Spring Sightings

Terry Lawrence, one of our members, has submitted a list of sightings that he has

made during the first part of 2008. Not all the sightings are of birds, some are the

first sightings of buds, but it gives an indication of what is around in the months

that we generally think of as winter.

The listing is as it arrived on my desk.

Jan. 1st. - My garden in Abbeywood, London

    1x White-tailed Bumblebee seen flying and small Bumblebees paying brief visits

to my Yellow Mahonia flowers.

Jan 2nd. - Thamesmead town centre

    2x Black Swans

Jan 3rd. - My garden

    2x Song Thrush (first time since 2003)

            - Waterfield, Thamesmead

    A kingfisher flew along the canal- landing below the main road under the bridge.

Jan 5th. - Wat Tyler Country Park

    My first sight of a Barn Owl roosting in a box. Water Rail calling

Jan 6th. - Outside my flat

    A Red Admiral flying up the road.

Jan 19th. - My garden

    Common frog in the pond.

Jan 27th. - Thamesmead town centre

    First birds I have seen this year beginning to nest. 2x Carrion Crows

Feb 3rd. - Elmley Marshes

    Amongst others - Little Owl roosting, Grey and Golden Plover, Stonechat, Peregrine,

Bewick's Swan, Pintail, 27x Barnacle geese, 2x Red-breasted Merganser, Avocet,

1x Brown Hare, 2x Atlantic Grey Seals

Feb 15th. - Littleheath Woods, Selsdon

    12x Redwing, 1x Firecrest, 1x Nuthatch, Horse Chestnut, Rowan, Lime, Larch

Feb 16th. - Thetford Forest

    Marsh tit, Jack Snipe, Red-legged partridge

Feb 23rd. - Dungeness Reserve

    Smew, Slavonian Grebe

Feb 24th. - Brooklands Lake, Snodland

    Cetti's Warbler, Little Grebe, Pochard, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black-backed Gull,

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Water Vole

Mar 9th. - Westcliff seafront

    Ring-billed Gull

Mar 15th. - Oare Marshes

    Little Grebe nesting

Mar 22nd. - Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury

    Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Little Grebe, Short-eared Owl, Dunlin,

Lapwing, Teal, Meadow Pipit, Curlew, Grey Plover, Reed Bunting, Avocet, Kestrel

Mar 23rd. - Chartham near Canterbury

    A 3½ hour trip with the Kent Wildlife Trust. Met at Chartham Church. Mistle Thrush

seen in church grounds. Along the River Stour we sighted Blackbird, Song Thrush,

Long-tailed Tit, Moorhen, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Goldcrest, Cormorant and heard

Chiffchaff. Looking across a flooded gravel pit we sighted Tufted Duck, Great-crested

Grebe, Mute Swan, Shoveler and heard Cetti's Warbler, Greenfinch, Magpie, Robin,

Herring Gull. Taking the path across the Stour Valley Walk we heard a Dunnock. Then

went across a commercial, very sterile orchard, but had a very pleasant surprise. After

seeing common birds ie. Black-headed Gull, Carrion Crow then about 3 dozen Brambling

among the fallen apples, then a couple of Rook. Following on Century Walk, Great Tit

and Common Pheasant. Flora - Periwinkle and Wood Anenome into a coppice wood KWT

Reserve which I believe was called Begebury - Sweet Chestnut / Common Heather which

has rarer butterflies in season. Arriving through the reserve another gate brings us to an

old apple orchard, "No Mans Orchard" only Green Woodpecker and Wren. Then after this

following the North Downs Way - House Sparrow and Blue Tit - coming back to civilization,

collalred dove and Jackdaw through a farmed field - saw Rabbit, and small patch of open

ground on the way back saw a single Reed Bunting - back to the car park opposite the

church for lunch.