Sunday 28th.October 2012

A really miserable week weather-wise gave very few opportunities to get out , and with work parties on the Common and hedgelaying both in full swing , even less opportunities presented themselves .Only saving grace was not getting soaked on either of the above . I did manage a short visit to Kelsey Park in Beckenham , and even though it is almost November , the two juvenile Grey

 Herons posted on my last visit , are still in their nest , waiting for the next meal to arrive . No sign of the Grey Wagtails this visit and the Mandarins were tucked away under their favourite overhanging bushes . The only other interest were two Egyptian Geese that were feeding on the lawns . The books



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

say that male and female are identical , but I'm reasonably sure that from their calls , this is the male , with the normal darkish neck and eye patch , 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but what I'm reasonably sure was the female of the pair , showed only a shadow of the dark eye patch and much lighter colouration on the neck and head . Of interest , had this been a juvenile , legs and bill would be yellowish grey .

Apart from those , the only other interest was a Grey Squirrel , one of many who try to 'mug' you for

food whilst you walk around the park , but this time , perhaps on a health kick , feeding on ripe Yew berries .
The weather seems to be ideal for fungi , but that doesn't mean that there are lots to see , especially around Hayes and Keston Commons , where I saw three 'oriental' people , hoovering up everything that they found , which reminds me to keep away from any Chinese take-aways . A few species managed to avoid their hands , and made it to the viewfinder .

Spotted Tough-Shank / Collybia maculata ,

Sulphur Tuft / Hypholoma fasciculare .

Earthstar / Geastrum triplex .

and the fruiting bodies of Green Wood-Cup / Chlorosplenium aeruginascens .
A visit to South Norwood Country Park in misty conditions was not very productive , but I did meet another birder who was there the day before , and had a Short-eared Owl appear out of the mist , chased by local Corvids , then disappear back into the mist again . Sadly , it wasn't around for my visit .
This morning I visited Hayes Farm , but apart from a few small Redwing flocks and my first Fieldfare of the Winter , albeit at a great distance in one of the horse fields . The Trout Fishery

produced nothing better than a pair of Little Grebe and a single , sad looking Mute Swan . Heading back towards the car I found a Green Woodpecker and three Mistle Thrush , and whilst watching them , heard Rose -ringed Parakeets squawking beyond the Trout Fishery . They and several of the

local Corvids were chasing a raptor , but in the gloom , I couldn't identify it . The chase disappeared

from view behind a large Oak , reappearing on the other side , where I got the closest shot . Even on the computer I couldn't get much detail , but decided it was a male Marsh Harrier , but as usual ,  stand to be corrected . It flew across the field that is used for boot sales , and landed in an Oak , which I hurried towards , only to see it chased off again by Corvids to the far corner , then into a private field beyond , where I lost sight of it . Still , a good record for LB Bromley . A single Skylark and a mixed Finch flock were found back near the car .
And finally ,  I found this very interesting article which answers the often asked question , ' what happens to the Painted Lady butterflies that migrate here in various numbers each year ?
No more perhaps or maybe , well worth a read .

www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/307/painted_lady_migration_secrets_revealed_.html

If the link doesn't work , it's the first time I've tried this , just go to Butterfly Conservation and click on 'News' .



Friday 9th. October 2012

Non stop rain put paid to any thoughts of getting out today , but it has made time to catch up on some interest found during recent visits .
A visit to High Elms LNR turned into a fungal foray , as apart from the common birds , no others were found . I headed to the area below the Orchid Bank looking for one of my favourite species of fungi , Magpie Fungus / Coprinus picaceus , but all I could find were specimens that were just

forcing their way through the leaf litter . I eventually found one fully out , but unfortunately a slug or snail had got there first and munched through the stipe / stem of the specimen . It wasn't till I almost

reached the edge of the reserve that I found one in pristine condition . Other species found included ,

Calocera viscosa ,



Coral Spot Fungus / Nectria cinnabarina ,

 and lots of Stag's Horn or Candle-snuff Fungus /  Xylaria hypoxylon .

On the way home , a stop at Keston Ponds produced False Chanterelle / Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca , before the return of the rain had me heading there .

