Odds and ends

Lade - warm, dry, cloudy, light airs - After the gale force winds of yesterday it was good to get out and about in the field today without getting battered. We walked the local patch where Long-tailed Tit and Green Woodpecker were confirmed breeders in the willow swamp, while a female Cuckoo flopped about in the main reedbed presumably looking for suitable Reed Warbler nests. On the water at least 10 broods of Coots were counted along with the first Dabchick juveniles. By mid-morning a mixed kettle of raptors rose into the sky over the airfield comprising four each of Buzzard and Marsh Harrier, two Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk.

                                Southern Marsh Orchid, Lade

  Behind the `mirrors` we walked north towards Belgar Farm and Romney Salts where a few pairs of Yellow Wagtail, Corn Bunting and Tree Sparrow were noted, plus Skylark, Mipit, Stonechat and a trickle of Lapwings heading towards the bird reserve. A few more clumps of Southern Marsh and Common Spotted Orchids were also in flower.
  As the sun broke through insect activity around the ponds included Four-spotted Chaser and Hairy Hawker dragonflies, plus Red Admiral and Speckled Wood butterflies. Three Apache military helicopters flew over from the airfield shattering the tranquillity, followed by two more a while later.

                                Apaches over Lade

                                Speckled Wood

                                Red Admirals on Valerian

  Moving onto the bird reserve where Burrowes was quiet apart from good numbers of Pochard, Gadwall, two Wigeon, four Teal, two Ringed Plovers and the usual Common Tern activity; it was interesting to see how they have colonised the raft with the brush cover still in place, I`ve not seen that before now. There was nothing much of note on ARC, just eclipse ducks, Common Terns and a calling Cuckoo. 

                         Yellow-horned Poppy - the seawatch highlight!

  We finished the afternoon at the fishing boats in a light drizzle with a brief seawatch that delivered a few fishing Gannets and terns.