The new year lit wasn't troubled until 4th April when a Red-legged Partridge(76) was seen in Swigs.
The 7th started brilliantly with a Ring Ouzel(77) in Kirkins which quickly disappeared after landing briefly on the farmhouse roof. Looking for it at the rear of the building produced a Willow Warbler(78) in some brambles.
On the evening of the 10th I was delighted to here a Little Owl(79) calling in Shirrenden.The last Redwing of the spring was seen on the 14th and the following day the Fieldfare that had been hanging around was seen for the last time.The same day 2 Swallows(80) were over the lake.

Sawllow in the orchard

A lot of my time has been spent in our new garden which has produced a few more species for the year with Sand Martin(81) over on the 18th with some Swallows.
The 19th produced a fly over Tree Pipit(82) plus a Whitethroat(83) and Reed Warbler(84) down at the lake.

Common Whitethroat

The same day had a House Martin(85) over the garden.

The following morning a Wheatear(86) was in the field to the right of the farm track and was joined by another in the afternoon.

Female Wheatear

That evening I ventured out to try for Nightingale in the regular place outside the village. The first call I encoutered and then found was a Lesser Whtethroat(87).Great!! Then just as the light was going he Barn Owl popped out of the nest box just as the Nightingale(88) started to sing.

Lesser Whitethroat(taken at Dungeness Reserve).

On the 21st April the first Cuckoo(89) of the year was calling in Shirrenden where a Lesser Spot was seen.

Cuckoo

A Swift(90) was over the village on 23rd.Easily the earliest date I have had the species on the patch. Finally,a Garden Warbler was singing down at the lake on the 26th and was joined by another on the 28th.

The first Blackcap(72) was singing intermittently behind the pumping station on the 23rd March, the earliest date on the patch since I started watching.

There was also a Little Grebe(73) on the lake on the same day

My good fortune continued on the afternoon of Sunday 24th with at least a couple of Bramblings(74) in the orchard with Chaffinches.

This afternoon,as we were in the kitchen a Red Kite(75) appeared over the garden before drifting off to the east.

It was a foggy start to the day on 23rd February but was brightened up by a pair of Lesser Spotted Wodpeckers(69) and singing Chiffchaff.

Foggy Lesser spot

The following day a flyover Lesser Black-backed Gull(70) was added to the year list.Mandarins have been more regular on the lake  and on the 26th Feb a drake Tufted Duck(71) was resting on the lake. Amazingly, I didn't record one at all in 2108!

Three singing Chiffchaffs were on the patch on 9th March and 5 Canada/Greylag hybrids were on the lake with a pair of Canadas.

Canada/greylag hybrids

It shouldn't be too long before the first spring migrants arrive as I think the Chiffchaffs that are on the patch are probably over-wintering birds.

Singing Chiffchaff.

The Grey Wagtails have become a permanent fixture and one posed nicely this morning as I walked up the fram track.

the first two Lesser Redpolls(62) of the year appeared on the 9th February and the same day two Great Black-backed Gulls(63) went over NW (always a good tick for the patch).
Whilst working in the garden in the afternoon of the 9th we were lucky to pick up a Raven(64).
The Chiffchaff remains on the patch and on the 10th a second,very pale individual was seen.The same day a male Reed Bunting(65) was in the ditch at the southern end.
It was great to see and hear a Skylark(66) over Swigs on the16th.The following day the first decent mixed flock of Siskins and Redpolls for a while was in the alders behind the old boathouse and after watching them intently for some while I found a Mealy Redpoll(67) amongst them.
The sunshine in the last couple of days has been a joy and has bought the Lesser Celandines into flower.

Yesterday,a pair of Egyptian Geese(68) were found on the stockpond in Shirrenden and were still there this afternoon.

                                                     Egyptian Geese on the stockpond

It's been great to be seeing Bullfinches regularly on the patch.

