Owlless Prowl

I had a wander along the Ancient Highway and then overlooking Worth Marshes late this afternoon, hoping to bump into a Barn or Short-eared Owl, but I wasn't lucky.

A few minutes stop at the Restharrow Scrape yielded the normal suspects, a few coots, quite a few Greylags and the usual dabbling ducks. The Teal, all at the far end, were in good voice, obviously the sunshine had got their hormones flowing, and a lot of chasing and head bobbing was going on.

The Shovelers were similarly occupied, and the males are particularly spendid at this time of year. Later over looking the marsh at Worth I saw a distant Marsh Harrier, and then almost at dusk, the Great White Egret appear flying across the railway line, towards the Roaring Gutter, before sttling out of sight.

A slow wander back past Ripple and Martin failed to find any Owls, but at least there was a sunset!

What a difference a day makes.

Today turned out to be a glorious day for a walk along the Saxon Shore Way cliff path at Langdon.

From this angle it looks as if the Lighthouse has been cut in half! I noticed a small furry object in the grass.

Normally I'd be pleased to see an small mammal, but in the words of Monty Python "I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!" I think it is a Pygmy Shrew, the body was about 3.5 cm long. These tiny mammals are voracious feeders, mostly beetles and spiders, but also earthworms. They consume their own body weight every day, so I presume that this one had succumbed to the dreadful weather of the last few days as their was not sign of any physical damage.

Just along here I flushed a female type Snow Bunting, it settled for a short while, but I then lost it as it flew towards the cliff edge. Not my favourite area, I always feel that if you get too close to the edge there's some sort of "magnetic" force pulling you closer.

After well over 30 hours in the field in the last nine days I finally found my first Redwing in TR34 in the winter months, and it wasn't very obliging, burying itself deep in this bush. You can just about make out the head pattern with a bit of imagination. I only took the picture because other than Gulls, Pigeons and Crows of various species, there are so few birds about.

At least at the cliff top there are a lot of Herring Gulls, at least 350 were around, not unusual, but they were particularly interested in the three small fishing boats off shore. I gives you a chance to look at the wing patterns to ID the age of the bird. I think the bird above is a full adult.

Most birders either hate gull identification (larophobes) or, probably the smaller group. are prepared to study gulls for hours, looking for the small details that are often needed to separate closely related species or sub-species. I quite enjoy checking them out, but I have to admit I'm not that good at finding some of the more obscure taxa that have recently been found and described. The Herring Gull complex is an example of evolution in process and identification is fast becoming reliant on DNA analysis. No problem with these though, they're Herring Gulls. Back to the bird above, I think this is a third winter, but I'm happy to be corrected.

This is a younger bird, I would say a second winter. While I was Gull watching they suddenly became more noisy and agitated, a sure sign that there is a predator around.

Sure enough a Peregrine circled overhead, but quickly disappeared along the cliffs, with out giving prolonged views. It probably had done already if I'd been looking it the right direction.

On my way bact to St Margaret's (after a cup of tea and a piece of bread pudding at the NT cafe, the bread pudding was a reminder of the old day's at Nancy's in Cley), a Raven flew over and landed on one of the Radio Masts. I'd only seen just over 20 species, but their were a few stars amongst them.

Black Bunny

I took the opportunity, in the fine weather, to do an other TTV (timed Tetrad visit) for the BTO atlas project. Today's tetrad included most of Whitfield and I enjoyed exploring some of the North Downs Way, that follows the old Roman Road, near Pinenum.

Overall the number of birds, and the variety of species I encountered was rather disappointing, although I did enjoy bumping into a noisy and very active flock of Long-tailed Tits. The bird above looks as if it is in urgent need of renewing it's rather tatty tail feathers.

This one look rather more spick and span, but the group wasn't attracting any of the more unusual species that sometimes travel with tit flocks.

Even in the fields where there were some handsome horses, as is to be expected in this area, there were few birds to be seen, amonsgt the commoner birds, Blackbirds and Chaffinches seemed to be the most numerous.

One animal that I did encounter was a completely melanistic (black) Rabbit. Although it isn't that unusual, it is the first I can remember seeing since I was on Skomer, of the Pembroke coast. Here the black Rabbits are famous as they form a high proportion of the population.