A return visit to Knole Park at Sevenoaks , still found no sign of the Autumn rut , but I did find the

buck that Ken / Focusing on Wildlife  posted recently . He was strutting around the high ground , but that was the only male seen during the visit . Small groups of does and youngsters were seen , a few

joining the buck on the high ground , but it seemed his top priority was resting . Given the time of year and that these are wild animals , I kept a good distance and within easy reach of a fallen tree , but a group of people came up from the car park and got within 10 metres of the buck to get photographs . They were then joined by two young mothers with children in front facing pushchairs . As it happens , nothing untoward happened and they all went back down to the car park , but if the buck had felt threatened by the group and charged , who was in the front line to receive injuries from those formidable antlers ? Heading back to the car , a movement on a shady wall turned out to be a

Nuthatch , no doubt looking for insects . Further on , two female Sika deer crossed the the track in front of me and were soon bending into the woodland , distinguished by their dark coat and the light

coloured roundels on the back of their hind legs , just below the knee . Almost at the car , an

enormous specimen of Hoof Fungus or Tinder Fungus / Fomes fomentarius on a majestic Beech , being at least 60 cms. in height .
A visit to the 'tree laying' reserve , produced more Great Crested Newt sightings , along with a quick

glimpse of a Common Shrew , before it dashed off , and a more considerate member of the Rove

Beetle family , the wonderfully named Devil's Coach Horse / Staphylinus olens . A bright orange/yellow blob spotted in the distance , turned out to be a nice specimen of Yellow Brain

Fungus / Tremella mesenterica .
Another attempt at photographing a Kingfisher was going well when one flew into sight and looked to be intent on landing in some Willow some 15 mtrs. from the hide . As it did so a visitor opened the door , slammed it shut , then proceeded to make as much noise as possible opening and securing the

viewing flap . Before the Kingfisher flew off , I just managed four shots . Having sat down , the visitor asked ' anything interesting about ? ' , ' not now ' I answered . Only saving grace was that the

bird was in the shade and on a swaying branch . With not much else about apart from a small flock of Stock Doves and the male Mallards trying very hard to convince the females that it was in fact

Spring , I headed home . 

                                                         



Wednesday 10th. October 2012

This month's bird survey at Down House produced a better than average count of 24 species , nothing special amongst them , and no sign of any Roe Deer for a change .
Inspired by Marc's ( Reculver Birder ) brilliant Kingfisher shots posted recently , I have spent some time , probably too much , trying to improve my own efforts , and not doing very well connecting with the species , then when the opportunity presented itself , having the wrong settings and finishing up with grainy efforts that will not be posted . Whilst waiting at the same post a couple of mornings

later , the only species to get anywhere near was this juvenile Moorhen , which climbed the post and

had a cleaning and stretching session , before finally jumping down . Needless to say , the Kingfisher has not presented itself on the post , I could kick myself for missing the opportunity . Giving up , I headed to the small reserve where the 'tree laying' took place last Winter , and soon after arriving found John , one of the leading lights of the reserve . There followed a very pleasant amble around the reserve , turning up a few interesting species . Turning logs and refugia , I found a

juvenile newt , probably Smooth / Common , but John managed to trump that with two juvenile Great

Crested Newts , one pictured , a Grass Snake , and after sifting through debris on the edge of one of

the ponds , a dragonfly larva , which I believe is a Common Darter . Whilst walking around , we chatted how the fungi hasn't seemed to get going this year yet , but we did find a few species to provide interest .

Aniseed Toadstool - Clitocybe odora ,

The delicately shaded Mycena pura ,

and my favourite , Eyelash Fungus - either Scutellinia scutellata or S.umbrarum . Both can be found on damp ground and the difference between the two is 'shorter , less conspicuous hairs' according to my books . Another attempt at Kingfisher shots , this time at Sevenoaks Reserve , produced one sighting , with the bird flying down the lake to the stick outside the hide , the merest of touches on the stick , and it was gone , not to be seen again . Fortunately there was other action , almost using the same format as the Kingfisher , when a Mute Swan started it's take off in the far corner of the lake ,

 



heading straight towards the hide , then aborting the take off right in front and landing to the right of the hide . I would mention that it did not attempt to land on the Kingfisher stick . Having landed , it paddled back in a circuitous route to where it had started in the far corner , only to repeat the performance twice more whilst I was in the hide . Also landing noisily in front of the hide were eight

