Saturday 7th April

A visit today between 6.20am and 8.50am. Cold and very misty in places to start but brightening up as the morning progressed.

We parked at the Brook House entrance this morning hoping in vain for a Nightingale. The first bird of note was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, the first of 3 seen this morning, also 2 Blackcap, several Chiffchaff and a Cettis in song as we walked up to the Open Area (East Scrub) here I heard a distant Willow Warbler near to the railway - as we walked closer we got good views of it singing and heard a scond bird nearby.

The area near the scrape was quiet, but we had good views of a breeding plumaged Little Grebe on Tesco Lake.

Down the Millstream a Water Vole showed well on the far bank about half way along and Blackcaps were singing everywhere - c10 in total in song today.

Through Brookland Lake car park a Cettis sang very close near the tunnel to the lake. The visibility across the Lake this early was really limited but as we got to the north end of Abbey Mead the sun was starting to burn off the mist and a Sand Martin called as it shot overhead.

A MISTY MORNING AROUND ABBEY MEAD

Along towards the Medway there were 4 Shelduck, a Bullfinch called and a dead Mole was seen on the path.....and then AT LAST, a sharp call and there was a Kingfisher - I cannot believe I have had to wait until April to see a bird that I would normally expect to see on every visit. We walked down the path and past the warehouses and saw it again perching briefly and then calling and hurtling back the way it had came.

Back across the open area again checking briefly for reptiles (but too early) and adding a couple of Green Woodpecker. We paused briefly by the ditch here and our second Water Vole of the morning showed really well swimming towards us before plopping into the water side vegetation.

At least the migrants are starting to drift in.....