I only saw the one black Bunny, all the others were quite normal. This one was so encouraged by the rare sunshine it allowed me to get quite close to take this photo.

Beardieless and Bitternless, but a good day.

When we arrived at Leighton Moss we spent some time at the feeding station close to the Reserve Centre and car park. There was a good variety of birds feeding, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Nuthatch, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Marsh Tits to start with.

Jack was particularly pleased with the Marsh Tits as he hadn't seen them since he'd really started to note the species he'd seen.

The sun went in and the feeders, being under the trees were very dark. Nevertheless this Bullfinch still looked really good when it came in to feed. It never stayed on the feeder for long, preferring to take the seed up in the tree to eat it, before returning for the next.

Along the causeway a "feeding" station for Bearded Tits had been set up. It isn't food that's there for them but grit. We missed seeing any on table although some came in before and after we'd been watching. Two did get very close, "pinging" loudly near by, and I saw one at the top of the reeds just a few yards away. Most of the birds have been coloured ringed this year, I believe they done about 120 juveniles, and someone notes which birds are coming to these grit tables.

While we waited in vain for the Beardies two Buzzards circled and called over the nearby wood. We walked on to the Public Hide, normally the best for seeing Bittern but they decided no to show today.

I was surprised to see this Red Deer for the Griesdale hide, bur evidently there's a herd of about 40 animals in the area, that often use the reserve for feeding.

At the end of the day we went to the bit of the reserve on the Morecambe Bay side of the railway. From the Allen Hide we watched a large flock of Starling circling in the sky. They didn't make the intricate patterns that have been a feature of several television programmes but they were still and impressive sight.

Most of the waders around were Redshanks, although I did see several Black-tailed Godwits, Curlews and Lapwings. Out in the Fields Little Egrets were prominent and as evening came on they started to leave to marsh and fly off to roost on the reserve. I watched several groups and had more or less given up on the two Great White Egrets that had been around when a group of four birds came towards me.

They'd gone over my head before I'd had the nouse to pick up my camera. Two Little Egrets and two Great White Egrets went over, luckily Pam, who was walking back from the Eric Morecambe hide saw them and pointed them out to Jack and Josh.

Unlike St Margaret's the sun sets over the sea here, but like much of the Kent coast the view is now dominated by wind turbines.

A wander round

I had a walk from the house, along Kingsdown Road and then took the footpath just before Old Stairs Hill, over to Bockhill Farm, passing the edge of the Golf Course. The highest point here give a fine a round view. I took a few photos of some of the things that most appealed to me.

At the moment there are an enormous number of Crane Flies (Daddy Long-legs) around. This always gives rise to the most amazingly stupid and hysterical comments in the papers and on the TV and radio about the terrible menace they are. They do of course represent a good source of food for some of the birds that are now forming small feeding flocks. I noticed a good mixed group of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, with a few Chiffchaffs moving along the hedge next to the Golf Course.

There's a lot of food available at the moment. Anyone who has rung (banded) Blackbirds at this time of year will quickly find out that Blackberries form a major part of their diet.

There are good numbers of Sloes around as well, these have other uses, although I'm not really a Gin drinker, a drop of sloe Gin a Christmas makes an interesting tipple.

Looking east the cliffs at Cape Gris Nez were clear today and the French Monument can just be seen.

Turning left the view across to Ramsgate Harbour was a bit hazy, but the white cliffs at Pegwell stand out.

I always enjoy the panorama from here, the Ripple Windmill prominent in the comparative foreground, with Manston Airport behind.

From up here it is easy to see how the hedges from the cliff top lead down to the small farm wood. The hedgerows are important as the road ways for both bird and small mammals, and far too many have been removed from the farm here.

While I was scanning the area one of the avian success stories of the last two decades, a Green Woodpecker, yaffled loudly and landed on a tree not far away.

Isolated in one of the fields here is another of the remnants of the war years. I'm not totally sure what it was, I presume it held a gun, it certainly has a good view across the Channel. Big Bruce, an earlier feature, is about 200 metres down the hill.

Bunnies

I had hoped to get some photos of the Little Owls that are around Bockhill Farm. Several times recently I've heard one being mobbed in Farm Wood but I've never managed to get in a position to get a picture before it's either moved on or buried itself in the ivy. Recently Gerald got a nice series of shots and I hoped that I would be cooperative for me. It wasn't when I hoped it would be but when I got to the hedge at the back of the Freedown I could hear the tell tale calls and scoldings that means small birds are mobbing an Owl.

