Nightingales at every road side pull-in!

In pouring rain and gusty winds this morning, four South Ashford roadside pull-ins covering tetrads TR03E and TR03D, had Nightingales singing beautifully.  Follow-on walks to mature woodland surrounded with swathes of Oil seed rape reveaed nothing (as expected). There are other areas of thick-scrub in hedgerows and wasteland still to visit that will, no doubt, have Nightingales singing.

Nightingales like thick road-side scrub along hedgerows and waste ground, and if you want to hear an easy Nightingale, pull-in at Ashford Town FC and listen from the approach road. Other birds were heard at Athens Farm on Bromley Green road by the footpath sign, also on Bromley Green Road play area (Carters field), and the road side pull-in to the foot path on Steads Lane. Another easy bird can be heard from the public footpath at Old Mumford Farm, Kingsnorth. This bird would be within audible range of the church. Due to weather and other commitments I'm under recording my tetrads so I'm sure more Nightingale territories are to come.

My Nightingale surveys so far -

22-4       TQ93T      8 Nightingale singing (1 bird singing from Pound wood given to G.H.)
29 - 4    TR03E        2 birds singing Kingsnorth, Ashford
29- 4     TRO3D       3 birds, Ashford

Despite the weather, Blackcaps and Whitethroat can now be heard turning-up the volume with the Nightingales. Sadly, just one Cuckoo calls from fields around Duck lane, Shadoxhurst - he's the one to  worry about more not the Nightingale.

First Nightingales, Cuckoos and friends

Nightingale singing from Sallow scrub near Stone Wood

Last Saturday morning gave me the chance to start my BTO Nightingale survey in the woodlands to the South-West of Shadoxhurst in Tetrad TQ93T. As I cycled from the village down towards the by-way navigating the woods, there wasn't much evidence of any spring migrants to be heard - never mind Nightingales. In particular Blackcaps, an early common spring migrant, seemed absent. Still, the pioneer Nightingales were back in their favourite scrub environment of Blackthorn and Sallow which nestle between the taller Oak and Hornbeam woodland. With the woodland, still largely bare of foliage, Nightingale song seemed to dominate. In truth, I put the number of birds singing at a paltry three.

I then moved on to an adjacent area, once again seemingly alive with Nightingale song. But I put the number of males singing at just three, again. Just as I was feeling despondent at the low number of birds found, I had to make a quick re-calculation as at close-quarters, I briefly watched two pairs of Nightingales squabbling over a territory all from within the same Sallow tree. All four birds were fanning and flicking their tails in a threatening posture, showing off the rufous plumage to great effect. I left feeling rather happy with the memory of seeing four Nightingales together, something I will probably be unable to repeat. I later found one more Nightingale singing from an adjacent wood just outside my tetrad.
I'm sure my next visit will reveal more new arrivals, but for now, I'm reminded of how confined Nightingales are to just small pockets of dense scrub within our woodland environs.




Chifchaff nest building at Stone Wood 

On the perimeters of my tetrad my bird list gained some extra variety. Our first Cuckoo of the year is present and calling - I suspect it's the same bird as last year as it can rarely hit the 'coo' note. Also, two Whitethroats, all three woodpeckers, Stock Dove, Skylarks, Yellowhammers and two Buzzards were never far away.

Red kite over Shadoxhurst

Common Buzzard and Red Kite high over Shadoxhurst

The warmest day yet  - no wind, plus a blue misty sky. Surely there's something to see out there? So a quick walk down the garden at mid-day, looking ridiculously high to the south, left me finding these two dueling together.

The Buzzard was a local breeding bird, which soon saw the Kite move-on, before returning back to its own woodland territory.

The Kite is just my second village sighting, (having missed out on a long stayer last year) and the first bird was seen just back in 2010. It will be interesting to see if any of us see this bird sticking around over Orlestone. Looking very carefully at the images, I think we can see that this Kite has two tags, possible yellow in colour - suggesting a Southern England released bird.

Back to work now!

Chiffchaffs return to Orlestone

A very quick walk around Birchett Wood this evening, was the first time for me to catch-up with the first returning spring Chiffchaffs, and there seemed to be plenty of them calling from across the wood. Little else to report but by the footpath entrance, there were 16 Carrion crows feeding on the dumped bread by the roadside.. sigh..
 
The previous night I made a dusk call to Romney Marsh reserve. There, 10 Marsh Harriers made their way to roost. And in the reed bed, a small flock of Bearded tits 'pinged' away out of sight, often accompanied by Water Rails squeling away too. On the farmer's reservoir at the same site, just a solitary pair of Greylags were roosting on the island.

From the garden tonight, Tawney Owls are calling and at least 3 Little Owls are noisily present in the surrounding farmland too.

The garden pond has Smooth and Palmate newts in abundance. Sadly two frogs present last week never spawned and an even more lonely Toad is croaking away in vain.

Last but not least 3 Pipistrelles were patrolling up and down the length of the garden, making the most of the unseasonly warm weather.

One more LS Woodpecker

Another great Sunday morning mountain biking across trails in Stone Wood, through to Faggs Wood, brought our second Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sighting of the spring so far. This time we found our bird in the Adarns wood area. Sorry, not enough time to get off the bike and fire-up the camera for a pic.

Other than that, all the commoner woodland birds are showing well, including Nuthatches, Jays, Treecreepers and  Green/ Great spotted woodpeckers. Overhead there's plenty of Buzzards to admire as they put on their spring aerial displays.

My eldest son George calculated we cycled a 10 mile route from Shadoxhurst to trails running from Faggs Wood. Taking regular stops for surveying and listening, we've found just 2 lesser spotted Woodpeckers so far this spring.  No Crossbills on this ride either.

 
One of many Buzzards in the the Faggs wood area

Raven at Birchett Woods

Raven calling over Birchett woods - what a sound!

Having spent a Sunday morning, visiting Blindgrooms (off Hornash Lane), Sugarloaf Plantation and Fags Wood trails (on Saturday too), I thought I 'd have nothing of note to report. But then I thought I'd just make one last call to Birchett woods, and - a what relief - a splendid Raven. As much interested in me, as me in him, the bird circled above long enough to take a few snaps.

Ravens are no doubt following their arch-enemy, the Buzzard to new lowland habitats. This bird represents my third Raven sighting in 2 years - nothing at all before that.

The target bird for my weekend had been Lesser spotted woodpecker in areas I hadn't looked before, sadly nothing new to report - yet! One visit is never enough though!

On the Buzzard front, birds are giving superb views above Orlestone forest, and also in neighbouring woods in the Shadoxhurst area too.

Note - Ravens at Beachy Head

Ravens are not known as being much of a migrant, and birds on the move are a rare sight. So an unprecedented 17 Ravens were seen passing Beachy head this same day. Could our bird have been one of those? Link to Beachy Head

http://beachyheadbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/11th-march-2012-beachy-head-clear-cool.html

Bewicks off to roost

I made a quick call to Romney Marsh this evening, to to do nothing more than watch the Bewick Swans depart to Dungeness to roost. The birds gave little warning before take-off, some had a wing flap, a neck stretch, and there was a little more honking. But look away to admire a Marsh harrier hunting as I did, and they're already up and away. I counted 50 birds tonight. Also of note a Kingfisher in the dyke adjacent to the field and plenty of Little Owl activity across the Marsh (even more back here in Shadoxhurst tonight).

Getting ready to fly, seconds before flight