ISLE OF MULL THURSDAY 19TH MAY

The weather forecast for wednesday was for gale force winds, rain and hail, add this to 9 degrees centigrade and you have uncomfortable conditions for walking. So we decided to head for the forestry commission area close to Glengorm castle, pictured below, in the hope that it would afford some shelter. But it didn't. The heavens opened as we arrived, so we took cover in the cafe until it eased. I don't know about you, but I don't mind too much if it starts raining during the walk, but I absolutely hate it when it's chucking it down as i'm putting my boots and stuff on. Guaranteed to make me grumpy.



Not only did the forest fail to provide much cover from the elements but it failed to provide much in the way of wildlife too really. Although to be fair, you couldn't really expect too much given the conditions. We were treated to an aerial display from three Buzzards soon after setting off, they didn't seem to mind the wind, and the rain was holding off at that time. A couple of Cuckoos also put in an appearance, there seems to be a lot of these up here. I'm not sure what their preferred host birds are, Meadow Pipits and Dunnocks possibly, there are no Reed Warblers on the island, although Sedge Warblers aren't too uncommon. Magpies and Jays are as rare as hen's teeth too. A situation that some would be pleased to have on the mainland no doubt.

On the other hand, there are quite a few of the above, Hooded Crows, they are a handsome bird with their black bib and grey body, which I hope to get a better shot of during my stay here. It's these chaps who are the self proclaimed sheriffs of the skies here, they're usually first on the scene when a big, bad, bird of prey needs chasing out of town.

We saw a sign which said 'shore walk', so we changed our planned route and headed for the rocky coastline, it was then that the proper rain started. To make matters worse we were hungry for lunch, but the thought of rain sodden sarnies wasn't appealing, we'd tried them earlier in the week at Loch Frisa and didn't like them at all. We needed a miracle. And there it was, perched on a small piece of level ground, just 50 yards from a rocky, kelp lined inlet was................a bird watching hide!! It was unlocked and empty, and the roof didn't leak. The funny thing is, we've done this walk before, in the last five years or so and we hadn't seen it. But it was, according to the brass plaque above the door, erected in 1996. Anyway, a leisurely lunch was eaten in the dry, during which time Carol spotted a familiar shape gliding across the inlet, an Otter! I wouldn't have been surprised to look out and see a rainbow with bluebirds flying over it at that point.

I didn't of course, but I did see one of the many Oystercatchers on the rocks close by, who was happy to let me photograph him while he shook the rain off his back.

He shouldn't have bothered, it was soon back again. The walk back was long and quite arduous, punctuated by Coal Tits and Bullfinches and hailstones which stung our faces and bounced off the track like jumping beans.

Let there be light!! At last, a brighter day. Even though the sound of rain outside had me burying my head in the pillows in desperation this morning, it soon passed. Our short drive to Langamull this morning was in sunlight and spirits and hopes were high. A short piece of forest walking, which has in the past produced some nice sightings of Crossbills, soon gives way to the most beautiful, unspoilt coastal meadow and white, sandy, rocky beach. If you haven't been to the NW highlands and islands of Scotland you would probably think I was exaggerating when I say that the white sand and sparkling blue sea, on a sunny day, are reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Trust me they are, but thankfully what is missing are the crowds.

Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, Sandpipers, Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers, Common Gulls, one pictured above on her nest, Shags, a couple of Great Northern Divers in summer plumage, spectacular diving Gannets and oh so elegant Terns had the place to themselves, apart from me and Carol of course.

The burst of sun also bought out a dragon, just one, but it was worth it when it turned out to be a superb Four Spotted Chaser which thankfully settled, at last, before I stumbled over the edge of the cliffs in hot pursuit. This is only the second dragon of the week, the first remaining anonymous. The sun also tempted the first butterflies on to the wing, with Speckled Wood and Green-Veined white making an appearance.

I managed to get a picture of sorts of one of the many Wheatears along the coast but they were very flighty and seemed to know exactly the distance required between camera and subject to make a poor shot even poorer.

We stopped for lunch at a particularly scenic spot and noticed an Oystercatcher sitting about twenty yards away on a really exposed outcrop of grass topped rock. It seemed quite relaxed with our presence, unusually for this highly strung species, but it flew away noisily as we walked past later and noticed the 'nest' and eggs pictured above. With all this wilderness she had chosen a spot right alongside the footpath, albeit a quiet one.

Before we left the white sand beach we saw a pair of Ringed Plovers who had a little ball of feathers on legs in tow. I would have loved to get a picture of it but didn't want to risk upsetting them. I guess life is tough enough for them without me interfering.

The last port of call on our route was the tiny fishing harbour of Croig, quaint, quiet and quintessentially Scottish, this is a gem of a place. A couple of houses, a couple of fishing boats, a couple of lobster pots, some Herons, some Redshanks, some Curlew and some Seals, common I think. I'd tell you more but I don't want you all going there I want to keep it all to myself.

