I made only a brief stop at the pools this morning, but in about 10 mins saw 96 divers >E. I was told that many more had already passed through.
Among the Greylags W of the pools was a single Pinkfooted Goose and there were 9 Ruff with the Lapwings.
The Snow Bunting still at Pett Level in the muddy lay-by on the north side of the road immediately west of Pett Pools.
Also 4 Ruddy Duck on the roadside pool and 3 Barnacle Geese with Greylags and Canadas in the fields behind the pools.
ca. 45 Barnacle Geese with a blue morph Snow Goose at Scotney Court Gravel Pit.
Also a Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a Merlin there.
(Paul James)
www.sos.org.uk
The highlight today was encountering a Water Shrew, while clearing Willow saplings from a ditch at Castle Water. The shrew appeared to have used the looser material dug out by Badgers from a nearby sett, which had accumulated in the shallow water, to make a network of tunnels.
The February winter bird count on the farm on saturday produced record winter counts of 108 reed bunting, 60 yellowhammer and 20 skylark. Also recorded were two tree sparrow and a corn bunting.
Reed Bunting at Hastings Country Park
Saturday 18th February 2006
Cloud 100%; Wind E3 bringing cold rain by 1100: 77sp
In the garden, Greenfinches were wheezing and trilling to the popping background of Lydd gunfire and a hissing mass of 25 Siskins came rushing past. A little later, a flock of 50 went over me heading in the opposite direction – I guess it had subsumed the earlier flock. Later still in the Pannel Valley I could hear another large, noisy flock passing through.
Just a handful of Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows remain on fields of bird food. House Sparrows never seem to join them but there was at least a female in the hedge by Hopgarden Field.
There are still many Fieldfares on the meadows and in hedges & woods, some classic mixed flocks comprising Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tits, Treecreepers and Goldcrests. At Pannel Bridge, one such group also included 2 Coal Tits –an unusual bird to see there.
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Thursday 16th February 2006
0810-1210: 53sp
Wind whistling through the treetops sometimes makes it hard to hear all the song, but a decisive addition is Goldcrest in the conifer plantations. Long-tailed Tits are vocal too, as newly-formed pairs keeping in contact as they seek out nest-sites.
Green shoots are levering up the leaf-litter: Dog’s Mercury, Primrose, Bluebell and blotchy rosettes of Early Purple Orchid.
In one stand of hornbeams, a small army of Chaffinches marches across the vast carpet of pink leaves – even the males merge in well – a mass of miniature movement among the bright mossy coppice stools. They take fright in a blizzard of wing-bars. A short flight hides them behind a maze of poles.
There’s wind in the pines but not much else, except for the distant groan of forestry machines and the rumble of 30 Fallow Deer running for shelter.
8 Mandarins burst out of willow overhanging the lake, their nasal yapping interspersed with breathless whistles. Does the male make one call and the female the other?
2 pairs of G C Grebesare in place, but one of them still in winter plumage.
The Goosander seems to have gone but there are even more Coots.
As the sky opens and white clouds tumble through the blue, a Peregrine appears over the dam, immediately challenged by a Sparrowhawk, then after a few minutes, a Buzzard sails up over the woods.
At Ternery Pool, two Mediterranean Gulls were present among the Black-headed Gulls, while 120 Lapwing and 80 Golden Plover roosted on the islands in front of Crittall Hide. This concentration of birds attracted the attentions of a Peregrine, which flew low in front of the hide, giving some superb views.
Offshore the three Eider were still present, along with 20+ Common Scoter and 15 Great Crested Grebe, while at the Long Pit, the Slavonian Grebe could still be seen, along with a pair of Goldeneye.
On returning to Lime Kiln Cottage late from Rye last night, I found this moth on the kitchen window. It is a Pale Brindled Beauty, a typical late winter species and one which I have not seen before. This is a male, as females are wingless and scuttle around the base of various deciduous trees on which the larvae feed. The male has feathery (the technical term is ‘pectinate’) antennae which allow him to pick up chemicals released by the female, the trail of which he then follows in the hope of mating with her.
Dispite the predicted cold snap, Ternery Pool had a spring like feel this morning with Black-headed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls making their first appearance this year. At the river Mouth 33 Turnstone were roosting on the Harbour Arm, and 3 Eider (1 drake) were just offshore. Waders feeding along the shore included 150+ Dunlin and 55 Sanderling. The Slavonian Grebe is still present on the Long Pit along with 5 Goldeneye (1 drake), 95 Pochard and 30 Tufted Duck. The Long Eared Owl is present in its usual place along Narrow Pit.
Highlights today have been, 33 Corn Bunting and 12 White-Fronted Goose inflight over Lime Kiln Cottage. At Castle Water, 23 Fieldfare, 2 Bullfinch, Kingfisher, 2 Smew, 2 Scaup and 150 Wigeon.