'clock in the morning as one was on the road outside our house as I pulled off the drive.
The following day I had the first Chiffchaff(67) of the year as one was calling at the southern end of the lake.

First Chiffchaff of the year.

On the 15th a walk at the lake produced one of the Lesser Spots,30 Goldfinchesand 2 Lesser Redpolls and the orchard  held around 70 Fieldfares and 120 Redwings. The walk back up the hill proved very eventful when a Little Egret(68) flew over me heading ENE over the village. This is a great tick for me as it is only the fourth record in nineteen years.

On the 23rd I added a Coot(69) on my way to work and also saw a summer plumaged Little Grebe on the lake.

Popping in on my way home I saw a large raptor coming towards me from the north which I thoght was going to be one of the local buzzards but as it got nearer I could see it was a female Marsh Harrier(70)Brilliant!! The Coot had been joined by another and the Great crested Grebes had one egg on the nest.

The walk on Saturday started in orchard behind Tucks. On entering it I heard the song of the first Blackcap(71) of the spring.I wondered if it was a migrant or a bird which may have overwintered. The Chiffchaff s had increased to a total of six singing birds around the patch.

This morning was a bit of a non entity but the Grebes showed me that they had three eggs. Unfortunately I popped down to the lake this afternoon and the the nest had been destroyed by the strong winds. A sad end but there will be plenty of time to rebuild and raise a family.

This evening at seven o'clock there was a movement of gulls over the house with 13 Lesser black Backed and 23 Herring Gulls heading south.

Week Ending 08/03/15

Saturday began with me making my way down to Kirkins. The back garden yielding Goldfinch,House Sparrow,Collared Dove and Blackbird as I made my way out.
Song Thrushes were in full song as were the local Robins.
The top of Kirkins saw me adding Wood pigeon,Blue tit and a pair of flyover jackdaws.On the field were a few Starlings and three magpies.Two Greenfinches went over in their song flight and Dunnocks were chasing about the brambles.
Behind Tucks Villas I added Jay,Mistle thrush, Bullfinch, Great tit and a single Linnet and Stock Dove.
Into Furnace Lane and a Wren called from the hedgerow.
At the pumping station I found 4 Yellowhammers feeding in the horse paddock with a good number of Fieldfares and Redwings.
At Hononton farm I had 3 Herring Gulls over and a single Common Gull.
The ditch at the southern end of the lake held a singing Reed Bunting.

Male Reed Bunting in full song

I decided to check the cleared field behind the farm house and added Skylark and Meadow Pipit.

The lake held very little save for the usual Great-crested grebes, Mallards, Moorhens, Mandarin and Black headed Gull.

On the Sirrenden side I had all three woodpeckers plus Long tailed tit,Coal tit,Goldcrest , Treecreeper and Nuthatch. On the raptor front I had Kestrel and Buzzard.

Walking back towards Furnace Lane and the pair of Grey Wagtails were below the waterfall.

As I got back to the house two Rooks went over as did a Pied Wagtail.

In total I saw 48 species which I think is a fantastic tally for the day.

On Sunday I added Kingfisher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pheasant and Sparrowhawk and amazingly I had a Tawny Owl calling at 9 o'clock in the morning!!

In the garden at 11.50 a.m five Buzzards were circling over the house.It's extraordinary how they have multiplied in the last few years.

Male House Sparrow in the garden

So,53 species were seen at the weekend.Brilliant!!

A quick walk on 21st February produced 7 Tufted Drakes(65) on the lake in the afternoon and a Brambling on the dam end in the morning.

Rather unapproachable Tufted Drakes

The patch walk on the last day of February was a damp one with a mixture of rain and sleet on a chilly wind.

It's still very quiet on the lake with the usual Great Crested Grebes, Mallards, Mandarins and Moorhens on the water and a couple of Canada Geese over.

A walk through the alder wood at the southern end was a bit more productive with a nice flock of Goldfinches plus 5 Lesser Redpolls and a single Siskin( Where have all the Siskins gone?).

I also found a mixed flock which contained Blue Tit, Great Tit,Treecreeper,Long tailed Tit,and Goldcrest.