DUNGENESS RSPB & RED-BACKED SHRIKE

Alan Roman and I went to one of my favourite places today, Dungeness. We decided to have a quick sea watch first and parked in the car park between the old lighthouse and the Romney. Hythe and Dymchurch railway cafe. It was here that Alan discovered that he had left his binoculars on the kitchen table. Never mind he said, i'll use my scope today, except that he then found that he'd left the fixing plate for his tripod at home. Memory span of a, um, .......what do you call it?

Anyway, the sea watch was a bit quiet, just a couple of GC Grebes, some Common Terns, a small flock of about ten Common Scoters and the usual gull species, so quick march to the RSPB reserve, where we found news of a Red-Backed Shrike over on the ARC site. We gambled that this would stay a while and headed off to see what was on offer.

It was a good day for lizards, with quite a few found basking in the sunny verges, i've chosen this one to show because I like it's slightly green markings. There was little to see from the first couple of hides, just the Shelducks at the top of the post and the usual residents.


But we were accompanied by the constant chatter of Reed Warblers along the lakeside margins, as ever, difficult to see,with just fleeting glimpses like the one above. On the other side of the track we were barracked by a couple of Oystercatchers, below, who had claimed the top of the raised shingle as their own and were intent on repelling trespassers.

There were Common Whitethroats singing and parachuting from just about every bush around the site, so the discovery of a lesser Whitethroat near Christmas Dell hide made a nice change. From the hide we managed to spot a Peregrine, which headed towards the power station, a couple of Pochards and some Common Terns.

Also in this area we found the Four Spotted Chaser below, one of only a couple of dragons seen all day surprisingly.

I was hoping for a Sedge Warbler fest, but I think we were a couple of weeks late for that. Last year, in April, the place was full of them, all singing from the top of the brambles and I got some very nice pictures. Today, all I could manage was the one below, but at least there were some to look at, unlike New Hythe this year.

Considering the weather, butterflies were also hard to come by. We did find a couple on a small patch of Thrift though and i'm going to stick my neck out and say that based on the clear white wing margins, the specimen below is a male Common Blue.........

And of course the next couple are Small Coppers.

There was a female Stonechat on the fence post as we approached the Denge Marsh hide, the only one seen today. It was again quiet inside the hide, apart from the rustle of mine and Alan's crisp packets and sandwich wrappers. In fact it was so loud we nearly didn't hear the Bittern Boom a couple of times. We finally got to see a Marsh Harrier here, a spectacular male, and also the first of three or four Hobby's. No sign of the Purple Heron, which hasn't been seen since friday I believe.

We called in at the lodge on our return to check out the status of the Red-Backed Shrike, but the person we spoke to didn't even know one had been seen, don't they read their own sightings board? While we made some purchases, Alan some seed and me a very nice book entitled British Birds of Prey, a man came in and said he'd just seen a Killdeer, yes, a Killdeer! The lady in the lodge was very upset because she thought he meant road kill, 'and they're such lovely creatures' . We of course went zooming off but feeling understandably pessimistic as all we found was a Little Ringed Plover and a very nice Sandwich Tern, but who knows.

We had more luck though with the Shrike and were lucky enough to see a couple of short sightings of it, albeit through shared binoculars. I think a court martial is in order Mr Roman!

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY 2011

Today, I was pleased to have the company of another blogger with me at New Hythe, Marianne Taylor, who is the author of an excellent blog entitled The Wild Side. I recommend that you click the link and pay a visit, you won't be disappointed.

As usual the morning started from Brooklands car park and as usual the first part of the walk was blighted by the sight, sound and smell of the paper mill. Are we heading for a paperless society? I hope so! Brookland lake held no surprises today, being almost deserted save a few Sand Martins and some higher level Swifts. Around the margins though, Reed Warblers were chuntering away and even allowing some tantalising sightings through the reed stems. Common Whitethroats also cheerfully announced their presence, from the tops of the blossom laden Hawthorns, as they did all across the site. The tide was very low and I hoped to show off some of the Medway's elusive waders, but of course they're not called elusive for nothing and today they justified their reputation. With a distinct lack of North Downs Buzzards, a cool morning breeze and only one bucket seat we moved on to the sunken marsh where I thought that things could only improve. Along the way the drone of the mill receded and was replaced by the calls of Cetti's Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, a rather strange sounding Cuckoo, hiccups maybe, which was also seen on it's favourite wire across the marsh and the soft contact calls of a couple of Bullfinches. Then as we neared Hoopoe corner we heard the soft, intermittent purr of a Turtle Dove, my first of the year, and Marianne's too I believe. Although we could pinpoint it's location, it remained tantalisingly out of sight, deep in the scrub. I'll be back soon to hopefully see it and then add it to my NH year list. The rest of the marsh and the river turned up at least six Shelducks and lots of Herons who seemed to be busy teaching their somewhat dumb looking offspring what the sharp thing on the front of their face was for, i.e. catching fish.

