HOME AND AWAY SUNDAY 10TH APRIL 2011

At about 09.30 friday morning I had a call from Jerry Warne to say he'd just seen a Black Stork circling over the southern end of Abbey Mead. I was at home at the time and had just been trying to get a picture of the immature Whooper Swan which i'd spotted earlier on 'our' lake at the end of the garden. I didn't get a decent picture because it steadfastly refused to come over to our side of the lake and so was just too distant. I guess it's continued local presence indicates another feral bird like the adult which is still over the country park, so no tick there then. Anyway, back to the Black Stork. I hadn't intended going out because grass needed cutting, weeds needed pulling, sunbeds needed airing, if you get my drift. But a Black Stork at New Hythe lakes?! I was out of the door in minutes, rude not to really. I parked at the waterworks entrance, taking calls (handsfree) from Eddie Denson and Adam Whitehouse on the way, all hail the mighty mobile phone, faster even than jungle drums. I semi jogged from the car to the millstream bridge, about 75 yards, before reverting to a hurried walk across the east scrub where Jerry, Dennis and Doreen were trying to relocate said Stork. I expect you've already guessed the outcome and you're right, no sign of it. It had been seen on thursday at Gillingham and my guess is that it followed the River Medway, passing over Abbey Mead and then continued southwards. Not sure I like this twitching business, too much excitement, too many let downs! Small consolations were singing Sedge and Reed Warblers, my first of the year, coming from the Bittern reedbed on streamside.

Saturday was another gardening day, but I did break off for a bit of camera practice, a couple of the better pics (you should have seen the others) are below, first a Collared Dove and second a female House Sparrow. Again, I couldn't get a shot of the Whooper due to distance.

So on to Sunday. I got down to Brooklands car park at 07.10 and no, I didn't fall out of bed, I just decided to see what the lakes look like at the crack of dawnish. And I have to say they looked and sounded the business. Even as I put my boots on in the car park I was serenaded by a Nightingale in the bushes behind the cafe, slightly incongruous, but welcome nonetheless, a Blackcap in the trees in the marshy area and a Chiffchaff in the trees on the eastern edge, surround sound!

The Swans were just leaving their nest site as I walked along Brooklands lake path and a couple of Blackcaps, one pictured at the top of the post, showed better than usual as they searched for breakfast in the still very cool air. The tide was in on the river so not much to see from the small wood, plus this faces east and the low sun made it difficult to see much anyway, so no bucket watch today. Just a solitary Shelduck, a couple of Canada Geese and the usual gulls and Cormorants were all that I recorded. The sunken marsh wasn't much better with Reed Bunting, Pheasant, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Grey Heron seen and of course the Cetti's Warblers and a Nightingale over the river proclaimed their territories in their usual fine voice.

Just the merest glimpse of a Water Vole's tail was seen in the usual stream but while there watching for them I heard and saw a couple of newly arrived Whitethroats and also heard a Willow Warbler singing it's descending notes from the west scrub, the sound of summer. I stopped briefly again at the Bittern reedbed and heard, but couldn't see, a single Sedge Warbler singing from deep within the reeds.

Back over the railway line, along the railway path and once again at Brooklands lake where I spent the last half hour or more chatting to a local fisherman and a local birder who i'd met earlier. But while we talked Swallow, Sand Martin and a distant Buzzard (a closer one drifted over the garden this afternoon at 3 o'clock) were all added to the list to bring the total to 37 species, not bad for a couple of hours but unfortunately my two New Hythe lists stay the same, 58 for the month and 86 for the year. I need to get my skates on.

Lastly i've added a picture of a sunset, taken from the garden recently. Red sky at night, shepherd's delight. It works for me.

Berried Treasure

A sudden burst of sunshine tempted me to grab the camera and sit at the patio doors for an hour or so garden watching this morning.



Most of the action centred around the Pyracantha bush with as many as six Blackbirds at one time all feasting on it's obviously very tasty orange berries.