Somewhere in the wood a Lesser Spot called and I flushed a Woodcock as I struggled through.

The finch flock was spooked by a Sparrowhawk as it shot through the trees.

The orchard contained a few Redwings and Fieldfares and small flock of Chaffinches.

On the Shirrenden side one of the local Buzzards was sitting in it's usual spot.

On the first of March a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker called and was seen at the southern end.

On the walk back up the hill two Bullfinches were in the hedgerow eating buds.

Male Bullfinch in the hedgerow.

MID FEBRUARY UPDATE

It was mixed weekend on the bird front.
Saturday saw a flock of 80 or so Skylarks in the field at the top of Kirkins plus a small flock of Linnets and a single Yellowhammer.The lake remains pretty quiet with a Little Grebe,a Great crested Grebe and 10 Mandarins of note.
One of the Buzzards was perched in the usual tree in Shirrenden and a Sparrowhawk was terrorising the Redwings and Fieldfares in the orchard.
I decided on a walk through the alder wood at the southern end and was soon glad I had as a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker(64) called. I eventually caught up with it before it flew off into Shirrenden Wood.
It was brilliant to hear that call again.
Siskins remain difficult with just a single seen.
A Grey Wagtail was seen below the waterfall but that was the best bits of the day until some Lesser Redpolls turned up on the garden feeders.It's always a delight to get these in the garden as they are  few  and far between.

One of the L/Redpolls on the feeder. Not a brilliant shot but I had to take it through the kitchen window.

Sunday didn't chuck up any surprises but the Lesser Spot called from the alder wood and the Little Grebe had been joined by another.

EARLY FEBRUARY UPDATE.

My early morning walk on Saturday 7th Feb. started as usual in Kirkins which produced two rather splendid male Bullfinches on the brambles at the top of the field. At the edge of the new houses there were 7 Yellowhammers,2 Meadow Pipits and 11 Skylarks.
As I walked down past the pumping station a Peregrine went over my head going north.
Down at the lake and two Little Grebes were visible at the bottom end plus 3 pairs of Mandarins and the pair of Great crested Grebes had returned.I  heard Canada Geese calling and they soon came into land accompanied by a Greylag Goose(62).
A single Siskin was seen with a flock of Goldfinches.
In the orchard there were 100 Fieldfares and around 35 Redwings.
Around the lake and Great, Blue,Long tailed and Coal Tit were added as well as a single Goldcrest.
Interestingly I also saw another Great black backed Gull going over with some Herring Gulls.

This Redwing was a great visitor to the garden early on Saturday.
Sunday 8th I decided to check the horse paddock behind the pumping station and was delighted to find 18 Yellowhammers and 120 Redwings feeding on the grass amongst the horses. The lake held a welcome addition to the list in the shape of a Cormorant(63) plus a Kingfisher was seen. Up at the field behind the farm house I found 30 Skylarks and 10 Meadow Pipits. It's great to see this number of Skylarks on my patch!
A quick walk around the Shirrenden side produced a pair of Kestrels and a Buzzard.

One of the Kestrels at Shirrenden.

With the days getting a bit longer I hope I can get some birding in after work instead at just the weekends. Still, Spring will soon be upon us, with all the birds I hope it will bring.

January passed by with the total species on 59.
February started with the small flock of Skylarks still commuting between Kirkins and Hononton Farm. Fourteen were in the flock on Sunday but there have been as many as forty.
The orchard held about three hundred Redwing but only about thirty Fieldfare with them. There was small movement of Herring Gulls and with them a first winter Great Black-backed Gull(60).As I walked down to the lake a Buzzard was calling and it soon appeared over Shirrenden wood.
It was good to add both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. The water was surprisingly empty with just Mallard, Moorhen and the pair of Great Crested Grebes but as I walked back up the lake a Kingfisher flew form a bankside willow.
On Tuesday evening I popped in to the lake on my way home and was delighted to find two pairs of Gadwall(61). Not a common species on the patch and probably only one or two records a year,so I was very pleased.

Redwing in the orchard.

Little Owl at Rectory Park.