Spring 2009 marchI think of spring starting at the beginning of March, the herons are back at the heronry in Lympne Wood at West Hythe the rooks there are repairing their nests accompanied by loud cawing and bird song is increasing everywhere.
On the 2nd I was over at West Hythe enjoying a sunny day when I caught sight of some jackdaws mobbing a male kestrel, whatever the kestrel did the jackdaws matched it until they got bored and the kestrel moved off. Also spotted what I thought was a kestrel perched on top of a bush some way off, until I looked at the photo I took of it and then I could see it was in fact a male sparrowhawk!
In a nearby field I saw my first lamb of the year, a charming and rewarding sight making me feel that spring had truly arrived.
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The 6th saw me at Oare Marshes near Faversham in the afternoon, a great place for water birds and run by Kent Wildlife Trust. The weather was sunny with some cloud around and chilly. This was my first visit to Oare and I was impressed as soon as I entered driving towards the sea wall I past a lagoon which had a number of ducks and other birds which could be easily seen from the car. In particular I spotted a pair of pintail ducks, these seemed to spend most of there time tail up in the water.
At the car park to my surprise there were a number of reed buntings together with some house sparrows feeding on some corn left there so I managed to get a few photos of them.
First I walked up onto the sea wall to see what was about, the tide was low so there was a lot of mud flats and out there there were mostly redshanks and a couple of curlews feeding.
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After that I returned to the car park and walked back down the road as I had seen a little egret near the road. And was I rewarded, there was the egret about seven meters away feeding, as it trod through the shallow water it would put it's foot down and give it a shake on the bottom this was obviously to bring up prey which it would then snap up. It's feet were quite conspicuous being yellow at the end of black legs, it looked like it was wearing yellow socks! It eventually flew off and dropped down some way off out of site but not before I got some good photos. A beautiful bird as you can see from one of the shots I took of it.
Also on some of the small banks in the large lagoon there were quite a few lapwings and then I spotted a snipe against some reeds and got a good view of it before in moved into the reeds.
It was while I was watching the snipe that I heard some other bird watchers call out that a barn owl was flying across the road behind me. I just got sight of it and then managed to follow it while it flew round and back across the road near the sea wall and over the reed beds by the lagoon and from then it quartered back and forth over the reeds, some times dropping down to catch something. I managed to get some lovely shots of a truly lovely owl.
After spending some time watching the barn owl ever hoping that it would get closer I walked up onto the sea wall where there were three others watching the owl. I stopped quite close to them and looked over the reed beds to see what else I could see also someone had mentioned that a bittern had been seen in this area. It was then that I spotted it hiding in the reeds head up just like I had seen portrayed in field guides and then I heard the others near me say that they were wondering where it was so I drew their attention to it much to their gratitude. As the bittern was near the car park some of them walked around and into the long grass there to get a better look but it flew off passing a lady walking back who I thought must have seen it but later on talking to her she said she had missed it as she had her view down in to the reeds looking for bearded tits!
So that was a great afternoon and some great photos.
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On the 7th I was at West Hythe and was lucky to see a heron fly down to the edge of the field under the heronry so it wasn't far away and enabled me to get some nice photos of it.
I had got as far as the farm gate when I spotted a buzzard coming over from the east being mobbed by a carrion crow. This isn't the first time I have seen a buzzard passing over from the same direction and the last time one was accompanied by a marsh harrier. Also a sparrowhawk flew over I see one on most of my visits here but have yet to get a decent shot of one but I live in hope. The nearest I have got to one is when a female chased a bird into a bush quite near to where I was standing and would have made a great photo but it flew off before I could take one!
Nothing much else that day.
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The 8th I was over at the RSPB reserve at Dunginess with a friend of mine. It was quite cold and windy but some sunshine, it can be bleak out there and warm cloths are a good idea. A bit quiet but someone told us of a Slavonian Grebe on a smaller stretch of water and we were lucky enough to see it. It was about half way in size between a little grebe and a great crested grebe and was in winter plumage if this had been the summer it would have been a lovely red brown and black with cream bushy crests running back from the eyes.
On driving back along the track to the road we stopped to have a last look when I spotted a couple of hares running across a field some way off, that was only the second time I have seen one over the last few years.
