Saturday 11th. April 2015

A round up of the week :
The first butterfly transect at High Elms LNR , failed to produce the hoped for Orange Tip or early

Skipper . The two and a half hour visit in good conditions didn't blunt the pencil with 9 Brimstone , 2 Peacock and one Comma being the only butterflies going into the book . I must say that it might be a blessing in disguise as apart from Primroses and Violets and the first Cowslips , there are very few nectar plants in the 'scalped' glades and meadows . Even the Bee Fly / Bombylius major had to resort

 to the Primrose too . Along the bridleway through the golf course , Coltsfoot / Tussilago farfara , a

member of the Daisy family , and a species that flowers before it's leaves appear , was found , and just before the car park , the flower buds of the Horse Chestnut / Aesculus hippocastanum , had just

burst open . In a short time these will become the erect stalked clusters of flowers ready to be pollinated and produce the conkers in the Autumn . On the way home , I stopped off up on the

Common where the 3/4 Chiffchaffs were singing , and as I photographed one , the faint 'hueet' contact call of it's mate was heard , as she looked for a nest sight below .
A trip to Bough Beech Reservoir found the water still very high , with almost no muddy edges , there is very little hope of any waders stopping in to refuel . A Cuckoo , calling from behind the Oast and a singing Blackcap at the far end of the reserve , where I looked for Orange Tips amongst the Cuckoo Flower along the hedgeline without success , were the only highlights . Moving on to the small

reserve with feeders , I was greeted as I arrived by a pair of Treecreeper and also heard the Bullfinches , but never saw them . With several Common Buzzard heard and the odd one or two

drifting into view , I found my first Grass Snakes of the year . This probable female from the size allowed a couple of shots , but a smaller specimen was too quick for the camera . When I arrived back home and unloading the car , an insect , looking somewhat like a honeybee , caught my attention as it moved across the carport floor . I grabbed a sheet of paper and the camera and it obliged by walking a short way on the paper before flying off . I have got to admit that it would probably gone in my 'to be identified' folder , had it not been for a photo on the Rye Harbour webpage the previous evening . It was in fact a Black-horned Sawfly / Zaraea lonicera , one of the

less seen species . Like many of the Sawflies , it's name reflects the plant with which it is associated , Honeysuckle .
I left it quite late for a visit to Sevenoaks Reserve , but even so arrived in a pea soup , but the warmth of the sun could be felt through it , and after an hour or so , it was gone . From Tyler Hide on my arrival , I couldn't see the first island , so headed down to Slingsby Hide , hoping for Water Rail or

Reed Warbler , but only a single male Reed Bunting was seen . With the islands now showing from Tyler Hide , two Little Ringed Plover were seen in flight but when landing , were on the far side of the furthest islands . Along the main track towards the sheep field , 3 male Blackcap were singing ,

one down by Long Lake just made it into the viewfinder , but no sign yet of a Garden Warbler . From the gate I scanned the sheep field , but failed to find the juvenile White Ibis , but last night I noticed that an immature White Ibis touched down briefly at the London Wetland Centre at Barnes , before carrying on westwards . I can't imagine that it wasn't the Sevenoaks bird , so the long staying attraction has moved on , perhaps it ran out of worms in the sheep field .
Yesterday I took Carol to friends near Rye and after a quick cuppa , disappeared . I headed first for Pett Level and was frustrated before even stopping to see a pair of Mute Swan mating in the middle of one pool . It looked like the cob jet-skiing on the pen . As I pulled up , it was over and as I unpacked the camera they did a 'ballet thing' , but as I was ready to take a shot , they split up , gutted .To add to the frustration , ripples from the edge of the ditch in front of the pool turned out to

be a Water Vole feeding on emerging reed stems , but it steadfastly refused to come out into the open . The only other interest was a pair of Shellduck , way over on the far side . My second stop was at Rye Harbour NR  in now somewhat hazy conditions . Lots of families on the path out to the mouth of the Rother , so I headed out to the right and beyond the caravan park . The tide was out , but the

number of birds around were few . A Curlew was feeding in the water on one pool , and not far

away , one of two Avocet , the only two seen on the visit . The air was full of BhGull calls , interspersed by a few Skylark battles involving two or three birds at a time . This one had just had a

spat with two other , and was taking the chance to look for food . A few Linnets were seen on the way to the hides , where the noise level increased by each step from nesting Gulls . Almost all were

Bh , but way out on the pool were a few Meds , but they never came close , and when did come

ashore , it was always on the far side of the island . A Redshank was much more willing to pose . Making my way along the metaled road between the reserve and the beach , usually a good spot for Yellow Wagtail or Wheatear , hardly a bird was seen or heard , apart from another Skylark that lifted

up overhead in full song . Near the mouth of the river , I met up with the 'last of the summer wine' , three old boys , all must have been well into their 80's , out on a day's birding . They too were hoping for migrants in the area , but hadn't found a single one . After reminiscing about how it used to be in the 'old days' , we went our ways . As I turned to follow the river back to the car park , I looked over to where I had stopped and chatted to the three . They hadn't moved far , and I smiled and thought to myself , it won't be that long before I could join their club . My next move was to Dungeness , where before going to the reserve , had a look down the Gully . Very little apart from an LBJ that dived into the gorse , and a report from a returning birder that he hadn't seen a single migrant . Still , I parked up and had a look around and was as pleased as punch to find two male Wheatear , looking very dapper ,

one of which was more obliging than the other , which made the bumpy ride back up the track much more satisfying . Arriving at the RSPB reserve , not a sign of a Tree Sparrow , or any other species at the feeders at the entrance , and a slow drive along the track only produced one singing Reed Warbler and a female Kestrel of interest . Few cars in the car park didn't bode well , plus the fact that I was running out of time to pick Carol up , so I did a quick circuit , not going into any of the hides . A distant Marsh Harrier and several calling Cettis Warblers and swarms of black , 'mosquito type'    insects and the odd Peacock butterfly was all that was seen as I approached the 5 bar gate near the track to Dengemarsh Hide , when my progress was slowed instantly by two bursts of Sedge Warbler song , from Brambles either side of the gate . As usual , it was some time before I saw movement , never mind a bird , but patience paid off . One bird suddenly appeared on top of the Bramble , as if

trying to out-sing his rival , before disappearing back into cover . With one eye on my watch and the other on the other Bramble patch , again my patience was rewarded when the bird defiantly appeared

in a small tree to post his response . Almost immediately , both birds were spooked by four people on horseback , and all went quiet . The hoped for 'boom' from a Bittern didn't materialise , but just before the return track to the car park , I met two birders who told me that a Hoopoe , probably the one seen in the trapping area at the Bird Observatory yesterday , had been seen within the last 20 minutes in the area . There was no way I had time to look around , so left them to it , but searched on my way back , without success . Back at the car park , I was told by another birder that when seen , the bird flew off immediately , without a chance of a photo , so it could be anywhere on the reserve , or even flown off altogether . I finally picked Carol up 'well late' , but it was described as 'to be expected ' !