Sunday 25th February

Here is my 100th post!

A visit this morning between 7.15 and 9.45.

4-5 Reed Bunting chasing each other and calling around the round pond this morning - real sign of Spring. Also a Meadow Pipit flushed from the long grass here. A Great Spot drumming against a electicity pylon by the Millstream making a real racket. A Green Woodpecker and Jay in the open area.

I had a search for some early slow worms or grass snake. No sign but I did find a Palmate Newt eft and a Toad (strange how variable in colour Toads can be, this one was a 'red' one)

PALMATE NEWT EFT AND TOAD

Lots of the BH Gulls on Abbey Mead now have their black heads. Walking along the Medway a Cettis called as did a Bullfinch. 2 Redshank were on the river. I again scanned the sunken marsh, quiet, apart from another Cettis and several Water Rail calling.

I had another look at across Abbey Mead from the North end, as I was doing so the Firecrest popped up in the Ivy covered tree in front of me and performed really well here and in the surrounding scrub for 15 minutes before flying back towards the scrub surrounding the sunken marsh.

Around towards Brooklands a Sparrowhawk flew low across me and 3 Teal came up from the river and another Cettis called. The Ferruginous Duck showed really well in the middle of Brooklands.

Along the Millstream which was so high it had breached it's bank in places, another Cettis and a few Goldfinch along here.

On my way home I had two more Sparrowhawk. One flying low in front of me on the back road between Snodland and Birling and another soaring high over Birling. Also a flock of 20 or so Fieldfare from my Kitchen window in Birling!