Green Urban Birding - The Higham Loop - 29th December 2020

I struggled to get going this morning and in fact I went back to bed and actually slept for another couple of hours such is the general apathy and lethargy that seems to have descended in recent weeks.

I hoped that it would be vaguely brighter when I remerged but the skies were still leaden and low but I somehow managed to drag myself out for a few hours circuit that took me up to Rede Common where the Hawthorns were covered in Redwings and I reckon that about 200 were scattered across the site where they were doing their best to find the remaining hawthorn berries.  Chacking made me look up and two flocks totally 73 Fieldfare slowly made their way west in economic flight.

Back at ground level a few Blackbirds moved off in front of me and the soft ‘pook’ calls of the Redwings could be heard all around. I had a look for Firecrests but could find none but they are probably still around.

Watching my feet produced the now expected Phytomyza chaerophylli fly mines on Cow Parsley and Phytomyza ranunculi on Buttercup as well at the two common Bramble moth mine species. I am sorry if I keep reporting on these in my blogs as I quite understand that it is not the most riveting subject matter but the repetition is the best way for me to learn what it is I am looking at.

Phytomyza ranunculi on Buttercup

 

The Gorse was in flower as I left the common and the local Moles had done a splendid job of rotivating the front lawn on the approach to the Strood Academy.

Gorse

Molehills

 

I followed some Goldcrests along the London Road towards Crutches Lane and checked the Elaeagnus but despite still having flowers, it was just too cold for any insects to be out.  Greenfinches wheezed from the gardens and I could see Black-headed Gulls scouring one of the winter wheat fields although I am not sure what they were after.

I might have accidentally noted some leaf mines on the way down the Lane where, as usual the amount of rubbish and fly tipping was outrageous. There seems to be some sort of perverse kudos to see if you can dump your household waste as close to the signs that say ‘no tipping – we’re watching you!’ as quite clearly ‘they’ are not.  There were as many mattresses in the layby as cars...

Phytomyza chaerophylli on Cow Parsley

Stigmella aurella on Bramble

Anyway enough griping; I turned off into the wood and then headed up slope rather than traverse along the bottom of Great Crabbles Wood. The trail was incredibly muddy and cut up and like most tracks round here, seems to have become a haunt of off road mountain bikes but I did not see a soul once I was away from the road and had the woods to myself.

Lichen encrusted windfall branch - help welcomed!

Guessing at post-glacial rounded flints and cherts under an upturned Birch

It was a bit squidgy

Jellyear

 

They were predictably quiet with just the odd Blue Tit, calling Great Spotted Woodpecker and high pitched Treecreeper. There was not even a breeze to stir the upper branches of the Chestnuts. Two vociferous Jays brought me from my silent contemplation but stayed out of sight but not ear as they moved through the wood. 

Stigmella aurella and Coptotriche marginea on Bramble

 

Coptotriche marginea on Bramble

Stigmella microtheriella or thereabouts on Hazel

Phytomyza ilicis fly mine on Holly

I looped around and up alongside the house with the two large ponds and popped out on Peartree Lane amongst the huge house and even bigger gardens.  The lack of leaves really showed up just how large some of these pads are. Needless to say it was the gardens that drew my eye.

 

Sneezey Tits in the background

Coal Tits, Treecreepers and Goldcrests could all be heard and Song Thrushes were in good voice but I was not expecting to pick up two Marsh Tits as they fed in the copse running through one garden. I never saw them but they were both sneezing well to each other as they moved further into the trees.  This is only the second time on a local walk that I have encountered the species this year with the family in June at Ranscombe being the only other sighting.

I followed the lane down the hill and turned onto the Gravesend Road, going past Gad’s Hill where I discovered that is there is a tunnel under the road leading directly to the Dicken’s residence. 

 

A few more Redwings fed in the hedges and a solitary Winter Moth was sat up on some roadside Alexanders but with the cold starting to seep in and the grey becoming a foreboding shade of argenteus Herring Gull, I made a direct line for home.

Winter Moth

 

 

 

A short winter walk in the woods - 18th December 2020

I had a few errands to run on Friday and ended up near Blean in a vague break in the drizzle and therefore took myself off on a walk through the lanes towards Clowes Wood.

