PATCH WATCH 2011

30th April

The annual spring Patch Watch, on April 30th rather than May 1st this year, commences under a cloudless, starry sky, with a moderate, cool northerly breeze, at 3.30am. From the Peens Lane corner, the first sound comes from a Little Grebe, calling from the lake at e.45am, followed by a Mallard and a Moorhen ten minutes later; then a Coot. Several Coots keep calling, but it was a Tawny Owl, or a migrant wader, that I really wanted to hear – as I wrote this, a Whimbrel called three times, as it flies NE at 4am!

With the northeastern sky beginning to lighten around 4.20am, I’m beginning to get concerned that not one owl has been heard – I learn later that Bob sat in the churchyard and heard both owl species, the Tawny continuing to call, from the direction of the Holm Oaks in the Deer Park, until after 5.10am! Just after 4.30am, I can just see a pair of Tufted Duck paddling on the lake, the white flanks of the drake almost gleaming in the early morning light, but I still haven’t heard any owls. A small bat is silhouetted against the sky and a distant Pheasant calls.

A thin sliver of moon can be seen low in the eastern sky at 4.50am, as the first Blackbird sings. A Carrion Crow calls shortly afterwards and a Robin (number 10 at 4.57am) adds his voice to the slowly awakening dawn chorus, but I’ve not heard any owls by 5am and decide to drive round to the reservoir carpark. A Wren and more Robins sing, as I drive along Peens Lane, a Yellowhammer alights on the road and as I reach the carpark a Chiffchaff sings. A Whitethroat adds his song, as I commence my first walk around the reservoir. A Kestrel perches on the barn roof, above the nestbox, a Chaffinch sings, followed by a Blackcap and a Blue Tit calls. A distant Green Woodpecker yaffles, a Woodpigeon coos (number 20 at 5.21am) a Great Tit also calls and the raucous calls of a Jay echo from the oaks. A Cormorant circles high overhead and as I reach its now well-established territory the Nightingale song welcomes me and the calls of Rooks emanate from the new rookery. Two Greylag Geese call loudly as they fly SE over the reservoir and the moderate strength northeast wind feels quite cold at present.

A Magpie perches on top of the lower barn, a Black-headed and two single Herring Gulls fly N, as two pairs of Greylag Geese alight on the reservoir and the Nightingale sings again, as I drop down the bank onto the Peens Lane stubble, which I am planning to walk across. A pair of Stock Doves (number 30 at 6.05am) is visible on the sheep pasture, four more Herring Gulls fly SW, as the sun begins to rise and a Lesser Whitethroat makes its rattle-like song. As I start to walk south along Peens Lane, a LT Tit flies into an oak, a lone LBB Gull flies NW, two Jackdaws fly towards the poplar wood and a Canada Goose now calls from the reservoir. A Goldfinch and more importantly the cock Linnet are both perched on the telegraph wires, a lone Starling flies N, one of the Gravitt’s Cottage Swallows circles by and yet another Herring Gull flies NW, on this occasion.

Duncan appears by the reservoir at 6.30am and we walk around it together. The quiet song of a Reed Warbler (number 40 at 6.45am) can just be heard, though the loud songs of both Nightingale and Blackcap make it quite a challenge and despite a thorough search, while it continues to sing short phrases, it simply won’t appear. As I settle down for my breakfast, just after 7am, Duncan points out a Sparrowhawk flying E just north of my car and a second one flies back towards the wood beyond the pump station – a welcome species to add to the list.

Bob arrives at 7.30am, having heard both Tawny and Little Owls calling, while he sat in the churchyard from 4.30am. His total of 40 species, while seated, includes Dunnock, Song Thrush and Coal Tit and while we chat a Dunnock sings for me to hear, as I eat my sandwiches. Bob and I commence walking around the reservoir from 8.15am and ten minutes later three more Whimbrel fly NE, which not surprisingly pleases Bob. At 8.25am another wader flies NE, this time it’s a Bar-tailed Godwit, only the second record for the patch – one was seen on the reservoir island on 27th April 1989. We were already aware that a huge passage of godwits was being noted off Dungeness, and learn later that small flocks were seen at a number of other inland localities. Bob decides to do a ‘skywatch’ from beside the reservoir, while I commence a full circuit of the area, with 43 species on my list.

A GS Woodpecker calls from the oak beside ‘Gary’s’ gate and among the oaks on the cattle slope, just before 9am, a Nuthatch also calls. By this time the warmth from the sun is really being appreciated and even by this date the rarity hedge Ash is only just producing its first leaves, compared with the fully leaved oaks. A Collared Dove utters its rhythmic cooing from the old orchard at 9.10am, as I approach Spindlewood, on which a pair is perching and at least two House Sparrows are present in the garden. A circuit of the old orchard fails to produce the anticipated Bullfinch or Greenfinch by 10am; the Turtle Dove hasn’t been seen there for ten days and I still haven’t heard or seen a Song Thrush, just a Yellowhammer sings from the alder trees.

I’m obviously on a loosing streak at present, as there is no sign of the usual Little Owl in the northeast corner of the Deer Park, but a Song Thrush eventually sings for me a 10.40am and two minutes later two Mistle Thrushes fly among the pines. Along the southern edge of the Deer Park Nuthatches are extremely noisy, in contrast to the silent Little Owl, as it slips out of one oak and flies to another – number 50 at 12.15pm. Half-an-hour later I return to my car, beside the reservoir, for lunch. Bob has departed but I learn later that he didn’t add any ‘skywatch’ species. However, he did hear a Reed Bunting sing from beside the reservoir, saw a Greenfinch near Bishop’s Farm and totalled 53 species before leaving. I’m still missing his Tawny Owl, Coal Tit and Reed Bunting.

The lunch break is a good time to make an assessment of the ‘state-of-play’. I’m unlikely to see or hear a Tawny Owl, but Coal Tit, Greenfinch and Reed Bunting might possibly be relocated and species that have been seen during the previous ten days or so, but which I’ve not yet noted, include Grey Heron, Turtle Dove and Cuckoo. Skylark, Treecreeper and Bullfinch might also be seen or heard, with a little good fortune. The wind seems to be blowing more strongly, as I sit beside the reservoir contemplating the best alternatives to increase my total.

Around 1.30pm I head west by the reservoir and see my first Large Red Damselfly of the year. I drop down and walk towards Peens Lane again, when a Common Buzzard drifts W towards Darnold’s Wood. The strong wind in the poplar trees is making it almost impossible to hear species like Treecreeper, Greenfinch or Bullfinch and I return to the reservoir about an hour later, stuck on 51. At 3.15pm I decide to head north towards Spindlewood again and possibly the old orchard for the two finches, but by 4pm I’ve had no joy and I’m walking down by the rarity hedge. A migrant Swallow flies N and I cross the stream into the oaks at the top of the cattle slope, in the hope of locating a Treecreeper but all I find is another Little Owl. Just after 4.30pm, another migrant Swallow flies N, as I reach the southern end of the poplar wood. Returning to the reservoir fifteen minutes later, four more BH Gulls fly W and yet another LBB Gull flies N.

With such a low total, I’m tempted to call it a day, as it seems unlikely that I can add much more, though a Hobby must be possible, as Bob saw two a few days previously. A further circuit of the reservoir produced another Swallow, taking a drink but nothing else and by 6pm I decided that I’d had enough. Doing it on the last day of April, rather than the first day of May, did mean that the reservoir was free of fishermen and therefore less disturbed. I think we’ll opt for the 30th each year from now on.