Wednesday 1st.April 2009

No volunteering today , so I headed off to turn some tins on Fackenden Down , near Shoreham , Kent . Even though it was sunny , there was a chill to the wind early on . The cold nights still seem to be holding back the emergence from hibernation of many of the reptiles . In total , six Slow Worms and six Adders , all males were recorded on the site . Only one was found under refugia , and another couldn't make it's mind up whether it wanted to be recorded . on , under , or near the refugia . The other four were close to refugia , and my favourite was a male sunning himself in a fissure on a fallen tree .

Birdwise , there were several Skylarks up and singing , along with several Blue , Great and Long Tailed Tits togeter with Chaffinches , Greenfinches and Goldfinches . In the furthest field , a male Kestrel was perching , and then making dives into the long grass , before returning back to it's perch . He was so intent on what he was doing , at one stage , he alighted on the top of the small tree that I was standing next to , trying to get shots of him . If you ever wondered what the back end of a male Kestrel looks like ---Just after taking this , he looked down , saw me and shot off down the other end of the field . Butterflies were few and far between , but I did record Brimstone , Peacock , Comma and my first Small Tortoisshell of the year , but it didn't stop for a photo . I decided to go on to Bough Beech on the strength of Warren's news , that the Ladies Smock was in flower , and hoped for an early Orange Tip . I went directly to the furthest end of the reserve from the Oast House , where Ladies Smock grows in abundance , both along the hedgelines and in the adjacent wood . No sooner did I get out of the car , when I heard Buzzards calling . From the field corner , I could see four Common Buzzards drifting overhead on the thermals . The views only lasted seconds before they lifted higher and drifted out of sight . No Orange Tips were found even though the Ladies Smock was indeed in full flower , but whilst looking in the adjacent wood , for the second day running , I put up Deer , but this time what looked like a herd of females , including two pure white animals . They were of in a flash before I could get the camera out , but I did get a distant shot through the trees of one of the white animals . Walking back to the car , I was serenaded by at least three singing Chiffchaffs , and then a Blackcap burst into song from the middle of a thorn bush . I know it is a terrible shot , but he wasn't prepared to move out of the bush , so I took this as a record of my first singing Blackcap of the year . Before getting back in the car , I had a look over the hedge across the reservoir . Cormorants seemed to have taken over all the floating islands , but a Grey Heron was diligently fishing in the shallows . A final look aroung the field edge confirmed that no Orange Tips were around , but I did find a Comma feeding on Goat Willow and a Peacock pretending to be a dead leaf , resting on the ground .

The Causeway was heaving with the good weather birders , so I left them to it and headed home .
Nearly forgot , on the way home , had my first Swallow of the year , just below the Greensand Ridge ,