Thursday 5th. February 2014

What with a busy programme of hedgelaying and the weather , visits have been few and far between recently , but a couple were managed . The first was last week to a very soggy Sevenoaks Reserve , where at least it stayed dry during my visit . The strong wind kept most species tucked away , but the following were found ,

a Little Egret on one of the islands on the East Lake , looking like it was wearing someone else's shoes ,

a male Siskin , one of a small flock around Tyler Hide , and around the feeders outside Grebe Hide ,

Robin ( with attitude ), Blue and Long-tailed Tit .

On the way home , one of several Rooks gathering in fields around their favoured nesting trees along the bottom lane .
This morning I had a look in at Kelsey Park on my way back from the recycling centre . Just the usual species along The Beck , but just beyond the bridge where it empties into the lake , I could see a large amount of white , thrashing around in the water . When I got closer , I could see two Mute

Swans , wrestling , for want of a better description . Close by was a third adult , but was not getting

involved . I thought at first it was a cob attempting to mate with a pen , but the wrestling was far too violent , having seen a pair mating , about this time last year , and then a fourth bird , a juvenile ,

came in to watch the action . I then realised that the most probable explanation was that the 'attacked' bird must be an intruder , and the 'attacker' was the mate of the third adult , who at times seemed to be

encouraging her mate . I don't know how long the attack had been going on for , but after a couple of minutes it looked as if the 'attacked' bird was going to be drowned , but at the last minute , it managed

to get free , and fled through the overhanging bankside vegetation , chased by it's attacker and the pen and juvenile . It managed to evade the other cob , and the last I saw of ii , it was having a wash and brush up behind the island at the far end of the heronry island .