Nightingales were on Marianne's wish list and they didn't disappoint with several heard around the site and two particular individuals who treated us to a stereophonic rendition of their amazing musical phrasing from both sides of the causeway below the raptor viewpoint. Here we also found one of many Hairy Hawkers, pictured above, urged onto the wing by the now warming sunshine.

More Nightingales sang across the east scrub and at the Brook House entrance track, where the Terrapin was seen basking in it's usual spot in the finger lake. We were disappointed that we couldn't get any photos of the Nightingales, a briefest glimpse was all we were spared, but I had higher hopes of a posing Water Vole and with this in mind we proceded to the usual ditch alongside the west scrub. Sure enough, we soon saw one swim from bank to bank, but it was too quick for Mariannne's camera. Luckily a second chance was had further downstream and hopefully the results will be seen on The Wild Side. No pressure then Marianne! While we were Vole watching Marianne spotted a Hobby coming over quite low from Johnson's Lake, by the time I saw it, it had gained height and was over the east scrub. This turned out to be one of four seen throughout the day and is tick number 98 for the NH year.

One of the thirteen species of butterfly seen was the Small Copper above, spotted by Marianne on the way back across the scrub. The other species seen were as follows; Grizzled Skipper (5), the most i've ever seen at New Hythe, Brimstone, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Speckled Wood and Small White.

Apart from the Hairy Hawkers, the only other dragon species seen was this superb Four Spotted Chaser, I saw a couple of these down here last year but not very many so this was a really nice surprise find in the west scrub. Below is one of the five, fresh looking Grizzled Skippers, all found as we returned across the east scrub and below that is the Brown Argus, often mistaken with Common Blue, as we nearly did first of all.

The last leg of the walk took us down the railway path where we spotted this Holly Blue butterfly (below) laying her eggs in neither Holly or Ivy, but if it works for her, why not. Note the drooping antennae, i've noticed this before with egg laying butterflies, I don't know if it has any relevance. If you know what it's about let me know, if you don't, you heard it here first.

The handsome red moth below was seen clambering through the undergrowth as we approached the raptor viewpoint, I've never seen one before but Marianne told me it 's a Ruby Tiger. Another new species for me at New Hythe. The last surprise of the day was at the raptor mound, where a flock of Black Headed Gulls were swirling around seemingly catching insects on the wing. The surprise was that among them was a lovely Mediterranean Gull. After two years without seeing one this was my third sighting this year. What a great way to end a very enjoyable day. Thanks for your good company, excellent spotting and your impressive knowledge Marianne.

Mad Dogs & Englishmen............

Phew!
Unfortunately I couldn't get down to New Hythe until 11am today, by which time the sun was high and so was the temperature.
As you can imagine there wasn't a lot on the wing by then. The tide was full on the river which didn't help but the Shelduck family were on the water and all five youngsters looked fit and healthy.
A single Swift and a Pied Wagtail over flew Brooklands lake and a couple of Whitethroats flitted around in the lakeside bushes. Further on a family of Nightingales called softly to each other alongside the sunken marsh but not much else braved the searing heat. Except of course the butterflies. There were plenty to see and they included Commas, Large Whites, Meadow Browns, an abundance of Skippers, Gatekeepers and Red Admirals. I couldn't find any Purple Hairstreaks around the Oak trees, but further on Iwas more than a little bit pleased to find my first ever White Admiral at New Hythe which flew past me and into the trees on the Eastern edge of the Railway lake as I was watching a large Common Carp cruising around. What a good find!
Photo opportunities were hard to find but I did get a chance to get a quick snap of this Moorhen having a preen in the sun. I stopped for a while at The divers' bridge where I heard a Kingfisher calling and noted a couple of Banded Demoiselles, a Grass Snake enjoying a cooling swim through the reeds and best of all four juvenile Green Woodpeckers which flew out of the trees along side Streamside lake together and all headed off over the West Scrub. Absolutely brilliant!!

MOORHEN

I decided to walk up to the dipping pond in the Country Park to see how the Tuftd Duck family were doing and here they are (below) looking fit and well. While here I also saw Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers in the reedbed alongside the lake. Both appeared to be feeding young but I couldn't see them.

TUFTED DUCKS

There were a lot more Dragonflies about today, mostly Brown Hawkers it seemed but I couldn't find one resting to photograph, but I did manage this Common Darter which posed nicely.......or is it a Ruddy Darter?

COMMON DARTER

I took the shadier Brooklands Western side footpath back and found this Blackbird which I think was a juvenile sheltering from the sun and looking a bit stressed so I took a couple of quick shots and left it in peace.

BLACKBIRD

The Four Spotted Chaser below was having a busy time chasing off a Black Tailed Skimmer which flew into his territory about every thirty seconds triggering a chase and a boundary dispute. Who'd be a Dragonfly. While this was going on I watched a large Mirror Carp cruise by right in front of me. I'd put it's weight in the high teens probably. I took a couple of pics but they weren't clear enough to go to print.

FOUR SPOTTED CHASER

And finally..................

What are these cherries doing growing on an Oak tree? The things you see at New Hythe!