Sunday, 29 December 2013

New Years Day recce

Lade - 0700hrs - frosty, light airs, sunny later - In the cold still conditions before dawn there was a steady stream of Redwings coming in off the bay, calling, as they passed over the cottage heading inland.
Park Wood - 0815hrs - Spent the morning with Marshman and the Joker on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for NYD. En-route to the hills the Rhee Wall near Old Romney was like  a skating rink and the Dowels below Appledore was unsurprisingly widely flooded.
However, the wood was bathed in sunshine and in the stillness we didn`t have to go far from the car park to hear and find a passerine flock that contained Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Nuthatch. Also noted Jay, Green and Greater peckers, Stock Dove, Redwing, Song and Mistle Thrushes and a fly over Yellowhammer.
Kenardington - Checked either side of the bridge along the canal where once again large areas of sheep pasture were under water. On the Dowels, 50 Wigeon, 6 Little Egret, 4 Grey Heron, Redwing and Fieldfare, whilst over the lane towards Warehorne, 20 Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Redwing, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Mipit and Stonechat. A large flood attracted Common, Black-headed and Lesser Blacked Gulls, 20 Teal, 5 Grey Herons and 2 Little Egrets.

                                RMCanal near Kenardington

Walland Marsh  - We then criss-crossed the Marsh towards Lydd noting more winter thrushes, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Buzzard and Yellowhammer along the way. At Midley a Peregrine sat on a fence post while at the feeders the usual selection of Tree Sparrows and Goldfinches were amongst the common garden birds. From Caldecote Lane a mixed flock of around 100 Bewick`s and Mute Swans were present in a distant field, plus 20 Mipits by the chicken sheds.
RSPB - Finished up on the bird reserve where between Boulderwall and Burrowes at least 5 Great White Egrets noted. From Dennis`s hide 3 Smew, Goosander, Black-necked Grebe, Marsh Harrier and Raven, plus all the usual wildfowl and gulls on the water.

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