The wind was getting up but the wet largely held off and it was good to get some air for the first time this week.

The wind was keeping most birds hidden but a series of paddocks and a fallow field held a volatile flock of noisy thrushes with brash Fieldfares chacking wildly and sounding paranoid alarms with some regularity causing those on the deck with the Redwings to erupt back into the hedge line. I was delighted to find a couple of Yellowhammers with them. This quickly multiplied and at least 34 were then found shuffling around where the yellow heads of the males bobbed around like little knobs of creamy butter in the green field. 

It may not look much but this field was just fantastic!

During my lockdown walks I only found one singing male (at Jeskyns) and a few to the east around Lullingstone and after the Reculver ones remaining invisible last week, this was an absolute joy.

They too, dashed for the hedge when the thrushes bolted, flashing chestnut rumps and one of Michael Warrens atmospheric paintings came to mind although I can’t remember which book it is in at the moment. Re-acquainting myself with those books will fill another winter’s evening and perhaps they will inspire me to draw again like they did 35 years ago.

A rather plump Buzzard poked around for worms in the same field but the other birds were not bothered in the slightest and all the while more parties of Fieldfares dropped in from the surrounding orchards.

A slightly muddy horse with a romanesque nose...

 

I don't do grasses but I saw a post from Enid the day before and thought it looked the same - which it nearly was - Ceratochloa cathartica - Rescue Brome - ooh look at those tiny awns!

As seems to be the norm now, I spent some time casually looking for leaf mines and found a few of even what I am now calling the usual suspects.

Coptotriche marginea  - the Bordered Carl on Bramble

Phyllonorycter leucographella - Firethorn Leaf Miner on Pyracantha

Phyllonorycter quercifoliella - Common Oak Midget on English Oak

There were others to found including a Stigmella sp wiggle on an Oak leaf and several different fly mines including one on Holly. Amazing to think that any insect larvae would be designed to tackle such a tough leaf!

Stigmella sp on Oak - they can't be identified once the tenant has moved out!

 

Phytomyza ranunculi on Buttercup

Phytomyza ilicis  on Holly

Phytomyza ilicis  on Holl

Phytomyza pastinacae or similar on Hogweed

The tall pines in the woods were swaying and swooshing with the increasing wind and I only heard the odd Goldcrest and Coal Tit.  Apparently it is good for Crossbill but no gypping was heard.  Some areas of Pine and Chestnut had been cleared and there was a good Woodlark, Tree Pipit, Long-eared Owl, Nightjar feel going on so I shall earmark it for a visit next spring and see what happens.

There were quite a few flowers to be seen including Red and White Dead Nettles, Hogweed, Knapweed, Field Scabious, and Heath Speedwell but no insects at all bar a few dancing Gnats.  A lovely little patch of Orange Peel Fungus aptly demonstrated how it got its name.

Field Scabious with no petals?

Hogweed

Knapweed

 

Heath Speedwell

Orange peel fungus - Aleuria aurantia

The loop took me back into the lanes where every Cow Parsley plant was riddled with the mines of the fly Phytomyza chaerophylli and I found Eulieia heraclei on Alexanders too.

Eulieia heraclei on Alexanders

Phytomyza chaerophylli on Cow Parsley

I stumbled on several more interesting plants with Winter Heliotrope and Sowbread leaves in a hedgerow bank along with Periwinkle, Bramble, Spear Thistle and Yarrow still in flower.

Bramble

Sowbread - Cyclamen hederifolium

Periwinkle

Winter Heliotrope

With more rain looming to the west I retreated to my car where several Rosemary Beetles were colourfully chomping their way through a host of front garden foodplants. It was time to head home before darkness fell.

Rosemary Beetles - Chrysolina americana

 

A Kentish Winter's tale of Geese, Buntings and Thrushes - 8th December 2020

A just about dawn start saw me on my way east towards Reculver Towers for an amble with Pat Hart. It was a very cold morning but with no frost and no breeze at all and it was a very eerie start to the day.