This ones preferred approach was to eye up a particularly juicy looking berry then jump up and deftly pluck it from the prickly bush and swallow it at leisure on the ground. It did this about half a dozen times before flying off and then returning some time later for another go.

The youngster in the next three pics preferred the safety of the inside of the bush. First hopping onto the lower branches and then disappearing inside. And then popping out of a convenient window where he could lunch in leisure and watch the rest of the bird world go by.

The Pyracantha is also the main residence of our House Sparrow colony. They love it, it's close to the feeders and they can dive back in when the local Sparrowhawk drops by looking for lunch.

I hadn't noticed them eating berries before but their strategy was to sit on the outer edges of the bush and find the ripest, softest berries and just peck away at them. Only stopping occasionally to wipe away the juicy flesh that stuck to their bills.

Another visitor to the table was the Woodpigeon below who was too big and heavy to get on or in the bush so he just stretched up and ponderously plucked the fruit from the lowest branches.

And lastly, and surprisingly, was this little Blue Tit. I've never seen them eating berries before. I think this one watched everyone else having a feast and couldn't resist having a little try himself. He pecked away at a soft berry for a little while but I don't think he was very impressed. He very soon went back to his usual lunch........ and so did I.

Elmley RSPB The Birds

I haven't been to Elmley for some time, it's a really nice reserve and I love the feeling of isolation and the big sky that comes from such a big flat landscape. I also like the long approach track from the road to the start of the reserve. I think it's almost three miles and this is best driven slowly with binoculars and camera to hand, just in case.

On this occasion the slow drive produced very little apart from the Carrion Crows endlessly foraging in every nook and cranny, Starlings pecking around amongst the cow pats searching for grubs and nearer the farm buildings a few Sand Martins hawking for flies over the fields. Just before the car park I saw a small flock of Yellow Wagtails and over the car park Swallows flew low and fast, one in particular was flying in and out of the ladies loos where there was a nest still in use. I thought about going in with the camera but decided against it after seeing in my mind's eye the possible headlines in the local newspaper if things went wrong.

The bushes on the right hand side where the Long Eared Owls sometimes roost held some Goldfinches and a Robin and also about 10 young Swallows (below) in a small tree being fed by adults, they stayed while I took a couple of pics and then all took to the air in unison.









It's quite a trek down to the first two hides, something like one and a half miles I think but the sun was out, it was a beautiful morning and I was accompanied by hundreds of butterflies and I mean hundreds. The whole site was alive with their brightly coloured wings flashing in the sunlight with sometimes up to a dozen individuals on a single plant. Needless to say I spent some time taking pictures of them which I will put on a separate post tomorrow.
In the meantime the birds weren't quite so plentiful but that wasn't unexpected. Coot, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Swan, Little Egret, Mallard, Sedge Warbler and a distant Marsh Harrier were all seen.

I reached the first hide and, with the reserve to myself and one other individual, was pleased to watch a small flock of Avocet feeding and preening in the now slightly overcast skies. I don't very often see these charismatic birds so i've included one or two shots plus a picture of a very cute little juvenile who was already displaying the same 'attitude' which the adults are renowned for.

Other waders making a welcome appearance here and at the adjacent hide (sorry, I cant remember what they're called) included Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, a single Ruff, Common Snipe and Lapwing. I tried to find the recently spotted Pectoral Sandpiper but to no avail.

LAPWING

As I left the second hide I was treated to good views of a Reed Warbler again, I seem to be doing well with this species lately and have found them quite accommodating on occasions. It seemed the longer I stood still the more accepting it was of my presence. Usually when you raise the lens you can hear the birds shouting 'look out he's got a camera!' whereupon the target bird disappears in a flash. But this one just carried on catching flies, although it never did the full monty for me and always made me work for a shot or two. A couple of which are seen below.

The walk back was pretty uneventful, apart from butterflies and a smart looking Grey Heron fishing by the reeds. But when I reached the car I was just putting the camera away when a couple of House Sparrows arrived on the scene. It's easy to overlook the humble 'sparrer' so I broke out the camera again and took the shots below of a very hungry and persistent Junior and a very unimpressed Dad.

