Monday 7th May

Thought I'd set up a blog of bird and general sightings and musings about New Hythe Gravel Pits/Leybourne Lakes Country Park.

At New Hythe between 05.30 and 07.45 on Sunday 7th May. Parked at Water Works entrance off the A228 so I could scan the scrape first. It was worth the effort this morning with a pair of Bar-Tailed Godwit dropping into the scrape for 15 minutes before flying off towards the Medway - a new bird for New Hythe for me. Also a Common Sandpiper there. Elsewhere around the lakes at least 8 Nightingale, 4 Sedge Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler, 4 Cettis, 2 Turtle Dove, 50+ Swift, 1 Swallow, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, inumerable Whitethroat, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Kingfisher, pair of Bullfinch and plenty of Blackcap/Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

A walk around New Hythe on Monday 8th May 06.00 to 07.15 produced up to 5 Common Terns, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Cettis, 6 Nightingale and a Cuckoo. Good numbers of Swallow and Swift over Brooklands Lake. Beautiful display of what I thought was Cuckoo Flower in ditch as you walk towards the scrape from the Water works entrance - it actually turns out it is Water Violet - good numbers of Orange Tip seen along there a few days ago but far too early for butterflies today