Scotney - Cool, sunny, NW 3 - After the strong winds and rain of the past couple of days this morning dawned sunny with a light, cooling breeze, perfect then for a session at Scotney. There was little of note on the front pits and sheep folds apart from a steady westward stream of Swifts which continued while we were out on the farmland until just before noon. It must`ve involved hundreds/thousands of birds with many more also reported across Dungeness today. The long walk out to the old farm produced six pairs of Yellow Wagtails and three pairs of Corn Buntings in the wheat fields (all with juvs nearby); which may sound good, but even only ten years ago would`ve turned up double that number. On the plus side, a 30 acre field by the main track that had been taken out of production and seeded with a wild flower mix will remain so for two years according to a farmer I met along the way. It was popular with both aforementioned species (presumable for insects) as well as at least two singing Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings; it also looks perfect for Quail, if we get any this summer, being adjacent to a huge pea field. However, the main objective was to check on the Tree Sparrow colony around the old farm house and we were not disappointed as there was plenty of activity on site during our two hour visit. At least 15 of the nest boxes had been used or were still in use, judging from the droppings around the entrance holes, while there were other boxes that I didn`t check as I wanted to keep any disturbance to a minimum. The good news is that at least six healthy juveniles were seen perched amongst the bushes, preening and `chupping` away in the warm sunshine, and as Tree Sparrows are double/treble brooded, hopefully there will be plenty more nippers to come through the summer to bolster their declining population.
Yellow Wagtail, male
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