I didn't managed to see anything other that the briefest glimpse of a Little Owl slipping round the corner. There were two or three Rabbits that had ventured out into the field of flax, and most of the time I could only see the ears. This one stood up to look round, as if to say "when the hell am I" but didn't seem to be over worried by the camera.

Hopefully the stubble fields will attract some migrants now that things are beginning to move, I might even get the chance to increase the number of species I've phtoes sitting on bales of straw.

Garden Safari, Day One

Today is done and in some ways it is a "thank goodness for that" sort of feeling, but on the other hand we've met and talked to at least 100 people as they've been exploring the village gardens, and though the preparation has at times seemed onerous, in the end meeting and talking to so many people is a great pleasure.

Before everyone arrived, Mrs Baldy our resident and rather tatty female Blackbird, was busy collecting food for the brood that are in a nest right nest to out kitchen window. In actual fact she just got on with it, even when there were lots of people round.

We were open Garden no 3 this year, and I was about 2 minutes late down to the gate, having a quick wash after getting up at 5.am., but already visitor number one was there and the day was under way.

Our neighbour and dear friend, Chris Donald, a well known St Margaret's resident was kind enough to man the "ticket" chair for a while today. I expect she was there because she'd go a few clues she'd not finished in the crossword and hoped to find someone who knew the answers.

Despite the fact that various things have conspired over the last year or so Pam as usual has managed to produce an interesting and visually attractive garden. Her ability to see how to put tings together to produce complimentary features puts my design abilities to shame.

When it comes to chatting we're as bad as one another, given an audience we both delight in explaining our interests, and here's Pam in the "Pond Garden".

Pam's best friend Pat, came down for the day to offer moral and practical support. She was impressed by the atmosphere of the village "Garden Safari" and by the number of people we saw.

I spent most of the day in the front garden, when people arrive and leave. It is a great spot with the pond and the little stream coming down to it. I also had a few moths that I had caught overnight, to show visitors some of the hidden wildlife that out gardens contain. I met quite a few people who told me they read this blog, which was really gratifying. If you are a reader and visited us, thank you for coming, please leave a comment on the blog if you so wish, it nice to have some feedback.

This water Lily made it out in time for the weekend, but with the lack of sunshine it was reluctant to open to its full glory.

Story for photogtaphers. I heard a great little story for photographers today, An Author and a Photographer were chatting over a pint and the author said "I've seen a lot of your work, it's great, you must have a very expensive camera". To which the photographer replied "I've read a lot of your writings, the're fabulous, you must have a very expensive typewriter",

Does one Bee make a summer?

The small colony of Bee Orchids in the Paddock at Bockhill seems to have vanished for good. This may be due to the grazing pressure on the area from the ponies.

Nigel Jarman had told me that there are Bee Orchids on the downs near Folkestone, on the slope above Holy Well, and this afternoon I decided to see if I could find them. I have to admit that I'm not good at finding flowers in amongst the grasses, I suppose it is because my colour vision is so bad. There were quite a few butterflies to see as I wandered down the slope, crisscrossing it on the paths, (needing one leg longer than the other). I saw my first Ringlets and Marbled Whites of the year, but it was so hot that they seemed to be constantly flying, seldom settling for a photo.

As I got lower down the slope I found this Comma zapping around, stopping occasionally to sun itself. You can just see the "comma" on the underwing. It is the first I've seen since a few in spring that had over wintered.

I reached the bottom of the slope and I still hadn't found any orchids, and considered turning round. Instead I continued to the boardwalk and came across my one and only orchid of the day, just a foot or so of the left of the wooden walk way.

Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera

Of all our Orchids the Bee seems to have that extra special simple beauty. It is the only member of the genus Ophrys that is self pollinating, so that although it seems to mimic a bumblebee it is in fact quite independent of insects for its survival.

The flowers are quite similar to Late Spider Orchids, but they lack the yellowish nib at the base of the lip that is present in the Late Spider orchid.

As I was looking at the orchid this strangely coloured Rabbit ran into the wood nearby. It was a sort of beige colour, not one I'd seen in a wild Rabbit before.