Thursday 14th. November 2013

Despite having jobs to do around the house and garden , the sunshine and blue skies yesterday were enough to leave them for another day and head off for Elmley Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey . As I started down the track , ice on the ditches and scrapes was just starting to give up it's hold as the warmth of the sun could begin to be felt . A pair of Mute Swan and a juvenile were helping the

process in the first ditch and nearby a pair of Skylark were busily searching for their breakfast . A group of Lapwing , still huddled together , a distant Marsh Harrier , the first of several seen on the

day , a couple of distant Little Egret and a Grey Heron getting a better view of the area , were all that was seen until I approached the two bends before the car park . From a distance I could see a large bird on the fence post at the second bend , and hoping for a raptor , slowly moved closer . But the

raptor turned out to be a cock Pheasant , which held it's ground till I was quite close . The belt of sunflowers , now gone to seed and general weeds along the right hand side of the track towards the car park was holding a good mix of small birds , avidly feeding . They included Goldfinch ,

Chaffinch , Reed Bunting , Yellowhammer and Greenfinch , and probably a couple more unseen species too . Arriving at the car park with just Starlings , House Sparrows and Pied Wagtails about , a look out from the back of the toilet block found the scrape dominated by Teal , a single Lt.Egret and

a few BTGodwit , still to rouse from their slumber . In the nearby Oaks , one of the Barn Owls was

still in similar mode . Having seen that the tide was full as I crossed the bridge onto the island , I decided to return down the track and check out Leysdown and Shellness before the falling tide reduced any birds to mere specks at the waters edge . On the way back down the track , I did manage

a quick couple of shots of a female Marsh Harrier , when she settled briefly on a gate post , a single

Reed Bunting in one of the few trees by the track side , and , although a common bird , couldn't resist

snapping a Lapwing , especially as I was better positioned for the sun . Further down the track ,

another Marsh Harrier sighting , this time a male . The front at Leysdown towards the Shellness track only held the usual BHGulls , so I headed down the rough track , hoping for a SEOwl or even a RLBuzzard . Unfortunately my hopes were not fulfilled as just Corvids and Gulls were seen along it's length . Reaching the car park at the end , mine was the only car there , so I knew there wasn't a rarity

about . On the beach in front of the hamlet in warm conditions , just a few Turnstones feeding amongst the outgoing tide . As I made my way towards the end of the hamlet , good numbers of Oystercatchers were flying noisily right to left along the beach , no doubt heading to their feeding

grounds that were becoming available . Some came past in small groups , some in long drawn out

groups . By the time I got to the point and looked right towards the mouth of The Swale , I could see a large roost of the birds on the shingle beach in the distance , and the groups leaving the roost at regular intervals . Difficult to identify species on the water line there because of the distance , but mainly because the low sun was directly behind , but did pick out just two Brent Geese . No hoped for SEOwl over the saltings , just Curlew , Gulls and two more Lt.Egrets . As I returned on the

saltings side of the hamlet , a Pipit flew up and perched on a post . It was bulkier and darker than a Meadow , and my thoughts at the time were for Water , but the lack of the prominent eyebrow leaves me unsure . The return along the rough track was uneventful , but a look around the Grey Barn area

produced a very noisy House Sparrow colony , which is always nice to hear . From Leysdown I made my way to Capel Fleet and Harty Ferry . A couple of long distance Marsh Harrier sightings and lots of Starlings but not much else until a Green Sandpiper flew out of the recently cleared roadside ditch , just before the Raptor Viewpoint . About 12/15 Red-legged Partridge scurried away as I passed one field gate on the way down to the Ferryboat Inn , and slipway beyond produced a large number of Shellduck in the distance to the left , a few Redshank and a couple of Curlew , the

latter departing low over the water , whilst still at distance under an already milky looking sun , and a small flock of Dunlin , constantly on the move near the water's edge . As I returned to the Inn , a juvenile Common Buzzard , reminding me very much of the one that over-wintered locally last year ,

sat on a distant fence post , whilst rabbits ran around in the field in front . I remember the only food that the local one was interested in last Winter , was worms , perhaps this one was the same . Heading away from the Inn , a male Kestrel played 'catch-me-if-you-can' , flying from one telegraph post to the next , just as I poked the camera out of the window . Eventually , I did manage to get a couple of

shots , surprising him as I slowly rounded a bend . A few more Reed , but no Corn Buntings on the wires on the way back to the Fleet , but another couple of Marsh Harrier sightings and a female

