This fox was foraging at low tide on the bank of the Medway at New Hythe. He didn't seem sure whether the swans were potential dinner or potential friends.
Saturday 5 October 2024
Wednesday 8 March 2023
ELMLEY NNR 2nd MARCH 2023
I paid a long overdue visit to Elmley NNR last week. I took a leisurely drive along the two mile long entrance track giving a chance to see and photograph the wealth of lapwings which feed and breed on the marshes.
Redshanks were also plentiful but harder to photograph as they fed non stop, pausing only briefly to lift their head to check for danger. The biggest danger to them is from the many raptors present on this site. Marsh harriers were everywhere on this particular day, along with buzzards, sparrowhawks, kestrels and even the diminutive merlin who spend their time terrorising the flocks of starlings and the skylarks.
There was no sign of short eared owls from the car park area so, despite the bitter wind I decided to walk down to the first hides, about a mile or so down the track. There were many wigeon, shelduck, gadwall and various other water fowl on the scrapes and hundreds of greylags all across the marsh. I also spotted a small flock of godwits (black-tailed I think) feeding not too far from the track and managed a quick picture, below.
Unfortunately there was nothing to see on the scrapes in front of the hides so I returned to the car park, accompanied for a few yards by a hare, which burst unexpectedly from the undergrowth and ran ahead of me for a short while before disappearing into the long grass as suddenly as it had appeared.
While driving back along the entrance track I noticed this common snipe hunkered down out of the wind alongside a small pool of water, its cryptic plumage rendering it almost invisible to all but the sharpest of eyes.
Little grebes are plentiful at Elmley but being so small and wary are often difficult to photograph. So I was pleased to spot one diving repeatedly in the reed lined margins, quite unconcerned by my presence. It soon managed to catch a perch which it eventually subdued enough to swallow, spines and all, before resuming its search for more prey.
Monday 13 February 2023
NEW HYTHE 2023 THE YEAR SO FAR
It's been several years since I posted on my blog so i'm looking forward to hopefully picking up where i left off.
The new birding year started for me on 2nd January at New Hythe lakes. It wasn't an auspicious start with a disappointing 38 species seen. Goldcrest and bullfinch were probably the highlights among the usual suspects like the redwing above.
It's fair to say i think, that it's been a disappointing winter at New Hythe with a single juvenile goldeneye on Alders big lake being the only decent winter visiting duck so far. Although a smattering of firecrests and the first bittern seen on site for about six years have helped maintain some interest.
Last week saw the return of oystercatchers on the tidal Medway, seen from our viewpoint at Bucket Wood along with redshank, kingfisher, several snipe and visits from the common seal which has been entertaining the regular watchers for several years now. Two mediterranean gulls over Abbey Mead lake were an unexpected surprise as well last week and this morning a red kite drifting high over the sunken marsh brought my total species for NH so far this year to 58.
Sunday 20 January 2019
NEW HYTHE 14TH & 18TH JANUARY 2019
SOME SNIPE FROM BUCKET WOOD |
In my last post I mentioned the large influx of Snipe along the river at Bucket Wood. Here's a picture of some of the thirty or so birds that I could see at the time. I subsequently heard a report of somebody else seeing approximately fifty fly from the river at high tide the following day. I do wonder if these might be birds that were heading West away from the heavy snow across much of Europe at the time.
DRAKE RING-NECKED DUCK |
I managed to locate the long staying Ring-necked Duck on Abbey Mead lake on 14th January. As ever it stayed well out of range for a decent picture so this one will have to suffice for now. This bird has been around since Glenn found it on 19th December, long may it last. I bumped into Alan Roman on the same day and while we watched in vain for the Hen Harrier to reappear we were treated to a fly past from a Marsh Harrier. This was my 66th species at New Hythe this year and was soon followed by a sighting of a Water Rail (67th) in the NW corner of the sunken marsh.
COMMON SEAL AND FLOUNDER |
New Hythe called once again on 18th January. Once again I found myself at Bucket Wood and once again I failed to find the Hen Harrier. I haven't heard any reports of it now since about 12th January. I hope I get to see it again but if not, well, it was great while it lasted.
My morning wasn't all unproductive though because around midday as the tide was falling, I spotted a huge bow wave travelling fast along the side of the reedbed upstream from the wood. I knew straight away that it was a Common Seal chasing fish. I watched it patrol along the same stretch a few times before surfacing with a decent sized Flounder.
Luckily it decided to eat it there and then and although fairly distant I was able to get a few pictures while hiding behind the reeds. They're easily spooked and if they see you they dive and disappear downstream. Last time I saw this happen I was with Terry Laws when a seal caught a large Mullet just opposite Bucket Wood. I hadn't got my camera with me that day. Terry had. I wasn't happy.
DISTANT REDSHANKS |
Also on the river that day were three Redshank, two Green Sandpipers, Water Rail and lots of Snipe and Teal.
DRAKE TEAL |
Saturday 12 January 2019
NEW HYTHE 2019. SO FAR SO GOOD!
The new year has started well at New Hythe with Hen Harrier, Ring-necked Duck and Goldeneye all making it onto the 2019 day list of 51 species recorded on January 1st. Other nice birds included Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Snipe, Goldcrest, Siskin and Bullfinch. Although not a huge total I don't think this is too bad for a single inland site in the middle of winter.
