Weekends just do not feel ‘safe’ to be out walking around
here at the moment – too many people – so I dragged myself out this morning despite
the general gloom and greyness and made my way down the road to Temple Marsh.
The tide was on the turn and heading out, leaving a still
wet saltmarsh but despite my best efforts I could not find any Snipe along the
edge. I even had hopes of a Jack down there but I think I need a proper freeze
to generate that sort of a chance.
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It has distintergrated a bit since I first saw it in April!
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Aligned reed stems at the high tide mark
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The Poplars behind held a few Redwings that called excitedly
before getting whisked east with the increasing breeze and three Greenfinches
wheezed.
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| Redwing |
A solitary Cormorant was fishing in the river and two
Mallard and a Mute Swan were the only other birds seen bobbing along. I never
quite understand why this stretch of the Medway is so devoid of avian life.
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| Cormorant |
Some distant bread throwing by a mother and toddler brought in
the Black-headed Gulls along with two smart 1st winter Commons before
I headed back inland and uphill past Diggerland and then onto Ranscombe.
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Common Gull
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Black-headed Gull
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Oxeye Daisy
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Quite possibly Ectoedemia erythrogenella in Bramble - a tiny one and still occupied!
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Turkey Tails on a post
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Flowering Hogweed
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The pools alongside the river just south of the bridge had
three distant Little Grebes paddling around along with two Cormorants,
Shelduck, two Mallard, Great Black-backed Gull, three Redshank and a Little Egret. It is
just a pity that you can’t get any closer for a better look.
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Stunning views of a variety of species...
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Hedge Mustard
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Once through the car park I took the path alongside Longhoes
where a female Sparrowhawk was trying to flush out Redwings while a scan of the
distant woods revealed a circling Raven. A Nuthatch was being quite vocal as I
reached the corner as were a couple of squelching Squirrels and I suspected
that they may have found an owl but I could not find anything.
I continued up the muddy track towards the very sombre
looking Valley - such a contrast to the swathes of colour that adorn it from March
onwards. The sun poked through and briefly illuminated it before the racing
clouds once again obscured its efforts to lighten the mood.
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The amount of footfall and bike traffic to make this ride as cut up as it was another indication as to why I avoid the weekends.
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I turned up towards Mill Wood and stopped on the bench for a
coffee and mince pie and looked out towards Mays Wood on the other side. A
Buzzard with a very full crop glided through and attracted the attention of the
local jackdaws who spiralled up with it and played in the breeze while a
Peregrine hurtled the other way shortly followed by an Accipiter that got my
heart rushing momentarily before I realised that it was a very hefty female Sparrowhawk
that was just getting a little agitated at the presence of the other two
species.
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Very full Buzzard
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Very high, chunky Sparrowhawk with flared white undertail coverts but note small head and square (not rounded) tail - amongst other things
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Mill Wood was very quiet but I did add Bullfinches and
Treecreeper to the tally while the small green Spurge Laurel flowers were
opening up but I could not smell anything as yet.
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Spurge Laurel
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It felt like imminent rain as I transacted Brockles so I cut
back into the wood by the animal bench and followed a new slippery path down
through the trees before veering up through the pines towards the where I
thought the Mausoleum would be. There were no Crossbills but Lesser Redpolls
called occasionally overhead and Redwings were constant companions.
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See above!
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The pearl-like seeds of Gromwell
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Although it had not actually rained, the wind was still
increasing and I decided to take the straight home from here. Unlike the other
day there was no one else around bar a jogger who I thought was going to expire
as he shuffled by.
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The Turkey Tail log is now magnificent!
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I said hello to my favourite trees and then yomped for home.
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