 

The tide was dropping and the Dark-bellied Brents could easily be heard grumbling over half a mile away along the beach towards Beltinge and a quick scan added a selection of waders to the day with scuttling silvery Sanderlings, stop start Grey and Ringed Plover, Redshanks Oystercatchers and Curlews. Two 1^st winter Yellow-legged Gulls were with gulls poking around on the seaweed but the dead calm sea was devoid of life with only the distant windfarm to draw the eye.

 

Brents with Herne Bay beyond

We walked up past the Towers where Starlings probed the dewy grass of the Roman Fort and a couple of Blackbirds and several Robins were on the walls and rocky breakwater.

Greyish-breasted Rock Thrush

Quality probing going on...

Dewy Blackbird

Monument Starling

Part of the ancient Roman fort

 

I said to Pat that it looked good for Black Redstart and then promptly found on just before the old Oyster farm. With no one else around she was actually quite confiding and hopped up towards us with the rusty tail all a quiver.

Black Redstart - Me and my shadow

 

We had not gone twenty yards when another appeared on the path and although still an ash brown bird, this one had much bigger whiter wing panels.

 

House Sparrows chirped in the brambles and Meadow and Rock Pipits were out over the old workings. We were hoping to find the huge flock of Russian White-fronts discovered here yesterday but the unexpected early sun was making looking inland almost impossible.

 

However it did make the hunting Short-eared Owl look gloriously ethereal as it silently ghosted over the pits before alighting on a pole.  It sat there for ages with alert yellow eyes scanning around and only got slightly agitated when a Redshank kicked off.

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

 

The sun started to slip behind some hazy cloud and so I scanned inland towards Shuart Farm and could make out a line of Russian White-fronts feeding in a distant ploughed field but the light was still terrible but every now and then you would get a flash of belly bars or white forehead blaze as well as the odd snippet of goosey conversation between them.

A flock of Reed Buntings were coming down to feed on the concrete cyclepath with a pair of Stonechats, Robins, Wrens and Dunnocks for company and a Song Thrush and several Blackbirds erupted from the brambles. I could hear Corn Buntings and after finding a couple a flock of about 40 came out off a grassy bank and plipped away into the distance.

Path Buntings

Mr Stonechat

 

As we approached Coldharbour Point the Beltinge Brents came in from the west for their wash and brush up in the freshwater outfalls there but a Grey Heron spooked then and the flock dissipated with some heading inland but the explosive goose scarers placed every few hundred yards were keeping them on the move.

Dark-bellied Brents

How many Ringed Plovers can you find?

A Little Egret and a few Turnstone and Redshank were feeding in the outfall and a flock of Herring Gulls dropped in for a bath.  We had been told that two Snow Buntings had been frequenting this area and almost immediately picked them up grovelling amongst the Yellow-horned Poppies on the shingle in front.

Of course after just two shots my camera battery died and being a numpty I had left the other back in the car.  Naturally the buntings then came out to play just a few yards away but were a joy to watch as they shuffled around collecting seeds invisible to the eye.

Snow Bunting

 

                                             And a little video taken with my phone...

Yellow-horned Poppy

Stag's Horn Plantain

 

We decided to turn back at this point and then divert off the cycle track onto the inland levee around the enclosed bay of the Oyster farm.  This was a good move with two Yellowhammers calling immediately although I could not actually find them. Six Grey Partridge rocketed out of the grass and I do not remember the last time I saw them in Kent (although it was undoubtedly at Harty).

 

Reed and Corn Buntings were zipping all over the place and it was great to encounter so many small seed eaters.  It was actually not that surprising to therefore find a delightful female Merlin sat in the winter wheat field alongside us.

After a few head bobs and a shuffle she moved a little closer in super low level stealth flight like a cross between a dinky Peregrine stuck in a male Sparrowhawks body. This time she showed off that lovely barred tail before taking off once more and powering up into the sky after something that only she could see.

More Buntings and big Linnet flock were seen and the Russian White-fronts left to the east in small parties before we even got to the fields.   I counted 84 in total with two bonus Barnacles and a single Greylag in tow.  The geese all looked laboured in flight and through the scope I could see that every bird had a double thick bill and dangling legs clogged with clay from the field they had been in.  I presume that they were off to somewhere east to get cleaned up.

A solitary Lapwing called from the field but we could not find it and two Mallard and a male Shoveler were the only ducks that we saw all morning.

Full of Buntings!