My list has now reached 65 species, the most notable addition being a female Goosander which has been commuting between Alders big lake and the motorway lake in recent weeks. Treecreeper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret and Grey Wagtail have also been added. On January 8th two Peregrine Falcons flew over bucket wood while Terry and I were on duty there. We also recorded at least five Buzzards, Kestrel, Common Sand and c.100 Lapwings, a huge flock by New Hythe standards.
COOT FROM ALDERS TROUT LAKE |
I visited New Hythe for a couple of hours this morning and to my surprise the Hen Harrier appeared once again. As usual following the river from the south, crossing the Sunken Marsh and flying low over the large reedbed on the east side of the Medway. The other surprise was circa 30 Snipe along the muddy banks of the river exposed by a very low tide. We don't usually see more than half a dozen of these birds at any one visit so this was exceptional. The Harrier appeared twice more giving Glenn and John the chance to add it to their lists.
Wednesday 2 January 2019
NEW HYTHE YEAR LISTS 2018
GOLDENEYE AT NEW HYTHE DECEMBER 2018 |
At times it was a struggle to motivate myself to visit and when I did there was often nothing new to find, sometimes for weeks and weeks on end. Thank goodness for dragonflies and butterflies during the summer months, although it was a poor year for some butterfly species, courtesy I expect, of said 'Beast'.
I guess this was a good year for dragonflies though, there was certainly lots of activity, with Migrant Hawkers flying well into November. Disappointingly, I was unable to find a Willow Emerald damselfly on the wing at New Hythe in 2018 despite my best efforts. This is only the second year they have been reported at this site, Glenn found the first in 2017, so it was very frustrating not to get it on my NH list this year, especially since Glenn and Terry did!
Having said all that my New Hythe bird list eventually finished on 105 species, compared to only 99 in 2017. I was pleased to see five new site species during 2018, these were; Hawfinch, Curlew, Dunlin, Hen Harrier and Ring-necked Duck. Thanks in part, to a little help from my friends.
WHOOPER SWAN AT NH |
Tuesday 17 July 2018
NEWS FROM THE GARDEN
A lot of people have said that house martins seemed to arrive late this year. Ours were right on time and wasted no time in raising their first brood.
They left the nest under the eaves of the gable end of our house and spent a few scary moments hanging on for dear life and still begging for food every time the parent birds flew past.
Having found their wings they moved halfway up the roof where they stopped for a rest..
..before finally reaching the top. Last year we lost one at this point to the local sparrowhawk, but thankfully all went well this time and they were soon fully on the wing flying around the house with the adult birds. As far as I can tell the next brood is well on the way, they might even make three this year.
Nuthatches are great and we're lucky enough to see them in the garden almost every day. A couple of weeks ago there were at least four, a family group I think.
The parents bring the fledglings to the feeders to show them how it's done. Their cousins the great spotted woodpeckers did the same with their red crowned youngsters this year and they are still visiting but look more like adults now.
And finally, on sunday afternoon I had one of the best sightings i've ever had from the garden, when no less than four great white egrets flew over the house heading roughly north. A few years ago, a single great white would have sparked a significant twitch, such was their rarity in England. To have four flying over my house together is astonishing to say the least!
Saturday 16 June 2018
OLD LODGE RESERVE - ASHDOWN FOREST
Green tiger beetle |
I was disappointed to find the first two ponds almost devoid of dragons, just a few large red damselflies were willing to defy the coolness of the morning.
Male Redstart |
Common Lizard |
Golden-ringed Dragonfly |
Beautiful Demoiselle |
Wren |
Thursday 31 May 2018
NEW HYTHE AND GARDEN UPDATE
GRIZZLED SKIPPER |
GREEN-VEINED WHITE |
My New Hythe butterfly list is faltering at the moment. Partly due I think to the vagaries of the English weather and partly down to time spent on site (or lack of) for various reasons. At the moment I have seen ten species including; Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Red Admiral, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Orange Tip and Small White. Absent from this list is the Green Hairstreak. But I still have a chance to see one if I get my proverbial finger out!
It's that time of the year when the birding goes quiet. Or at least it does at New Hythe. So it's eyes down now instead of up as the search for dragons and damsels begins, providing a fresh challenge and the chance to point the camera at something that sometimes even keeps still for a little while.
LARGE RED DAMSELFLY |
HAIRY DRAGONFLY |
BANDED DEMOISELLE |
BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER |
DUNNOCK FLEDGLING |
PAINTED LADY |
FEMALE BLACKCAP |
And finally. We don't usually get Blackcaps in the garden but this female paid a couple of visits this week with the sole intention of pinching our wall basket liner for her nest, presumably nearby. The twitter of tiny Blackcaps would be nice!
Sunday 8 April 2018
BROWN HARES AT ELMLEY
Anyway, here's a few pictures I took the last time I did take my camera out along the Elmley track on the Isle of Sheppey. Brown hares are not easy to find, most that i've seen were stumbled upon by accident when out walking and usually feature a clean pair of heels as they rocket away into the distance.
I actually saw four hares on this occasion. Three were some distance away. They lay motionless and, to the naked eye were just low mounds of earth in the middle of the field until viewed through binoculars. But this one was much closer and was preoccupied with feeding, scratching and generally lumbering around with that peculiar lanky gait that hares have when not in turbo mode.
It was late March, so I hoped I would see some of the 'boxing' action that these animals are so well known for. This is usually the female fending off the unwanted advances of an amorous male, not a 'may the best man win' battle between rival males that it's sometimes mistaken for. It didn't happen though, but I did enjoy watching this particular hare and not just seeing its heels.
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