Wildmonths

Situated by Kearsney Abby to the west of Dover on the Alkham road this is a lovely spot consisting of a formal garden in the main area but if you walk to the west, across the stream you come to a lake which is more natural this is where you will find the wild life. There are coots, moorehens, mallards, mute swans, gulls and usualy a little grebe keeping out of the way, no sooner have you spotted it when it dives again! Very challenging for taking photos!

Also the lake is good for dragonflies and damselflies, there is usually a few emperor dragonflies hawking up and down and I have stood on the bank on more than one occasion trying to get a shot of this magnificent insect on the wing, only one so far that's nearly sharp!

On one of my visits there I had the great fortune of seeing a young grass snake in the lake in June 2007, it was moving over the water weed near the bank on the hunt for small prey as it was only about twelve to fifteen inches long.

Russell Gardens lies at the end of the beautiful Alkham valley and the sides of the valley rise up by the lake with further walks through wooded areas.

St Margaret's Bay lies a short distance along the coast to the east of Dover and is a very attractive location. The bay itself is like a full stop in the chalk cliffs which run along here from Folkestone to the west until they drop down at Deal to the east.

The village of St Margarets is situated at the top with houses following the road as it drops to the bay below. At the top there is a road running along the top towards the east and ends at a car park by a war memorial and lovely little cafe. From here you can walk along the cliff tops all the way to Deal, it is best to keep your distance from the cliff edge as they are unstable. Here you can see Fulmers flying up above the cliff edge together with hearing, lesser black and greater black back and blackheaded gulls. By the field there are meadow pipits and above sky larks can be heard, here also I have seen a peregrine falcon fly over at the time all the sky larks had stopped singing which had drawn my attention and it was then that I saw it coming over. Another bird I have seen here is a male stone chat and further along at the golf coarse I had a brief sighting of a little owl also linnets and a good view of a green woodpecker near the memorial. As you walk along the path you can see a variety of chalk downland flowers in the spring and summer most notable the poppy with a great display along the field edge.

A great place for a lovely cliff top walk.