And finally...............................as I said earlier, when driving along the Elmley track always keep bins and camera handy, just in case. I did and I soon spotted this tasty blonde who answered to the name of Marsha Harrier, what a cracker!

MARSH HARRIER

New Hythe & Garden 23rd April

HOUSE SPARROW

We had a welcome visit from our local Fox this morning. He likes to sit at the bottom of the garden soaking up the early morning sun, yawning, and having a jolly good scratch. He seems quite at home and doesn't worry too much about the activity within the house, I even opened the patio doors for a clearer shot and he wasn't too bothered, mind you he's a fair distance away and I don't think he would like it if I ventured out on to the patio.

New Hythe was sparkling this morning, the sun was bright and warm and the sky was cloudless. The air was full of birdsong as I started my walk, I think they liked it as much as me although I did refrain from adding my voice to the choir.

First bird on the list was a Cetti's Warbler which flew out of the reeds opposite the fishermans hut at Brooklands where I was trying to get a glimpse of a Sedge Warbler. I wasn't successful but 100 yards further along I heard and then saw my first Reed Warbler of the year. I subsequently heard a few more on the way round.

WHITETHROAT

Whitethroat are now well established for the summer and can be heard singing their scratchy song from every other bush.....nearly. I think they are even more common than the Blackcaps which are abundant here this year.

In and around the Sunken Marsh were two nest building Linnets, and Reed Buntings, Chiffchaffs, Chaffinchs, Cetti's, Blackcaps, Greenfinchs and Wrens were all adding their individual performance to the concert of sound. I arrived at the southern edge of the Marsh for another game of spot the Sedge Warbler which was singing again from the same reedbed as the previous occasions. The only difference on this occasion was that I at last got a fleeting glimpse as he rose to the top a reed stem before presumably seeing me and descending, not to be seen again. Two New Hythe year ticks already. I was on a high, but not for long!

The East Scrub was filled with the rich, mellow and unmistakeable notes of Nightingales singing from every corner, it was like having Nightingale surround sound, Berkeley Square has got nothing on the East Scrub in full flow. Unfortunately I was bought back to earth with a bump when I reached the stream which suffered some kind of pollution last weekend as mentioned in my posting of 19th April. I was hoping the spillage would turn out to be innocuous but my hopes were dashed when I counted at least a dozen dead Eels in the water, a species already seriously under threat, as well as two dead Tench and a dead Pike, this was just a quick look, there must be lots more. Sorry about the gruesome pictures.

EEL

TENCH

PIKE

I managed to find the Ranger, who amazingly was unaware of any wildlife fatalities attributable to the pollution but told me that the Environmental Agency took a sample of the water yesterday and would be acting accordingly. While I was there he phoned his boss to report my findings. This stream was the home of many Water Voles last year and apparently one had been sighted there just before the pollution, even today there were Moorhens on the water feeding on the vegetation, bad news all round I fear.

HERON SNR & JNR & JNR & JNR

The Heronry was busy today, lots of new mouths to feed including the three above, yes there are three. Lets hope they aren't being fed from the aforementioned stream!

The return trip down the river and back to the car park produced among other stuff, seven Shelduck, a Sparrowhawk over which was the only raptor seen, a few Jays , a Stock Dove, a House Sparrow unusually and a Mistle Thrush in it's usual position behind the old Cafe building.

There were also nine species of Butterfly on the wing which were, in no particular order: Small White, Large White, Comma, Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Peacock, Orange Tip, Holly Blue and a Small Tortoiseshell.

SPECKLED WOOD

SMALL TORTOISESHELL

SMALL TORTOISESHELL

ORANGE TIP

ORANGE TIP

Camera Practise

I didn't have much chance to get out over the weekend, plus it was ffffreezing in that horrible Easterly wind so I had a little bit of camera practise from the comfort of the dining room. Yes, I know i'm a wimp but my boots did need to dry out!

DUNNOCK
DUNNOCK

COLLARED DOVE

HOUSE SPARROW

STARLING

STARLING