Birding has taken a back seat of late and my time o(n the patch has been limited.
Despite that the list has ticked along and the overwintering Chiffchaff(52) was seen on 08/01/19.
The following day a Kingfisher(53) was on the lake.
The 11/01/19 saw a single Meadow Pipit(54) over the orchard.Later that day I ventured out to see if the local Barn Owls(55) were still around and one bird duly obliged.I also added Yellowhammer(56) and a pair of Mandarin(57).
The first Sparrowhawk(58) was over the lake on 17/01/19 and the following day 4 Teal(59) were on Furnace.
A Peregrine(60) was hunting over the orchards on the 31/01/19 and on the 01/02/19 three Gadwall(61) flew from the lake,
It was great to see the Snowdrops coming in to flower near Lake Cottage.

Not much chance for photos but I did get a couple of nice shots of a Grey Partridge in Norfolk.

A belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to all reading this.

2018 ended with the patch total on 107. A pretty average year but that's the challenge of patch watching.
Back to this year and my walk out on the first began with a Blue Tit (1) as I walked out of the house and proceeded as follows:-
Robin,Collared Dove,House Sparrow,Dunnock,Blackbird,Starling,Fieldfare,Song Thrush,Carrion Crow,Redwing,Stock Dove,Buzzard,Goldfinch,Wood Pidgeon,Magpie,Great Tit,Great Spotted Woodpecker,Wren,Woodcock,Cormorant,Grey Heron,Coal Tit,Nuthatch,Jay,Pied Wagtail,Mistle Thrush,Chaffinch,Black Headed Gull,Jackdaw,Coot,Moorhen,Siskin,Canada Goose,Bullfinch,Herring Gull,Treecreeeper,Marsh Tit,Goldcrest and Rook(41).
The following day Great crested Grebe(42),Mallard(43),Long-tailed Tit(44) and Water Rail(45).
As I left for work on 02/01/19 a Tawny Owl(46) called from trees in the school.
After work the following day Pheasant(47) and Grey Wagtail(48) were added.
Today a Kestrel(49),Greylag Goose(50) and Linnet(51) made it onto the year list. It seems a bit of a struggle at the moment but checking my log books the list was only two ahead last year.

Marsh Tits on the feeders.

News of a SNOW BUNTING on private land near Horsmonden Church reached me on 31/12/18 but sadly I was in Wales attending a funeral and unfortunately it had disappeared on 01/01/19 after being there for three days.

Snow Bunting on private land

Thanks to Robert for the call and the lovely photos of a cracking bird.(Shame I missed it)!

It never ceases to amaze me where good birds can turn up and is probably what keeps me patch watching.

After finding the Chiffchaff at he end of November it is great to find it was still around on Sunday the 16th  December.
Redpoll numbers remain low but there was a flock of 10 on the 8th of the month.

one of the Lesser Redpolls

Mandarins have been scarce but there was a high of fourteen on the 7th. Water Rails have been regular around the feeders but the lake hasn't held much but this evening three Gadwall(107) were present,a welcome addition to the year list.

On Saturday 15th a Woodcock landed twenty yards in front of me before heading off into the woods.

The local Buzzards have taken to sitting on the fence in Furnace Lane and dropping onto the ground to feed on earthworms.

Buzzard in Furnace Lane

Heron in the field oppositethe pumping station

With the nights drawing in there is just about enough time after work to drive down to the lake and fill the feeders.
This has yielded some good views of Water Rails and on 22nd a Coot had arrived and was still on the lake this morning.
Friday 23rd a Chiffchaff was found in the ditch at the southern end of the lake and was still around on saturday 24th but not seen today.The ditch also produced three Reed Buntings on saturday.
Today there was a definate increase in bird numbers with lots of Fieldfares(200) and Chaffinches(35+) plus Siskin(40) and 2 Lesser Redpolls in with a flock of 25 Goldfinches.
The real highlites were a LITTLE EGRET,the second this year and a bird not recorded every year and four GREENFINCHES up at the farn house.
Late this afternoon I went to look for local Barn Owls and saw one as it left the box to go hunting.It's great to have them breeding locally again after a few years abscence.Sixteen Yellowhammers were also seen.
With constant grey skies and rain I haven't managed any photos but have added a few from a walk at Shellness a little while ago.