Kestrel did show up in the fading sunlight and cooling temperature . Just after cresting Capel hill I spotted a bird on top of a telegraph pole , which through binoculars turned out to be a Little Owl . I approached slowly with camera ready , and as I stopped , it flew off . I parked up in a nearby field entrance for 10 minutes , but it didn't return to the post .
Two unusual sightings , both at Harty , a Migrant Hawker and a butterfly , probably a Peacock but not sure as it flew right out of the sun and disappeared into a hedge .

Friday 8th. November 2013

Mainly due to the weather and lack of interesting finds , a new post has been a long time coming . When I have been able to get out , very little was out there to find , so this post is restricted to a few shots from those outings .
The hoped for Winter visitor at Sevenoaks Reserve never materialised , but a couple of Kingfisher sightings from Willow Hide and 10/12 Egyptian Geese constantly flying between Snipe Bog Lake and the sheep fields beyond , made for the only shots taken on the visit .

The bird survey at Down House did nothing to lift the spirits , with just 16 species recorded . The highlight were 6 Mistle Thrush , feeding avidly on one of the Apple trees . I passed the same tree on my way out , but the Thrushes had been replaced by 7 Rose-ringed Parakeets , 5 of which were

caught in the viewfinder , two being half hidden under the middle/top bird . before I could get into a better position , two gardeners came round the corner , and they were off . The lawns behind the house always hold interest at this time of year , and this year the rare Wax Cap , Hygrocybe

calyptraeformis , seems to be doing very well indeed . Starting compact , it soon starts to split

radially from the middle as it get older . Also found in the same area , White Spindles / Clavaria

vermicularis . Not so good was that every Violet Helleborine that I found had been grazed , no doubt by the Roe Deer . Today , I made a visit to South Norwood Country Park , but things were still the same with very little to be seen . A Robin greeted me on one of the platforms around the lake , and at the same time the nearby litter bin came to life as several Brown Rats decamped from it's interior and

disappeared into the bankside vegetation . On one side of the island , a pair of Shoveler were having a

lie-in , whilst around the other side , a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull , and possibly a

juvenile , and what looks like a Common Gull to me , but unsure caused by the black tip to it's bill  , were resting just above the water line . The rest of the gulls on site were all Black-headed . On the way home I stopped off briefly on the Common , finding a Jay opposite where I parked , which for

once allowed a couple of shots before it disappeared . Close-by were several Fly Agaric / Amanita muscaria , but most had been damaged by someone/something , so I had to be satisfied with a newly

emerged specimen , still with the remnants of it's veil showing on it's cap .

Hedgelaying tomorrow and heavy rain forecast for the morning , happy days !

Thursday 24th. October 2013

A short visit yesterday to Knole Park in Sevenoaks , failed again this Autumn to find the Fallow Deer bucks rutting as they are supposed to be at this time of year , in fact I only found four bucks in total on the visit . On Echo Mount , the dominant buck , apparently brought in a couple of years ago to rejuvenate the herd , was the only male to be found , and from the look of him , doesn't seem to be

bothered about any contenders , as he spent most of the time dozing . Another reason for his position could be the large quantity of Sweet Chestnut fruits that have fallen , on which he has probably feasted . The other buck with a reasonable set of antlers was a long way off on the golf course , no Warren he wasn't playing , he was chasing a doe , but not seemingly getting very far with her . The

other two bucks seen have a few years to go before they can even think of usurping the ruler of Echo Mount . Very few birds around , but this female Green Woodpecker allowed me to get reasonably

close to her , before flying off . With no rutting , I headed across the golf course looking for fungi , and in between showers , managed to four species of Wax Caps , which seemed to echo the colours of the season ,

