Farmland Survey

Postling - 0800hrs - cool, dry, cloudy, nw2 - Spent a very pleasant morning ambling around my RSPB Farmland Bird Survey site on the downs near Postling. What a difference a month has made since my last visit; the oil-seed rape has now gone to seed and shot up to over a metre in height. On the bird front decent counts of Lesser Whitethroats, Yammers, Linnets and Goldfinches, with juvs of both finches on the wing plus Whitethroats and Great Tits. Also of note, Skylark, Mipit, Hobby, Buzzard, Kestrel and the biggest surprise of all a pair of Spot Flits in a thin strip of woodland.

We also got buzzed by a Hawker Hurricane! (someone please correct me if I`m wrong... )  That didnt take long! Apparently, I`m reliably informed by the Ashford Aviation Twitcher (ta, very much) that the said plane is a Rusky Yak 50 aerobatic aircraft painted to look like a Hurricane - marvellous thing an education...

Walland Marsh - 1300hrs Thought I might as well continue on with the farmland theme this afternoon back on the Marsh. A singing Quail was the highlight, in a field of peas, plus plenty of Lesser Whitethroats, Yellow Wagtails, Corn Bunting and particularly Tree Sparrows. Also, Cuckoo, 8 Marsh Harriers, 2 Hobbies, 2 Buzzards, 10 Lapwings and 20 Med Gulls. And, not another birder seen all day...

A trio of Wallands finest - Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow and Yellow Wagtail