Monday 5th. March 2012

On Friday , a recommended update flashed up on the screen , so to get rid of the flashing , I clicked upload and thought nothing more about it . Went hedgelaying Saturday , last laying day of the season , and when I got home switched on the computer , only to get an error message stating that 'a problem had been detected and Windows had been shut down to prevent damage to the computer' , and I couldn't find a way around it . By Sunday , I was ready to chuck the whole thing out of the window . Eventually , after speaking to several people , I was able to turn the clock back to before I downloaded the update . The computer switched off and restarted , and everything has worked fine since , fingers crossed . Today , I did my Monday visit to a very windy Sevenoaks Reserve , in sunshine . Mind you , just a couple of miles further East , a bank of thick grey cloud was threateningly close . A look from the viewpoint showed a large number of Gulls along the side of the

East Lake , and on looking through them , found Greater Black-backed , Herring and Black-headed

in one area , and Lesser Black-backed , Common and more Black-headed in another , I hope ! The water level was noticeably higher after the rain , and it looked like the Great Crested Grebe's nest had been swamped and there was no sign of them . Most of the Common Snipe were missing too , with just a handful seen , mind you that wind was far from inviting . Heading towards Tower Hide , I

found one pair of GCGs in the sheltered bay displaying to each other . I managed to get behind a tree without being seen , and shortly afterwards , the pair went into their 'weed dance' . Only trouble was

the tree between us , and the dance seemed to be a bit half hearted this time , but twice in two visits can't be bad . As soon as they finished , they headed out into deep water , presumably to feed , so I left them to it . Just a few Canada Geese and Coots from Tower Hide , the usual 'sentry' at Slingsby ,

and a male Dunnock who was singing his heart out on one of the screen posts outside . Plenty of

Chaffinches on the way back to the viewpoint , then the chattering of Siskins in the Alders , along with just a couple of Lesser Redpolls who managed to evade the viewfinder before the whole group

flew off . No Kingfisher sighting today , nor the Bittern , but in it's reedbed was an adult and juvenile Grey Heron . But , Spring was in the air around Snipe Bog Lake , or at least I think that was what the

male Mallard was telling his female . Behind the lake , no sign of the lambs today , but a large number of Geese were noisily grazing , their number including at least six Egyptian Geese . By lunchtime , the bank of cloud had rolled nearer and was starting to blot out the sun , so my plan to look for reptiles on the Downs on the way home went out the window . I did stop and look for any

sign of Early Purple Orchid though , and found several spotted rosettes , it looks like it will be a good

year . Also , amongst the grass , the first Common Dog Violets / Viola riviniana of the year . In the

hedgerows , the flowers of Blackthorn , always before the leaf , are doing their best to brighten things up . On the way home , I got back into sunshine , but it was short lived as the cloud moved further Westward .