Egyptian Geese , that had fled from the sheep fields beyond the lake when the farmer began rounding up the sheep on a quad bike with the assistance of a dog . Just before leaving the hide three skeins of

geese , mainly Greylag appeared from over the trees . Most overflew the hide to land in the East Lake , but a few looped back and landed out front , to be followed by a small flock of Canadas . With tomorrow looking like a washout , and with the sun still shining , I detoured to the other Kingfisher site on my way home . Unfortunately there was a working party on the site , so I had a wander around the local footpaths . One of these passed through a maize crop , some of which had been cut recently , and was providing food for a large flock of Corvids , split about equally between Jackdaw and

Carrion Crow , like the two pictured . Not a lot else was found apart from on one particularly muddy

area , when a Common Frog hopped across my path , perhaps looking form a spot to hibernate  . A final attempt for the Kingfisher now that things had quietened down , also failed , but a consolation

was a male Migrant Hawker that posed on the stock fencing directly in front of me .And finally , a

reflection shot that caught my eye , across the East Lake on the visit to Sevenoaks Reserve .

Tuesday 2nd. October 2012

Another catch up on three visits made recently , in between the rain . The first was last Thursday to Knowle Park at Sevenoaks , to see if there was any movement with this year's rut . A pleasant enough day , but by the time I reached the high ground near the house , I had only come across small groups

of does , with the odd very juvenile buck amongst them . I searched the areas just below the high ground , where in previous years I have found contenders , biding their time before moving up to the high ground , but found not a single one . In total I found about 50/60 does and juvenile bucks by the time I had got back to the car , but as the car came into view , so did two bucks , between me and the sun . I needed to get on the other side of them , thinking that they would be off as soon as I got too

close . But , they kept their eye on me , and allowed me to slowly work my way past them . I got a few shots of them 'head to head' , but not exactly what I was hoping for . They both looked ready for the rut , having beefed up those neck and shoulder muscles and also acquired the air sack on their

throats to enable them to roar out their dominance . But I'm afraid all these two were interested in was feeding under Sweet Chestnut trees , so it might be  a while before any action takes place . On Friday I made another visit up on the Greensand Ridge , and whereas last visit I had 8 Grass Snakes and no Adders , this visit produced no Grass Snakes and 8 Adders , 5 males and 3 females . I'm reasonably

sure that this female was the one I photographed in the Spring , when I found her trying to swallow a Wood Mouse that she had caught . Surprisingly , a couple of the males found were still in their silver

and black breeding colours , but the other three were either non breeders or had already returned to

their less striking , more normal colouration . Also found were large numbers of Common Earth-balls /

Scleroderma citrinum , looking like potatoes all over the place . Over the weekend , whilst helping Carol in the garden , I came across a female Lesser Stag Beetle , which would probably looking for somewhere to over-Winter , so I pointed her in the direction of the rotting woodpile in the bottom

corner of the garden . Of interest , I read that this species lives as an adult for up to a year , unlike it's larger relative the Stag Beetle , which only lives for a matter of weeks . With the weather on the change by lunchtime , I headed off early to a different Kingfisher site , which gets the morning sun earlier than outside Willow Hide at Sevenoaks . All very well , but no one told the Kingfishers , not even hearing a call . While I was waiting , a few things dropped in . This Cormorant bobbed up very

close , and shortly afterwards , the highlight of the visit for me , when a Weasel had a mad few minutes , no more than 5 metres in front of me , chasing up and down in the long grass along the fenceline . The frustrating thing was that it was so close , and yet the long grass prevented me from getting a clear view of the animal , and definitely no chance of a photograph . As quickly as it

appeared , it disappeared . A Grey Heron flew in , and stood like a statue in the water . Some time later , it's dagger-like bill was thrust into the water , and breakfast was served , a good sized Roach , I

think . A bit of juggling , and a few seconds later , the breakfast was ready to slip down , and shortly

afterwards , the bird flew off , no doubt to digest it's meal . Other interest included a Common Buzzard that only gave brief glimpses in trees bordering a large open area , a Mistle Thrush that was seen off by the local Starling gang , and a male Kestrel that got similar treatment from the local

Corvids within seconds of alighting on a dead Oak .