Scarlet Hood / Hygrocybe coccinea ,

Hygrocybe ceracea ,

Snowy Wax Cap / Hygrocybe nivea ,

and Blackening Wax Cap / Hygrocybe nigrescens .
I also found several specimens of the rare species Clathrus archeri / Devils Fingers , a relative of the more common Stinkhorn , and like it emerges from an egg , partially buried in the ground . Unfortunately , every specimen was damaged either by the heavy rainfall recently or by birds or

animals . As it's common name indicates , an undamaged specimen would have 4/6 red fingers pointing skywards , looking somewhat like a jester's cap . Another unusual species found , but more

common , was White Helvella / Helvella crispa . I also saw three Hornets whilst on site .
Today , after a very disappointing visit to Kelsey Park in Beckenham , finding nothing of interest , I spent an hour or so this afternoon in pleasant sunshine up on West Wickham Common , finding a couple more colourful fungi ,

Amethyst Deceiver / Laccaria amethystea ,

and Mycena pura .
Also found were three butterflies . A Comma that just wouldn't stop , and two Speckled Woods . One

was well worn , pictured , the other less so . The Comma will hopefully see next Spring , overwintering as an adult , but the two Speckled Woods will not , their lives will end soon , but interestingly , their offspring will overwinter as either a caterpillar or a chrysalis , the only British butterfly to do so , the rest doing so as one of the distinct stages , adult , egg , caterpillar or chrysalis .

Thursday 17th. October 2013

Having read reports on Alan's / Sissinghurst Birds etc. , and from Stephen Message on KOS ,  I had a quick look at the forecast for the Sissinghurst area , which proved to be better than here at home , so I set off early for the Hemsted Forest in deepest Kent , in the search of Crossbills . Driving through pouring rain on the way , I arrived about 0830 in much better conditions . Not having been to the site before , I was glad to see three birders in the distance along the main track , and headed for them across the main clearing , with half a dozen Common Crossbills , and I found out later , a Two-barred male as well . By the time I reached the three birders , the small flock had disappeared , so it was down to the waiting game . We had a few sightings , all at distance and high up in the Pines , but even with the largest lens they would have been small in the frame . Small flocks showed then disappeared , but always arriving calling . Eventually a male and female Common Crossbill settled

briefly close enough to get a shot in the top of the single Oak . Sometimes it was 45-60 minutes between sightings , but when another pair of Commons , and a male Two-barred posed together in

the same tree , it was well worth the wait . Later the Two-barred flew around the clearing , calling , and landed in the single Oak , but then the dreaded scourge of the ' twig in the way' came

into play , spoiling what would have been the shot of the day . Early afternoon proved very quiet , so I took myself off for a 45 minute walk in the area where the Crossbills often flew off to when they left . During that walk , I didn't see a single specimen , nor did I hear a single call . When I circled back to where the gathered birders were , I could see they were intently watching an area of standing water where birds had been coming down to drink during the morning . I arrived at the same time as they did , and spotted two birds in the gloom at the edge of the water . The dull one , presumably the female flew immediately , but the male stayed a few seconds drinking . I fired off 7 shots , the bird flew off , and looking at the back of the camera , it looked like a shot at night . I've lightened it up ,

but it is still poor , but could it just have been my third species of Crossbill of the day ? With that large bill , could it be a male Parrot Crossbill ? The other birders seemed pretty sure that it was a male and female drinking at the water in the gloom , and they had seen them in the trees before they flew down . I only had a glimpse of the pair in the gloom .

Wednesday 15th. October 2013

With an incredible number of Ring Ousels being seen in the area over the weekend , I decided to head for Dungeness yesterday to see if I could catch up with one or two , and a few other species of interest , hopefully . I arrived on site at just before 0900 , and headed straight for the ARC site , where several Ring Ousels had been found in the Pines beyond the viewing screen . As I approached the screen I met another birder who had already spent some time at the Pines , but hadn't found any . I had a look out from the screen for the Glossy Ibis that had been around for a couple of days , but didn't see that either . I decided to try the Pines myself but just one Woodpigeon was all I found . As I

returned , I had a look over at the ARC pit , and there at the back of an island was the Glossy Ibis Unfortunately , the bird was between the camera and the sun and a long way off , not a good combination . Shortly afterwards , everything on the water took off , but the cause couldn't be seen . I headed back to the car park and on to Hanson hide where there were just two birders , but plenty of species on view , albeit mostly distant . Waders included Greenshank , Com. Sandpiper , Lapwing ,

