Sunday 3rd. May 2015

A visit to Sevenoaks Reserve early in the week explained why Egyptian Geese are springing up all

over the place . This pair had 11 youngsters , and here were fending off  one of their own kind . Down at Slingsby Hide , a pair of Reed Bunting took off as I opened the flap , and at least 3 singing

Reed Warbler were around the hide and reedbed . I was hoping to see Garden Warbler too , but although I heard two singing males , neither were seen . Over on the other side of the East Lake , a Great

Crested Grebe pair had at least one egg in their nest . On the North lake , I think I spotted two

juveniles in the Grey Heron nest , a long way behind the species at Kelsey Park in Beckenham . During the visit , just one Orange Tip and one Small White was seen , but not a single Odonata .
The High Elms LNR butterfly transect did little better , with just 6 butterflies recorded from three

species , but at least two were new for the year , Dingy and Grizzled Skipper , the two early Skippers that I have been hoping for on previous transects . At the moment , the Conservation Fields are awash

with Cowslips , this being just one small part , but down at the bottom edge , out of the thousands , a

single orange / yellow variant . A quick look around the dipping pond produced my first Odonata of

the year , a male Large Red Damselfly , a male of the hopefully the first of many .
Up on the Greensand Ridge , things have gone very quiet , the males having dispersed to look for mates apart from the non breeders . On one visit around St.Georges Day , I thought I had found some

mushrooms named after out patron Saint , but on closer inspection , found that they were three eggs .

Next visit , I went to the same patch of heather , pictured above , but saw no eggs . It was only when I

used my binoculars that I found I was being watched , by a female Pheasant . On my last visit , she

wasn't on the nest so I was able to have a good look , finding 11 eggs now present . I pulled back the heather over the nest and carried on . On my way back , I had another look , finding the female back on her nest , but more obvious this time as she was turned through 180 degrees , and the full length of her tail was sticking out .
On Friday , I made an early start , arriving down at Elmley Reserve just after 0800 . Along the

entrance track , lots of nesting birds . For some , the lack of rain has meant that their nest is now high and dry . Lapwing seem to be doing very well again , with some still on nests , but many now with young . I sat for a while watching this small chick and it's siblings , probably not more than 2/3 days

old , having to find food for itself . The female kept in contact with calls , and defended the youngsters from predators , but there was definitely no feeding being done . I was hoping for Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear on the track , but neither were seen on the visit . I must admit that I got 'way-layed' when I got to the S bends before the car park when I spotted two Brown Hares in the field across the ditch , but they never came really close . I moved on to the second bend to find a Brown

Hare running along the side of the track towards me . Well that was just the start of a couple of hours where at least 10 animals were seen criss-crossing the track and in and out of the ditches either side .

Occasionally , the odd animal would stop still for a few moments , but that was the exception to the rule . The highlight came when I had 6 animals chasing each other around the field on the other side

of the ditch . I was hoping to get all 6 in the viewfinder together , but had to make do with just 4 .

And of course the reason for all this chasing and hiding , well this buck's face says it all . Just before

the car park , a Little Grebe pair were looking for a meal , this one , in breeding plumage , was successful . By the time I reached the car park , I was frozen . Having both front windows open not knowing where the next Hare would appear from , produced a very cold wind tunnel effect , and I was glad to have a coffee and warm up . Unexpectedly , not a single hirondine was seen along the track , or at the car park . The return along the track produced a distant Hobby , my first of the year ,

but as soon as I started to slow down , it was off . Also seen on the way out were male and female

Linnet , and a pair of Redshank , acting exactly the same as the Hares earlier , chasing and calling . I think the end result was the same as they disappeared into a ditch to reappear a short time later ,

trying to make out nothing had happened . As it was the female that was doing all the egging on and calling , I'm surprised the male had the strength left . A look along the Capel Fleet road to the raptor

viewpoint , did finally produce a migrant in the form of a male Wheatear . Not much else apart from distant views of several Marsh Harrier and a flock of Corn Bunting in the brambles , 16 of which got

into the viewfinder . Before heading home , I had a quick look at the beach at Leysdown , which resembled mid-Winter with waves crashing in on a full tide . The only interest found was a single

Mediterranean Gull amongst the Black-Headeds and a couple of Oystercatchers . So , even though it was cold and windy , it certainly wasn't a bad Hare day .