 

A fine Cormorant

 

It was time for a coffee and a single Gannet far out on the otherwise still quiet sea was added to the list before we headed inland towards Grove Ferry.

A singing Song Thrush greeted us on our arrival and a Mistle Thrush rattled over as we were getting our gear back on.  It was still cold but the sun had begun to sneak back out again.

Fieldfares and many Redwings came up in front of us from the hawthorns as we started the walk and three Ring-necked Parakeets squawked overhead.  I was hoping for a few birds to look through from the viewing ramp but there was nowt bar a Mute Swan, Little Egret and six Black-headed Gulls.  Someone had stolen all the duck and Moorhens and Coots.  It was very odd. 

 

We took the usual path through the middle with a Kingfisher zipping down a channel and Cetti’s Warblers giving the odd chic or two. A flock of 15 Russian White-fronts appeared and headed steadily north towards Chislet in a more aerodynamic way than their Reculver buddies!

Departing Russian White-fronts

 A large flock of Fieldfares could be seen in the distance which only grew in number as we got closer with perhaps 500 circulating around the still berry laden Hawthorns.  A few Redwings and Blackbirds were mingled with them and the odd grey Song Thrush called as it bolted from cover. 

Fieldfares

 

A bench was a good stop for lunch and in the area we had been told two Dartford Warblers had been frequenting.  It was still very still and any movement was discernible and I soon picked up a pair of Stonechats. They came into the closest brambles and I had the briefest of views of one of the Dartys as it popped up and looked at me.  Fieldfares surrounded us now, flashing powder grey rumps and black tails with the full suite of soft and hard chacks and cackles as they kept in touch with each other.  At the next crossroads we found a good spot to watch them feeding with the light behind us. They glowed.

Stonechat

Fieldfares

 

A couple of Yellowhammers flew over and Marsh Harriers were a constant feature with at least four female types and a gleaming adult male patrolling the reedbeds although I would imagine that they are hunting the thrushes too.

Marsh Harrier

 

A solitary goose flew through calling and I hastily got my scope on it hoping that it would be a Tundra Bean.  The forewings looked dusky and the bill and head dark and as it came in to land I saw the bright orange legs – bingo!

It landed out of view and ten minutes later a flock of Russian White-fronts took flight from the same area and circled around before heading off over the ridge to land somewhere south of Grove Road. I presumed that the TBG was with the 46 strong flock but on our walk back this single goose reappeared for two circuits calling like a deep voiced grumpy Pink-foot as it headed back east towards Pegwell! 

Russian White-fronted Geese

Russian White-fronted Geese

Greylag Geese

Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose - orange legs!

 

A female Sparrowhawk harried the Fieldfare flock mercilessly and a female Bearded Tit pinged across the path and then perched up for a few moments to have a little preen in the low sunshine before clambering down into the reeds.

I do like a Belted Galloway!

Bearded Tit

Bearded Tit

 

Rather strangely it actually felt warmer in the late afternoon and the gloves even came off.  The Stonechats showed well again and the male Marsh Harrier gave another magnificent performance on the return leg before we settled in for a relaxing wait at the viewing mound to see if anything should drop in as the sun sank closer to the horizon.  

male Marsh Harrier

Turn and drop

The pool was still almost duckless with two Shelduck trying to make up for the lack and Teal could be heard plibbing away on a hidden pool. Five Water Pipits came and went around the edges but it was almost impossible to find one on the deck and five more Lapwing were added along with calling Snipe and Green Sandpiper.  Buzzards and Marsh Harriers loafed on bushes and several more Bearded Tits called from the depths of the reedbeds.

Hundreds more Fieldfare were drifting in from the east and presumably they have been roosting in a secure thicket somewhere out on the marsh. A couple of Water Rails squealed and the Kingfisher returned to its distant perch, now bathed in golden pre-sunset light.

A Golden Kingfisher

 

We hoped for an Owl or Bittern but were very happy to round things up with a dagger billed Great White Egret that glided effortlessly into the pool to begin feeding around the margins. With that and the fact that fingers were once again becoming numb and the coffee was all gone, we packed up and made our way back through the pre-roost Redwings to the cars and home.

Great White Egret

Great White Egret - Pat Hart