Snipe , a single Grey Plover , pictured , Ruff and Dunlin . Waterfowl included Gadwall , Shoveler , Pintail , Wigeon ,Teal , Mallard and Tufted Duck , along with Cormorant , Coot and Moorhen , not a bad selection . Along with the Black-headed Gulls , a single Little Gull was seen briefly as it was

being seen off by some Lapwing , but I managed a bad record shot of the bird as it flew off , not to be seen again during the visit . I returned to the car and crossed onto the RSPB reserve , noting not a single Tree Sparrow around the farmhouse at the entrance . There seemed to be a Coot convention on

the right of the track , with 50+ birds gathered together , these being just a few of them . I posted the picture as I know some birders actually get excited when they see the species . I searched every bush along the track hoping for a Ring Ousel , but none were seen , in fact very little was seen . When I reached the car park I thought there must be a 'mega' about , as it was packed , but another birder explained that there was a teacher's conference taking place in the Visitor Centre . From the first hide , no sign of the hoped for Black-necked Grebes , but over in the corner , a Great White Egret

was sunning itself watched by a Grey Heron and close by , another GH and 4 Little Egrets . The VC and the next two hides didn't produce very much interest and with Scott Hide looking straight into the sun's reflection on the water , things were still not going to plan . But , as I left that hide , 'cronking'

from high above directed me to a spat between a Sparrowhawk and a Raven . A second Raven was flying nearby , but although it didn't get involved , it was calling constantly to the other , no doubt giving advice . After a while , the rolls were reversed as the Sparrowhawk seemed to be getting it's

own back . Eventually they both gave in and went on their separate ways , the two Ravens headed

towards Dengemarsh hide , still calling to each other . Heading along the track towards Christmas Dell hide , the hoped for Firecrest didn't put in an appearance either , but along a distant ditchline ,

three Curlew were feeding on the move , one pictured . Just before the hide , a pair of Stonechats , for once at a reasonable distance , were happy to pose , in between sortis down onto the ground to pick

up a tasty morsel . Two other birders who approached from the other way were also able to get some

close up views of the pair . All quiet on the way to Dengemarsh Hide , apart from the odd Linnet and unseen singing Cetti's Warbler . From the hide itself , the expected waterfowl , plus Canada and Greylag Geese , Mute Swan , Great-crested Grebe and a couple of marauding Marsh Harriers , one

pictured . The return to the car park was no better , with just a Kestrel and another male Stonechat being seen , and none of the Ring Ousels that the first birder I had met had seen the day previously in the area . All the way round , Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters were found in good numbers ,

 

with several mating pairs of both species seen . Male and female Migrant Hawker pictured . Also seen , a female Short-winged Conehead , identified by her scimitar shaped ovipositor , that of the

Long-winged Conehead being straight . Under the corrugated iron that she was posing on was also the home of a young Grass Snake and two short-tailed Field Voles , but all three were far to quick to get in the viewfinder . The car park was still packed when I got back , so decided to take my lunch down to the lighthouses area , in the fading hope of finding the elusive Ring Ousels . It was high tide , with the Gulls asleep all over the shingle , but apart from them and a few Goldfinches , I didn't see any other species , not even a Wheatear . I returned to the car and headed back to the ARC pit to try for a better view of the Glossy Ibis . The Hanson Hide was busy on arrival , so I guessed that the bird was showing , but was first attracted to the area outside 'Ken's seat' , where a strange call was coming from the reedbed . An area of reeds has been cut in a 'T' shape outside that end of the hide , and the call was coming from the right hand side of the leg of the 'T' . After a while , the head of a Water Rail popped out of the reed , looked up at the faces in the hide and shot back into the reeds again . This happened several times , very quickly each time . On one of it's last showings , I just

managed to fire off a couple of shots before it's disappearance . A couple more times , then it dashed from right to left across the gap and it all went quiet again . Sure enough , the Glossy Ibis was showing in front of the hide , in between constant flights around the pit , when joining in with the

other species , when a Harrier or the like was spotted , coming closer to the hide in flight than when

 feeding or preening among the islands . But , when it was down , it was possible to see the small size of the bird , here against a drake Wigeon . But those times were short lived , soon it would be up

again , circling , then landing down somewhere else . Given the weather forecast , the area did much better than expected with reasonable amounts of sunshine , which made for a very pleasant visit , even though Ring Ousel , Black-necked Grebe and Firecrest were not found .
Mind you the forecasters were right today , been tipping down .