I had an exciting walk on the way to work when I a bird calling in the willows in the ditch at the southern end alerted me to a WOOD WARBLER(100) flitting amongst the top branches. I watched it for a while but had to leave for work so checked around the lake as I made my way back to the car. There were quite a few Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs as well and small flock of Swifts over the trees.
As I got to the dam end I found a pair of Egyptian Geese(101) in the top corner.Brilliant!!
Unfortunately I couldn't locate either this evening but the rain was appalling.

I've attached some photographs from some sunnier days whilst on holiday.

Scarlet Darter

Speckled Wood(southern)

Spotless Starling- a new species for me.

Hoopoe

An early walk before work on 26th produced a Spotted Flycatcher at the lake.The following morning a Hobby flew over at 05:50am.
On 28th the rain had bought a flock of hirundines down with lots of Swallows,House and Sand Martins plus a number of Swifts.Two Kingfishers were chasing each other and at the dam end a Marsh Tit was found.Two turtle Doves were once again found in Kirkins.
The weekend was an interesting one with plenty of warblers around with Reed,Garden and Willow Warblers plus Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap seen. Amazingly, 42 Mistle Thrushes flew from Shirrenden and into the orchard.The highest ever count on the patch. In kirkins one Turtle Dove was seen and the Hobby came charging through the finch flock as I scanned them. Both of these species have been difficult to find on the patch until very recently and amazingly both were seen the following day and the first Siskin of the autumn went over.
Today there appeared to have been a fall of Willow Warblers with at least six seen.

Turtle Dove in Kirkins

On the lake a Cormorant was sitting in a lakeside tree.

Fallow deer in Swigs

Swallows down at the lake

June continued with a Spotted flycatcher in Furnace Lane on the 17th and a Raven(97) west over the village on 21st.

Spot Fly in Furnace Lane

On 13th July I saw my first Hobby(98) on the patch which is amazing considering my earliest ever date is 31st March.
Autumn passage seems to have started with a juvenile Willow Warbler seen on 21st.
Sunday 23rd and walking through Kirkins and the first bird seen was a Hobby.The rape field had been harvested and held lots of Wood Pigeons with a few Stock Doves mixed in which took to the air as I walked down the hill and as they did one bird landed in a tree and turned out to be a juvenile Turtle Dove,brilliant.

Juvenile Turtle Dove

The field also held a big flock of Linnets and Goldfinches plus a few Greenfinches.

Down through Swigs and the first Sedge Warbler(99) was found behind the pumping station plus a couple of Whitethroats and two Coal Tits.

Down at the lake the Reed Warblers have done well with plenty of juveniles seen.

In all 52 species were seen during the walk, a fantastic total.

After work on Monday 24th the Turtle dove was still in Kirkins and the lake held plenty of 

hirundines as the drizzle had pushed them down and it was great toe see some Sand Matins amongst them.

This morning the lake held about 30 Swifts on the way to work and in Kirkins this evening the Turtle Dove had been joined by another.

May went out on a high when no fewer than 44 Mediterranean Gulls went south over the garden on the afternoon of the 27th and two days later 4 Red Kites went north over the lake.
A walk on 3rd of this month produced some god species with Cuckoo,2 Kestrels,Mandarin,Coot,Reed and Garden Warbler plus Blackcap,Whitethroat and Chiffchaff seen.
Cormorant was a flyover as was a Peregrine(96) in the morning.
In the afternoon a Turtle Dove was found behind the pumping station and a single Red Kite went over s/west.
The next day good numbers of Swallow,House Martin and Swift were over the lakeside trees and amazingly another Red Kite was seen.
A quick walk after work on the 5th saw a Red-legged Partridge in one of the fields in the orchard.
As the patch has settled into its summer rhythm I have been photographing insects and flowers on the patch:-

                                                Beautiful Demoiselle

                                                Ovipositing Emperor Dragonfly

An unknown spider. Any Ideas???

I have recently found some interesting plant species on the patch:-

   

       

      Twayblade                                                          Southern Marsh Orchid  

Both of these are new species for the patch and I was super excited to find the Southern Marsh Orchid.    

The last weekend was a quiet one on the patch but a female Cuckoo turned up on Saturday and seemed to spark the male into life with him calling constantly and on Sunday he was chasing her round the lake.
There have been plenty of Mandarins on the lake with ten on Saturday and they look like they are already coming in to moult.

Three Cormorants over the same day was an unusual record for the patch at this time of year.

Common Terns have visited regularly but don't hang around for long.

The Reed Buntings are still on the lake as are the Coots so I'm hoping both will breed. This evening twenty House Martins came down to the lake before drifting off to the north.

With the sun shining I've been down at the warmest times to try to photograph Dragonflies and Damsels but so far have only seen the latter.I did manage to take some pics of a Broad bodied Chaser elsewhere:-

I was pleased to find a Brown Argus on Saturday

and a a few Banded Demoiselles

On the 8th of the month the Coot that has been on the lake was joined by another and the pair remain on the lake.
The following day I was relieved to find a Turtle Dove(92) singing. Sadly this enigmatic little dove is now hard to find on the patch.
On the 11th the first House Martin (93) flew over the house and a Sand Martin (94) was briefly over the lake.
Last weekend  54 species was seen on the patch, a really great total and one which included a flyover Yellow Wagtail (95) and another Med Gull and a Lesser Whitethroat.
On Sunday 14th whilst we were working in the garden four more Med Gulls went over south (It's been a good year for this species).
During a sunny afternoon I went on a foray to look for dragonflies and found a newly emerged Banded Demoiselle and a Large Red Damselfly.

                                                               First Banded Demoiselle

Large Red Damsel

April passed with two more species added to the year list in the shape of a Nightingale(84) singing at Stonebridge and a Red Kite(85) over the orchards on the following afternoon.
Finally, on the 29th two more Med Gulls were recorded going south over the lake.
Into May and with a cold wind blowing from the north east not much was happening until on the 5th the first Spotted Flycatcher(86) was found at the pumping station on my way to work.As I walked along the farm track two Shelduck(87) passed overhead, going north and amazingly within a minute a GREENSHANK(88) followed them calling loudly as it went.Brilliant!!! To add to this two Swifts(89) were flying over the lake.Possibly the best twenty minutes I have ever had on the patch.
The good fortune continued on Saturday 6th when what I thought was my first Hobby of the year approaching distantly from the south turned out to be a large swift. As it got closer I was stunned to make out the white belly and throat of an ALPINE SWIFT(90) which, unfortunately carried on to the north without stopping.INCREDIBLE!
Then down at the lake two Common Terns(91) circuited before flying off to the south.
I was pleased to have two Cuckoos duelling in the orchards.

Two distant Cuckoos

This afternoon a Red Kite flew over the village as we were in he garden and down at the lake a Buzzard was being mobbed by the male Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk was circling amongst the pair.

In the garden I took this shot of a Robin fledgling:-