Saturday 28th April

A longer than usual visit this morning. I was up at 5.00 and had a wander down the lane close to my house in Birling. I had heard a Little Owl calling last night. As I walked past the it's favoured Ash Tree I spooked it and it flew off across the fields. A good start to the day so off to New Hythe. I was there for 5.45am.

NIGHTINGALE ALONG THE MEDWAY - ONE OF 13 TODAY

My aim this morning was to try and walk the whole area and undertake a count. I didn't quite have time to do the whole lot but I did end up with 13 Nightingale, a huge 27 Whitethroat, 12 Cettis Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cuckoo, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler (newfor the year for me), 8 Reed Warbler, 3 Swift (another new for the year), 2 Turtle Dove, 2 Sand Martin and 2 Swallow. Also of interest was a flock of Green and Gold Finch by the Brooklands cafe, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Green Woodpecker and a Bullfinch. Interestingly no Sedge Warbler at all. I also found a small Grass Snake in the east scrub, the first Yellow Flag along the Millstream and a few Birds Foot Trefoil. I left the area at 8.45.

BIRDS FOOT TREFOIL