June 2006 Sightings

Please email your sightings to Andy Lawson

If you live, or for that matter visit, any site west of the A249 between the Sheppey bridge and Maidstone and then East to Dartford and Tunbridge Wells (roughly...) then I would be delighted to hear from you.

Saturday 24th June Haysden

Surprisingly I recorded a total of 54 species in just under two hours this morning - not bad for the time of year.

Seven species of warbler included single Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warblers. A Kingfisher sat where fishermen normally sit by Haysden Lake and there were nine Lapwing at Hawden. Six of these were flying west with another slightly smaller unidentified wader with them.

Three gull species was up on recent visits - 5 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed and about 15 Herring Gulls were noted.  There were at least five Stock Doves at Hawden and one over Haysden, a few House Martins and two Swallows were noted today and there was a pair of Tufted Duck and a drake Pochard at Hawden.
There was also a Barn Owl in the Sevenoaks area around 4am on Sunday (25th) morning as I trundled back from a second look at the Scops Owl.
(Andy (Sparrow-dipper) Appleton!)

Wednesday 21st June Haysden

One Black-headed Gull this evening and a single Kingfisher. No Little Owls recently which is a surprise as was seeing several on a regular basis this time last year.
(Andrew Appleton)

Wednesday 21st June Sevenoaks WR

During the week a pair of LSWs at Sevenoaks WR with 3 recently fledged young were being filmed for next year's "Spring Watch"
(Martin Coath)

Lower Halstow

Not done much local patch stuff lately-been away in Galapagos. Did see 6 adult Med Gulls at Lower Halstow last Thurs(15th) and a single adult at the Strand Gillingham on Sunday (18th).
Made a change from Swallow-Tailed and Lava Gulls!!
(Keith Cutting)

Saturday 17th June Haysden & Bough Beech

Two Reed Buntings, two or three Yellowhammers and a few Swallows over fields near Haysden. Otherwise very quiet indeed - as is usual for this time of year.
Also 12 Common Scoter (3 drakes) seen at Bough Beech today.
(Andy Appleton)

Monday 12th June Haysden

A brief visit before work produced a single Kingfisher, a couple of Yellowhammers, Reed Bunting, several Skylarks, two Mistle Thrushes and a Green Woodpecker. Not a lot really.
(Andrew Appleton)

Sunday 11th June Shorne Marshes

Cycled again along Sustrans track in broiling heat - frog noises have died down somewhat but plenty of reed warblers. Latter section towards Beckley Industrial Estate is most productive section for warblers and others - 3 blackcap, at least 4 chiffchaff, one nightingale singing from bush adjacent to turtle dove. Also, in more scattered bushes, 2 whitethroat.

A further turtle dove a little further on just before the road to Higham. On return journey along cycle track, noticed what looked like a carrion crow with young right at the top of a pylon in front of track (near bench) - a long fall for any unfortunates!
(Alan Lean)

Saturday 10th June Haysden

A quick stroll round Haysden produced Turtle Dove, Lesser Whitethroat, several Reed Warblers now (about time), one Reed Bunting and a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. The few Lapwings that were present have now gone as their fields have been mowed.
(Andrew Appleton)

Wednesday 7th June (08:45 - 10:40) Mote Park

Another lovely sunny morning with a cloudless sky and little breeze at all. The walk produced the normal birds plus good views of Nuthatch feeding young, 9+ Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiff Chaff, 6 pairs Reed Warbler, 4 GSWoodpecker, 1 calling LSWoodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Pheasant, 1 calling Kingfisher. Plus 1 weasel, 1 terrapin.
(Simon Ginnaw)

Saturday 3rd June Dunton Green

A pair of Yellowhammers were present in Dunton Green, opposite the Rose and Crown pub, in the massive expanse of new trees between the pub and the motorway. I seem to recall they were many there last year.

Many other birds calling, but they kept themselves well hidden except for the briefest of glimpses.
(Bennet Smith)

Friday 2nd June 2006 River Cray: Bexley - Foots Cray

At TQ490730, at least 2 Skylarks were singing over the former landfill site, which is now largely a bee-visited sward of clover and vetch, springing from half a century's worth of urban debris. In brambles around its edges, an extraordinary density of Whitethroats, with as many as 11 singing males keeping watch over the curious mixture of wild and garden plants. There were just 3 others along my route, with a few Blackcaps and a single Garden Warbler - behind Foots Cray Church.
There were flocks of Swifts over Old Bexley and North Cray, about 50 taking high-speed drinks from the river at Five Arches. House Martins were also over Bexley and a single Swallow could have been a migrant, though I think some bred at horse stables nearby.
In the tall trees, noisy groups of Ring-necked Parakeets were congregated - about 30 in all and Stock Doves were calling at 4 sites: Vale Mascal, Five Arches, Foots Cray Church & North Cray Wood.
Along the river, a pair of Grey Wagtails was present by The Alders and a Kingfisher at Five Arches, where there were 9 pairs of Coot, 3 Tufted ducks and a Canada Goose.
This is a land of Carrion Crows & Magpies a flock of 48 of the former was gathered on newly-mown grass by the Five Arches. A couple of Jays were in North Cray Wood and Jackdaws seemed restricted to Foots Cray Place.
(Cliff Dean)

Thursday 1st June Haysden

Just two Yellowhammers, two Bullfinches, one Willow Warbler. two Chiffchaff and  a single Kingfisher were noted today.
(Andrew Appleton)

Thursday 1st June Burham Marsh

I visited Burham Marsh with the main aim of watching Reed Buntings, which were very vocal and active. Saw 30+, including some perched very prominently (both male and female).
There were lots of goldfinches around the church, most of them in song. The noise from the starlings was
deafening throughout, a fox even came down onto the far riverbank to investigate the racket.
There were a number of Shelduck along the river and around the pools in the grassland. The latter site also had some ringed plover, redshank and lapwing. The lapwings were seen chasing a seagull and a jackdaw. Numerous meadow pipits were climbing and descending in song. A few whitethroats were showing well in and around the reeds. Managed to get a close-up view of a sedge warbler in a small tree next to the reeds.

Most unexpected were 4 sightings of cuckoos (all in flight). Can't say for sure they were 4 different individuals, but they were seen in different places. I had an excellent view of one as it flew across the reeds to the other side of the river. Only one raptor, a kestrel hovering over the fields.
(James Bushnell)