Friday 15th. April 2016

A wet afternoon gives me a chance to catch up on a few recent outings .
I jumped at the chance to help a licenced Great Crested Newt handler with an amphibian survey on a pond in a country park just outside Bromley . We searched both in the water and under log piles , finding 9 GCNs

in total . In this shot are male , in front with white flash on his tail and female behind , without a flash . The crest of the male just flops over his back when out of water . We also found good numbers of Common and Palmate Newt both in and out of the water . This is a male Palmate Newt , identified by the filiment at the

end of his tail and also by the partially webbed back feet , from which it gets it's name . One sweep of the net

also found a Water Boatman / Corixa punctata .
A visit to Sevenoaks Reserve on an overcast and drizzly day , did find a pair of Gargeney , possibly the pair

that I saw at Bough Beech and mentioned on my last post , as they were not to be seen when I had a look on my way home at lunchtime , and were recordes at SR early that afternoon . A mentioned , the wether was grim but at least they were somewhat closer and out in the open this time . With a bit of sunshine , the drake

makes a really dapper individual , maybe next time . Also seen on the visit , a small number of Little Ringed

Plover , but they kept to the furthest islands from Tyler Hide .
A visit to New Hythe , primarily for newly arrived Nightingales , produced just two birds , both around the fishermen's car park , but neither were willing to show themselves . The only shot I managed was a silhouette

of one in full song , at the back of thick shrubbery , but just listening to that song again was worth it . I did better with a Water Vole though , as after scuttling off initially , went about it's routine , without taking any

further notice of me . Having been lucky with Nightingale sightings around the water treatment entrance , I tried there but it wasn't to be this time . But , on passing the large water sport lake , a splashing amongst the

overhanging vegetation turned out to be a Cormorant , having just caught a good sized eel . The bird immediately made for deeper water , struggling with the eel . Once somewhat subdued , it tried to swallow

 the eel . It seemed that it was on the verge of succeeding , when the eel was re-gurgitated back into the

water . A short stop for breath , then back to swallowing attempt , and after quite some time , it looked as if

it was going to be success at last , with just the tail to go . Once down , the Cormorant went into a strange

swimming action , with a very full neck , but it worked , as after a few seconds it took off and flew to the other side of the lake , no doubt to do a bit of dijesting .
Already , the weekly butterfly transect has started at High Elms LNR , but butterflies found were very thin on the ground . The first transect produced 3 male Brimstone , and the second , 1 male Brimstone and jus for a

change , a Comma .
A look up on the Downs was disappointing as regards Adders , with just a single male found after 2 hours of

 searching . Common Lizard and Slow Worm were more numerous , and on one piece of felt I found a Glow

 Worm larva , and after finding several Early Purple Orchid with just basal leaves , I finally found my first one

 in flower this year , just . Butterflies did better , with 11 Brimstone and a single Peacock being recorded . On the way back home , I stopped off at HE , where I had seen a pair of

Nuthatch , busily preparing their nest hole , whilst I was on the butterfly transect . The pair were still busy

when I arrived , bringing mud to reduce down the size of the entry hole . I spent a pleasant half hour

watching the industrious pair going about their work , which looks as if it is almost complete .
After reading one evening that 3 Ring Ouzel were seen on the edge of a Croydon Park , I made an early start the following morning , hoping that they were still around , Three and a half hours later , and not a Ring Ouzel in sight , I happened to meet the birder who had put the word out , only this time he added a few extra words , ' and they flew off over that way ' . End of story . The time wasn't totally wasted though as this

female Kestrel , having just been mated by her partner , flew down and fed on worms on what looked like a freshly cut cricket square . A visit at a Surrey reptile site produced just two male Adders , and on the way

 back home , I was treated to a distant Red Kite .
Yesterday , I made a visit to Asdown Forest , hoping for a few migrants . Almost immediately on arrival , Willow Warbler and Cuckoo were heard , and soon after I saw the back end of two Cuckoos , heading towards the car park , which I had recently left . That was soon made up for with a Tree Pipit on overhead

wires , just one of 3-4 that were singing in the area . I was hoping for singing Woodlark , but had to be

satisfied with two feeding on the ground . Just 3 Common Redstart were seen / heard , and this male was

more interested in attracting a mate than posing for my camera . Not a single raptor was seen , but a distant

Raven , ' cronking ' as it went was some compensation . On the way home , I stopped off at another Early

Purple Orchid site , where the plants were much more advanced .