So it turned out to be a fruitful visit after all.
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16th I was over at the Deer Park with a friend and it was a lovely sunny day and quite warm. Shortly after entering a buzzard came over looking splendid with the sunlight reflected from the ground catching it under the wings as it banked. Also a male kestrel flew across shortly after, two raptors in about fifteen minutes not bad!
Near the small lake we spotted a treecreeper which had flown from some small trees and landed on a dead tree were I managed to get some photos of it before it flew off again. By the lake I could see some greylag geese in a field by the large lake, their honking had drawn my attention.
Just before we got back to the car park I heard a gold crest in a conifer, it took a little while to find it but eventually it made an appearance and I captured it on camera.
So a short but eventful visit on a lovely afternoon.
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The 17th and I am down in West Hythe by the canal, the rooks are making a lot of noise up in the rookery and I can see through the trees herons at there nests. Further along by the field gate I spotted a buzzard flying over, you occasionally see them coming over following the ridge.
Bird song is picking up so they are becoming more noticeable, outside of spring birds tend to be more concealed to avoid predators. Speaking of which I also saw a sparrowhawk on the look out for prey.
On the way back I came across a tractor ploughing and accompanied by a large flock of gulls which consisted of herring gulls, common gulls and blackheaded gulls and a few crows. A nice site to watch, the tractor slowly going up and down the field the gulls wheeling over head and landing behind to see what they could find, their white standing out against the dark brown newly turned earth.
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On the 20th I was over at the Deer Park briefly and got a lovely close view of a cock pheasant as you can see here, they are really magnificent birds and I can't resist photographing them if I come across one.
Also the pussy willow's catkins were out and attracting the bumblebees bring that warm summery buzz.
A lovely sunny day.
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22nd over at the RSPB reserve at Dunginess and caught a nice view of a heron flying over one of the lakes plus a group of wigeons near a couple of slightly interested cows but apart from that a bit quiet.
After leaving the reserve I went over to Lydd town centre to see if I could find the heronry there, it was supposed to be by the church but I had failed to find it once before. There is a rookery by the side of the church and after walking around, that was all I could find. Just as I was about to leave I saw a heron fly over and disappear on top of a evergreen oak in the middle of the rookery. I stood under the tree and on looking up I could see a few nests and a heron looking down at me so there it was hidden within the foliage.
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At the start of May they open the church steeple so that you can have a look around and view the heronry from the top so I will definitely be back.
On the way back I stopped off at West Hythe and while there got a nice photo of a longtailed tit and a magpie just taking off.
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29th visited Chilham lakes in between Canterbury and Ashford a chilly day with a lot of cloud around.
My friend and I went to the largest lake which had a good number of water fowl on it. There were quite a few mute swans which are always photographic, tufted ducks, great crested grebes, coots, moorhens, greylag gees, mallards and by the side of the lake we spotted a reed bunting.
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We were fortunate in finding a coots nest one of several around the lake and on a small island a greylag on it's nest. The coots were doing there mad chasing around on the lake, I don't think I know of a more territorial bird.
On a walkway to a small island there stood a male mallard preening and stretching looking just like it was doing yoga!
Even though it was chilly, with all this displaying and nesting we were truly coming into spring!
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The day after we went back to Chilham lakes, the weather was better this time so a nicer walk around.
Heard and then spotted a chiffchaff by the lake, that plus the geese honking were the most prominent bird sounds that day.
Had a good view of great crested grebes that were swimming and diving back and forth along the lake and found more coots nests and there was a coot that looked like it fancied some of the nest of a greylag goose until it was chased off. Lots of mute swans and found one sitting on its nest by the side of the river Stour that runs by the side of the lake. We also saw a moorhen climbing into a tree on the bank, I haven't seen one climb so far up before as its feet aren't suited for the job.
Called in to Chilham village to get something to eat and spotted a few clumps of mistletoe in some of the trees, the fruit is rather poisonous but is fed on by the mistle thrush which caries it to other trees so spreading it. Came across the lovely sight of primroses growing on a north facing bank along a lane running out of the village.
Chilham is a lovely village and well worth a visit.
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