Sanderling(first winter)

Turnstone

Redshanks

 

My patch walk on Saturday 17th produced 48 species with he highlite being a skein of Dark bellied Brent Geese(106).
Winter thrush numbers remain low but a flyover Yellowhammer was a bonus as very few are recorded over the orchards.A few birds were going over including Skylark, Meadow Pipit and a single Bullfinch.

Fieldfares

Mistle Thrush

Down at the lake the Water Rail was near the feeders and a Marsh Tit was behind Lake Cottage.

In the afternoon I took a look around the farm buildings and found a couple of Pied and a Grey Wagtail feeding in the sheltered sunny side.

Grey Wagtail

  

We recently went to Norfolk for the weekend and were lucky to find the 14 Shorelarks at Holkham.

Some of the Shorlarks in Norfolk

The first Fieldfares of the autumn appeared on 6th October followed by the Redwings on the 11th.
The sunny days in early October produced my first Clouded Yellows of the year plus afew Small Coppers and Small and Common Blues plus Peacocks.

 Clouded Yellows 

As the month ticked by thrush numbers increased as did Siskin and Lesser Redpolls with good numbers appearing on the 20th.

Probably the last Chiffchaff of the autumn was seen on 25th.

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew over me on the 27th and one was seen on 4th Nov.

Distant Lesser Spot

Early on 4th a nice surprise was a Black Redstart(105) around the buildings in Kirkins.

Black Redstart in Kirkins

The last decent flock of House Martins, comprised of 100+ was feeding over the orchards on 25th September with 30 Swallows. A few Chiffchaffs continued into this month and two more Stonechats were seen,with one in the ditch by the lake on 26th and one in Kirkins the following day.All this autumns birds have been males.

Stonechat in Kirkins

The first Skylark for some time went over on 29th and the same day two Siskins were seen.

Good numbers of Mandarins are around the lake daily with the drakes back into their fine plumage.

Mandarins on the lake

And in the air

The feeders are attracting plenty of tits with a Marsh Tit the best.

A Sedge Warbler was a nice surprise on the 3rd Oct and this evening 16 Skylarks were seen .

Always a few Buzzards around.

Well,we're a good way through September and there are still a few summer migrants around the patch but the numbers are dwindling somewhat.
Hobbies have been seen intermittently with the last on 18th.
On the 16th a rather large juvenile female Peregrine was chasing an unfortunate Stock Dove around Kirkins.
There have been good numbers of House Martins pasing through with a lot fewer Swallows with them.
The 14th of the month produced a Whinchat(103) on the fence in kirkins.
The morning of 15th saw a good selection of migrants with 30 Chiffchaffs plus willow,Sedge and Reed Warblers.
The first Meadow Pipits of the autumn went over on the 12th.
Yesterday was a good patch walk with a male Stonechat(104) , two Yellow Wagtails and a Med Gull over.

Yesterdays Stonechat  and one from Mallorca

A Water Rail called from the southern end(two days later than last year).

This mornings walk was a rather wet one but a Spotted Flycatcher and a Willow Warbler were found in a mixed flock and 65 unfortunate House Martins were sheltering on one of the farm buildings with single Sand Martin and a Swallow.

            A couple more from Mallorca

Spotted Flycatcher

Night Heron

Wednesday 22nd saw 5 Common Sandpipers on the lake early morning.Sadly they had disappeared by the evening.

It was still very gloomy but I managed this distant shot of four of them.
On Friday 24th a Hobby was chasing through the many Martins and Swallows without success.
Two Ravens over north was a great site as they called loudly before one came back south.

One of the Ravens

The following day (25th) there was a good fall of migrants following overnight heavy showers.

These included 20 Willow Warblers,a Sedge Warbler,12 Chiffchaffs, a Whitethroat,4 Blackcaps,3 Reed Warblers and best of all 2 Pied Flycatchers (102)(one found in the sheltered corner of the lake and one in birches on the Shirrenden side)Sadly neither could be found the following morning as alot of birds had cleared out overnight.

                                    SOME MORE SHOTS FROM A RECENT HOLIDAY

Purple Swamp Hen

Amazing birds

Juvenile Stonechat