Everyone has spent this week, twitching, bumping into or
finding Alpine Swifts or at least wishing that they were. They are one my favourite birds from any Med
visit and I know that I will be seeing them at the end of April in Lesvos but
when one is just eight miles from my house even I am tempted to go for a
look. The traffic yesterday was grim
around here and it suggested a 40 minute journey to get there so I waited till
this morning and pottered down there before breakfast to watch this master of
the air hanging on a wall of a some flats under a gutter across the road from
the famous Larkfield Tesco of Golden Winged Warbler fame.
It sat there and occasionally looked around at the seven
blokes looking suspicious in a house estate before doing the decent thing just
before 7am and taking to the wing and dropping down to just a few feet off the
ground before hurtling off over the lakes.
Even those initial few seconds were magical.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfA8ZwQyZixb-joNT7t_wpKVgSKe2Mg6Qd7cbt3l3jV4iuSuQYeW5S03qpaETQagdOEjtU_9kZmPy4xEHG8Rsr7VMiCNFd7wuil9yCzLaydSzqYsQUNfnpRe_4Elcjsmjb_ax_rOM_1mCIXzaxJBnqyfRzlU48okuKis4TmZxpFwMKN6jrEEltYAo/w640-h426/20230325_122721.jpg) |
Rich Bonser managed to get it when it's head turned round... |
It was soon re-found hawking in the distance before
disappearing. Barry, Rich and I headed up the Brooklands end for a scout round
and Barry’s hunch proved correct and he picked it up within just a few
minutes. Much closer views were had initially
against a blue sky as it looped in vast circuits overhead.
And one from Barry Wright as it was much better than mine
Satiated by a pre-Lesvos Alp encounter I
headed for home adding Kingfishers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcap on the way. Barry W went on to find another on the
Darenth Lakes complex to the west… good patch working skills.
Back home in the garden a few more spring flowers were blooming but there were no insects whatsoever.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNbTw9hsz9ecDUvkMs_pgwHHLrdgy1u3W-5fsDVxa95RnBnTTY4EZRGPoLVHl9e0MAJWKZ8cUYX16HJ_mFgHlnG3yEJhbk5wtd4aNSsIUoDm4HiLc2sy6Y5i8sxofb1qq2QaxQi3b2yH1TSeOYjc3qyW4Sp41zvSjnTGQhsIQVa8k0lKCewrYSrYp/w640-h426/20230325_101832.jpg) |
pale Lesser Celandine |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-qer0OkHn7q57Kkrk9kAk2g5AO9IqxsA56aGvUuaTi6d_aEpChDwzaZe2fYaLMHfiMZdUsp9SDyCUPGDDlIbWd_ZlJ2-yLH7ibEAoztzkAjaFk_ipVVAo0Dy0ALTYPPi1rXR10oAlpQ2jWO79fe95lJZ1AjdRZpS6IizHFr1ki1xUmcFttDuVtHu/w640-h426/20230325_101836.jpg) |
Lesser Celandine |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqClEA1MDv---YlwpG0ssbQLbPpHMJ3Of_LCgI44xoDEF9l-BOMVSvarXlaBwTO0JE8WvIZr_bIoMua0pzA6XqfyyBp2cEX3ADkpGgkqj3TDMO2oVtUnd4dYHDTm5R4gcw1Fd45e5YPHe_YKkO3SzQf_gXDQ6sn07i4rbpgtH0GN3KJD0pc2GGbr2/w480-h640/20230325_101932.jpg) |
My solitary Early Purple Orchid is looking good! |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDNtdYyH4rtM_6JadipzOlsio98KE8Dmt9ijWAPtizY5MQhR-CHEUsCwumfJOYPc-vX24vOM4v_ymiUte9yH414Wq060Yt1tFx2nOjxd-xUWc_-ICM_xGAjrkyroCvavGGR_eP9dvqdT0phY9E9tKuJrhC1aOztEAbQw-qSmmLahllJWHw7tN2ZIv/w640-h426/20230325_101941.jpg) |
Sweet Violet |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6QWDyGnBbkcpVl_45IvSpf2PmDSdRujs34xyqkmfY-cMYiWyyHilU119YeSLkj8s9ENSejLhnfwdmdyqA-9fckEEcBsn46WWTRzZdE58LrJViZ2XUYB-lKnDMeBy6GiG3APrpmHhq9Bsk7S9yD_-nishRGvD8EZJfilIuXTmoUPC775iapO_Wwbk/w640-h480/20230325_101948.jpg) |
Primrose |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFnEbIb3habwluKdo8nzcdBMNhlaW-k8FNQKkDc3W7G8tViSgVHKpa7v9d_EnvD3-j6kxuvsjpLk3xRX5qoay99vdifY12RqgoOYU8HgK3f23eO8NlEavgUCbAftgP8MBpKwIZcLlaeE5UpA9ZcrCYGmlz4GhWKr7NXPS4FBDnh_amwfYOMtXERBc/w640-h426/20230325_102035.jpg) |
Marsh Marigold |
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