Monday 14 June 2021

A Trio of Buntings

Greatstone - hot, dry and sunny, light airs - After clearing a mediocre catch from the garden moth trap we decided on a change of scene for our early morning walk (mainly due to Barney suffering in the heat at Lade). In the shade of the copse at the end of Dunes Road, Song Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were in good voice, where Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers and a Treecreeper also noted. 

                                 Greatstone dung heap

The large, sprawling dung heap nearby on open farmland is always worth a look and today delivered a noisy flock of Starlings (no pink ones though), Pied Wagtails, Linnets and our first juvenile Yellow Wagtail of summer on the wing. House Martins and Swallows hawked insects rising off the dung as some of martins collected `mud` for their nests in the wetter patches. The surrounding arable land of Romney Salts delivered a trio of buntings: a Corn Bunting along the old railway track, a Reed Bunting singing from the middle of a field of wheat and a distant Yellowhammer over towards Belgar Farm. Kestrel, Buzzard, Whitethroat and Stock Dove also noted and on the way home the Hooded Crow was still loafing around the car park opposite the Jolly Fisherman.

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