Monday 10th. March 2014

A catch up on visits over the last few days , starts with the bird survey at Down House . A sunny , crisp visit produced 19 species , just on the higher side of average for the site . The birds were in fine song , like us , probably glad to see and feel that sun . Great Spotted Woodpeckers were duelling on

their favoured drums , this one over by the cricket field , the other was answering from the formal garden . In the large paddock , a Green Woodpecker swooped down , probably to feed on ants . I tried

to get close , but just after this shot , I was spotted , and it was gone , along with a noisy 'yaffle' . In

the formal garden , tucked under a hedge , an Earthstar fungus / Geastrum triplex , the fleshy outer layer splitting backwards under fruiting body raised above the ground . Anything touching the spore sack , even raindrops , producing a jet of spores to be emitted from an opening on the top of the sack . Walking back to the car along the lane , a splash of blue close to the ground caught my attention . My

first thought was Borage / Borago officinalis , there being not that many blue flowers , but that grows to quite a good sized plant , and the top of this flower stalk was only 30 cms. off the ground . From the books , I now think it might be Abraham , Isaac and Jacob / Trachystemon orientalis , or maybe not ?
As the week warmed up , I made several early morning visits to an area I passed through many times en route to hedglaying over the years , and on 3/4 occasions , had sightings of Brown Hares . Unfortunately , the Hares didn't show , but it was worth while just for the song of the Skylarks . The only shot I took on the visits , was this rushed one , without a chance of changing any settings , of a

male Pheasant that appeared flying from behind a rise and disappeared into some adjoining woodland . After each failed visit , I consoled myself with a stop up on the Greensand Ridge , where

the warm weather has encouraged more Adders to come out of hibernation . Singles are still to be

found , but more doubles and trebles are becoming more frequent . Sorting out the number of heads

and tails , I must admit , is made much easier when the animals help out and stay separate . My best animal count to date is 12 , one of which I was really glad to find , a youngster born last Autumn ,

and proving breeding on the site .
This morning , with cloud forecast to take over from lunchtime , I headed to Sevenoaks Reserve , and

was welcomed by one of many Wrens , singing their hearts out . I was hoping to find Great-crested Grebes displaying , but only found two pairs , one intent on feeding , the other mirroring each other at distance and behind a reedbed . A very quick look in at Willow Hide , as someone had decided to leave their last meal over one end of the hide . The island on the East Lake was noisy , with this pair

of Egyptian Geese evicting the Canadas and Greylags , even though both species are bigger than them . A bit further along the track , another , or the same Jay , allowed me to get a few shots , before

flying off . But even that was eclipsed later , when I spotted a Treecreeper land on a tree just off the track , then fly on to a nearby Ivy clad tree . I waited a while , then it flew back past me , before returning again as before . I made my way to the area that the bird had been heading to , and got the camera ready , albeit not good light and lots of vegetation between , as I didn't want to get too close . The following shots tell their own story :

Assuming I was watching the female , she came backwards and forwards 7/8 times whilst I was there , with different nesting materials , whilst , who I assume was the male , took no notice of me ,

and stood guard on the surrounding trees , at one time landed on a close Elderberry , almost too close for the camera to focus . A few minutes that I will never forget . I moved on , hoping that the pair will

be successful . From Tyler Hide , a fine looking male Shellduck , but no sign of a partner . Whilst out

on the back of the nearest island , 13 Common Snipe , with another 3 just out of the shot . More

Wrens from Slingsby Hide , along with a male Reed Bunting , also singing his heart out . Around the site , Goat Willow , a great early provider of nectar was attracting lots of Bumble Bees , mostly

Buff-tailed , and also another Comma . With the first clouds showing , I headed home , and as I approached the bottom of Poll Hill , could see a Common Buzzard , quartering the adjacent fields . I

managed to get on a quieter lane and got a distant shot , unfortunately into the now milky sun . I

watched and waited , and was eventually rewarded with a better shot , as it turned towards the sun . By the time I got home , the cloud cover was complete .