Friday-Saturday 03-4/04/2020

 Red Kite over Dengemarsh on Friday morning, still a scarce bird on the Dungeness peninsula

I still haven't managed to see any Hirundines or Garganey, as usual I am expecting things to happen because it's April. Usually not much happens before the 3rd week though.

 1 of several Sedge Warblers now in

 White Wagtail Dengemarsh flood on Friday

 Greylag Goose on nest, Friday at Dengemarsh

 The 3 Barnacle Geese in the fields are now 7

Flock of Linnets in front my house Friday

 Lucky this ghost was calling otherwise I'd have missed it in the fog

 Great White Egret in the this mornings murk

 When the fog cleared today 2 Brent Geese had dropped onto the fields in front the house 

 Male Bearded Tit late morning a few 100 yds from home but not yet on the garden list

 Female Reed Bunting by Lydd FC not something I snap very often late morning today

 Local Common Buzzard over my Garden late early afternoon today

Thursday 02/04/2020

 My now daily walk to Dengemarsh and back was very quiet avian wise. Still no Hirundines or Garganey, just 3 Sedge Warblers, 4 Water Pipits and booming Bittern of any note. So just a few images to post this evening. 

 Common Buzzard on one of its regular perches

 Stoat very cute assassins

 This Bearded Tit popped up in a Bramble 

 At Least 4 Water Pipits still on the hay fields and still just as distant

I rarely photograph Carrion Crows but this one looked rather smart

Wednesday 01/04/2020

 Flushed Common Snipe just after dawn

 The local Buzzard

 Song Thrush very few of these around these days

 Chiffchaff

Shy Sedge Warbler

It was lovely to be out just after dawn, it was wonderful not to have the North Easterly wind blasting across the peninsula, although it was still very cold and frosty as I made my way across the rough fields towards Dengemarsh. A couple of Mallard flushed from a ditch closely followed by a Common Snipe, the local Common Buzzard flew in and settled on its favourite bush, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese and Egyptian Geese were feeding in the newly drilled fields. In a Bramble patch Wrens were trying to out sing the Cetti's Warblers, a pair of Stonechats were feeding on the myriads of small flies that were buzzing over the patch in tight ball. and of course Reed Buntings every where. A little further on a Song Thrush burst into song atop of a Sallow while at the same time a Chiffchaff was singing fro a Hawthorn. 

At Dengemarsh at least 4 Marsh Harriers were wheeling around over the reed beds, then I heard the chatter of a Sedge Warbler my first of the year closely followed by a second bird, both were camera shy.

 Male Bearded Tit

 Male Reed Bunting

 Knot

At Dengemarsh flood a male Bearded Tit called once popped up and disappeared, Reed Buntings were doing what they do, also a surprise in the form of a single winter plumaged Knot which was rather tame. Pt put out a message that 3 Barnacle Geese were heading south over Lade a couple minutes later they appeared over me flew around in large circles before settling in the field at the back of Dengemarsh.

Barnacle Geese over Springfield Bridge of unknown origin

 Great White Egret

 While walking home this Great White Egret was nicely when a female Bearded Tit popped up beside me, she climbed to the top of some reed and then sat sunbathing, a real little poseur.

 Female Bearded Tit

  Female Bearded Tit

  Female Bearded Tit

Early afternoon a Pheasant ran across the newly drilled field in front of my house, a surprisingly scarce bird for me, but this one made it onto my BWKM0 list along with the 3 Barnacle Geese that joined up with the other feral geese. 

Tuesday 31/03/2020

 I think this is first time I have bothered to snap the local Greylags from home "BWKM0 boredom"

 A local Common Buzzard

 Heavily cropped image of male Marsh Harrier, they rarely come close to the house similarly the Great White Egret below

Little Egret on the Hay field

My exercise walk down to Dengemarsh was in hope rather than in expectation, with the near gale force cold North Easterly still blowing it wasn't pleasant walk. At the Dung heap just the 1 White Wagtail and a few Pied, the puddles are rapidly drying out and the farmer has run the plough through them. At Dengemarsh no sign of any of the hoped for Sedge Warblers, Garganey or Hirundines and the Water Pipits appeared to have all gone. The Hay Fields are also drying out rapidly though there are still a few Lapwing, Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers in them. The ditches are full of Reed Buntings, I got brief glimpses of a pair of Bearded Tits and heard some Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers. Most birds seemed to be sheltering from this wind but it doesn't seem to bother the Marsh Harriers. 

BWKM0 Monday 30/03/2020

 Chaffinch with foot fungus waiting its for the feeder

As is usual the feeders are busy first thing in the morning with raucous Starlings, fighting House Sparrows, timid Blue Tits, agile Great Tits nipping in grabbing a Sunflower Heart then back deep into a bush to consume its prize, patient Goldfinches waiting there turn, very skittish Greenfinches(only 4 of them), under the feeders Dunnocks, Chaffinches, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Feral Pigeons sometimes a Robin, sadly rarely a Blackbird in my garden usually only at dusk and dawn, one of the Rooks has learnt to cling on to the feeder but spills more than it eats, around 09.00 the garden birds seem to melt away with just the occasional coming and going. 

 1 of c10 Goldfinches that are visiting my feeders at the moment

Grey Heron on its way to the ditches after feeding its young in Lydd Heronry

It was a relatively warm start to the morning, though the NE wind soon picked up seeming to coincide with the mass arrival of farm machinery in the fields opposite, they seem to kick up huge amounts of dust that covers our cars and houses. Today they brought in 100s of Gulls of 7 species.

At least 6 Mediterranean Gulls were attracted by the ploughs, harrows and drills

 Mediterranean Gulls

Common Gull

One of several Common Buzzards over today. probably just local birds

I'd been scanning the skies and fields for most the day when a call from a very excited Owen Leyshon telling me(I couldn't possibly use his exact words) a White-tailed Eagle flew over his house and was now circling over the Church which is apparently 2.7 miles in a straight line from my house. Fortunately I was already on my small balcony with my scope set up, after what seemed a very long time and panic setting in I spotted the Eagle with 2 Common Buzzards appearing to harry it from above, I then started to make calls to the locals, at least 3 of which connected with it. Not the greatest of views but Wow it certainly got the adrenalin flowing. Again many thanks to Owen for the prompt call. 

Very late afternoon a party of 8 Gadwall flew over heading for Scotney bringing my BWKM0 total so far to 57.