Lesser Spotted woodpecker - catch them if you can.

At lunch time today, high in our neighbour's Poplar tree, a juvenile Lesser spotted Woodpecker called briefly and gave away the shortest of views as it dropped into the next garden along. Hearing and seeing Lesser spotted Woodpeckers in June is a regular  event around Shadoxhurst proving the birds are continuing to breed successfully.

Mediterranean Gulls disperse to the countryside

The first adult Mediterranean Gulls are wandering away from breeding duties at the Rye Harbour Reserve and thanks to Sian, who heard and spotted six birds leisurely soaring over the garden today. This dispersal is something we are beginning to notice annually here in Shadoxhurst some 12 miles inland from Rye.

I took a quick snap as they move away across the sun, but far better are these pics taken at Rye Harbour 2 weeks ago.

Red Kite - second day

Seen yesterday afternoon from the 295 bus, a Red Kite being mobbed by crows on the edge of the village crossing Woodchurch road. Well done George!

Red Kite / late spring round-up

At last something of a rarity to shout about. Driving into Shadoxhurst mid-afternoon, we had a brief and splendid view of a  Red Kite as it flew across Hornash Lane at tree-top height. Our first Red Kite since the seven of last May, a bird that is still a Kent rarity.

Spotted flycatcher June 1st 2013. 1 of 3 pairs, Church lane to Stone Wood

 With dreadful weather continuing into May and poor number of migrants reported passing through our coasts, it's quite a feat that in just a small area of mixed farm and woodland, Shadoxhurst has 3 (yes 3) pairs of Spotted flycatchers and 3 displaying Turtle Doves in an area covering no more than a square mile. Also present is one solitary male Cuckoo that seems to cover a territory from Orlestone forest to Woodchurch and Shadoxhurst. I haven't heard a female Cuckoo for at least 4 years, and this is the worst year I can remember for hearing nevermind seeing Cuckoo locally.

 From Church Lane, through to Stone Wood and crossing over to hedgerows adjacent to Woodchurch road, Nightingales are present more or less in the same territories as last year. I'd estimate 10 pairs at least, our Nightingales seem to be more than holding their own.

 Back down in Orlestone forest, Long Tailed Tits seem to have had a bumper year with many family parties criss-crossing the trails. On Sunday, morning they may well have been the commonest bird to view, with Blue Tits and Great Tits yet to fledge and disperse through the forest.

Turtle Doves ( displaying above and calling below)  Duck Lane, Shadoxhurst June 1st

Raptors; there is at least one pair of Kestrel present in the village with a male bird frequently hunting fields across the village. Sparrowhawks are frequently seen along with Hobby (at least when the North Easterly wind drops). The commonest bird of prey has to be Common Buzzard, breeding close-by to the village, you'd be unlucky not to spot one on any walk from the village.

Common Buzzard, nicely camoulflaged, Soapers wood

Alex Farm pastures (SSSI) ruined by offroaders

Alex Farm pastures close to Orlestone Forest are leased to Natural England. It is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and its unique and rare wildlife should have had the highest law protection.

 Approximately 8 years ago a newly erected wooden gate, to secure the entrance to Alex Farm Pastures, was sawn in half with a chain-saw.



I never entered beyond the gate and had no idea the site was an SSSI. But those in professional nature conservation did, and in their words - "The pastures represent one of the best surviving examples in Kent of unimproved neutral grassland, a nationally rare habitat".

And so the gate hung, swinging in the wind for years, leaving the land beyond vulnerable to off-roading and shooting and it was only a matter of time before it was ruined.

 I'd estimate that 50% of the grassland has been destroyed..

..all it ever needed was a metal gate. Protection against off-roading in Orlestone Forest seems to be a half-hearted concern by the authorities. Signs and metal posts and bollards go up one year, and are down the next.

To the reckless off-roaders who do this damage, I doubt they feel any authority is going to stop them . . . I'm sure they'll be back.

All the site ever need was a metal gate to prevent the trashing of a rare and unique site.

Dungeness, Faggs Wood and Hothfield Common

Common Terns in the fog and close in-shore at Dungeness this morning..

..and Dungeness Old light House nice and sunny this evening

Day started with a 6.00 am visit to Dungeness where thick fog parted just for a few minutes, so then back nearer home in Fags Wood for the first local calling Cuckoo at last. In Faggs wood its good news and bad news for migrant birds so far. There are plenty of Nightingales and Blackcaps in song, but just a thin number of Willow warblers spread over plenty of good habitat. In terms of scarcer migrants such as Redstart, Tree pipit, Wood warbler there's nothing that I can find at the moment.

Back in Shadoxhurst and playing football in the field with son Lewis, we were treated to several aerial displays of Buzzards and Hobbies against a fine blue sky.

After lunch, the Green family, visited Hothfield Common where we all heard and saw a dapper male Lesser Spotted woodpecker. The bird could be heard calling and drumming in the woodland at the west of the common, a reliable place to see this scarce bird this spring.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - white barring on back plus small size, is this the bird my neighbours are seeing and hearing  in Shadoxhurst?

My eldest son George, aged 16 can just about remember when we used to visit Hothfield Common to see Tree Pipits put on their fine spring 'parachute' display. Sadly, they have since disappeared from this site for a number of years. There used to be many Tree Pipits here, and puzzlingly the habitat is better than ever, so its hard to see a reason for the decline in there UK summer haunts. It would never have occurred to me a decade ago that these birds would be in danger and disappear at all.

The Day ended with Fish and Chips at Dungeness watching, Gannets, Terns and Porpoises lit by an amber sunset - a great May day.

Adult Buzzard and sub adult moult.

Back from a glorious sea watch at Dungeness by 9.30 am, I spent the rest of the day with help from Sian replacing a 6x4 m pond liner. Ocassional sky watching into blue skies on what must easily have been the hottest day of the year, brought some new summer migrant appearances including: 2 Hobbies together (so high I couldn't photograph) and our first Swift. Our local Buzzards kept their heads down for most of the day, but these two put-in an appearance mid-afternoon directly over the garden. 

Not an expert on Buzzard ageing, I guess we're looking at a fine and immaculate adult accompanied by a streaky and moulting 2/3 year bird flying below. A shame my pics aren't better, I partly blame the sun which wasn't far away.

 

Sub adult Buzzard with heavy spring moult to primaries and fork effect on tail. Same bird above and below.

Old liner out and new liner in, just the landscaping and planting to finish tomorrow