Spring 2007 highlightsFirst 2007, surely one of the most charming of sights of spring is a mother Mallard with it's trail of chicks following behind, this was taken at the Deer Park in April. Also in April at the Deer Park I saw a male Mandarin duck in all it's glory, what an attractive bird.
|
|
May was a very rewarding month as you would expect with warmer more settled days and the arrival of the summer migrants such as Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler. These warblers were seen at Stodmarsh and Grove Ferry near Canterbury, these two form part of a very important wetland consisting of lakes, reed beds and meadows. Also this month we have the arrival of that beautiful falcon the Hobby,
|
|
|
|
these arrive at about the same time as the Swifts which can be seen in large numbers at Stodmarsh at this time. Another bird to be seen there is the Little Egret, this bird has become more numerous over recent years from Cornwall to Kent and is always a treat to see.
Also to be seen there are the Marsh Harriers and it is in the spring that you can if you are lucky see their courtship display, where a male will offer and pass to the female a gift of something he has caught. It is a real treat to see these lovely raptors going through their aerial gymnastics.
May is the month that the Mayfly emerges from it's watery life so far, having spent two years as a nymph living under water in rivers and lakes. It first emerges as a sub-adult and later sheds it's skin and becomes a proper adult which then mates, the female lays it's eggs in the water and having done their job both die all over in about a day.
|
|
|
One treat I had this month was to see a Great Tit hovering over some long grass, which I hadn't seen one do before and I was lucky in catching in on camera. Also a beetle called a Cardinal beetle at West Hythe, a very smart looking insect with it's red body and black legs, it can be found in woodlands and like this one in more open areas I found it in vegetation by the path.
|
|
It was at the end of this month that I spotted the first for the year White Water-lilys on the canal, a beautiful water plant with very attractive flowers which are the biggest flowers in this country, their stems stretch for quite a few feet under the water to were they are rooted on the bed of a slow moving river or canal in this instance or pond. The other lily that can be found appearing in the spring is the Yellow Water-lily which like the above is found on slow or still water.
Another very attractive plant out in May is the Cowslip a lovely graceful wild flower related to the Primrose that can be found on chalky grassland and meadows, a treat to see when your out and about in the countryside.
|
|
|
June is the time when spring reaches it's peek, everything seems to be happening. The leaves on the trees have that lovely fresh green and the undergrowth is lush and high with flowers of all description to be seen.
Here are some of the flowers I have seen in this part of England, on the downlands there is the Common Spotted-orchid and Pyramidal orchid also to be found is the Sainfoin with it's very striking magenta pink flowers. In the hedgerow is the obvious Elder with it's plates of small flowers and the beautiful Honeysuckle winding it's way through the hedgerow and giving off it's rich fragrance which you can some times smell even before you catch sight of the plant.
|
|
|
At the start of the month I was luck to catch sight of a male and female Reed bunting at Stodmarsh, the male is a very striking bird with it's black head and barred chestnut back. As the name suggests this bird like the Reed and Sedge Warbler spend their life in the reed beds and the best time to see them is in the spring when they make themselves more noticeable by displaying and singing.
|
|
|
Another lovely sighting was a male Linnet sitting on top of a bush at St Margaret's Bay near Dover a charming bird, I have seen flocks of Linnets in the fields in the winter here. Also it is a good place to see Fulmers wheeling out and back from the chalk cliffs. Also between here and Dover you can see Kittiwakes, Hearing Gulls, Lesser Black Back and Great Black Back Gulls, Cormorants and geese and ducks flying low over the sea. I was lucky in spotting a Herring Gulls nest on the cliffs with one of the parent birds feeding the chicks with what looks like shell fish. A word of warning here, the chalk cliffs are unstable so you should keep your distance from the edge, there is no fencing and it's best to keep away from the bottom of the cliffs.
|
|
|
But there are some bracing walks along the top and you will probably be accompanied by the Sky Larks in the fields and there is usually a great display of poppys along the way when they're out.
Another attractive place and good for watching wildlife is Russell Gardens on the western edge of Dover. I visited the lake there in mid June and was richly rewarded by the amount of wildlife that was there. A pair of Coots had made a nest in the branches of a coper beach that were hanging in the water and I got a lovely photo of the parents feeding their young. Also other Coots were feeding much older chicks, diving down right beside them to collect food. Coots are very territorial and were often chasing other Coots across the lake. And on that day I saw a Little Grebe who spent most of it's time diving and swimming under the water making it difficult to photograph but I was pleased with what I got. While I was watching what was going on, to my surprise and delight I spotted a young Grass Snake gliding over the weed on the lake near the bank. Grass Snake are quite at home in water where they hunt for amphibians such as frogs and I have seen an adult swimming across a lake with just it's head showing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragonflies make there appearance from about April and they are one of my favourites in the insect world. Here are a couple that I photographed in June. The blue one is a Black-lined orthetnum and the other is a Four spotted libelluja and both are darters, dragonflies are divided in to two groups, hawkers and darters.
|
|
|
In June I made a trip to the part of Hythe Canal at Appledoor, a very picturesque village just above Romney Marsh. This part of the canal is very attractive and it is here that I spotted my first Marsh frogs in a ditch by the side of the canal.
I thought I would leave the spring of 2007 with a photo of a very attractive butterfly the Painted lady. This butterfly migrates to us from Europe and in some years can be very numerous.
|
|
|
Useful links to find out more about wildlife:
http://www.wildlifedirectory.co.uk
