** Late Post-Halling Common-2nd May 2013

I had a short walk down to Halling Common on Thursday 2nd May as time was short,due to other appointments. I came across many of the usual species that I would normally see, and then 2 species made there presence known, the first being a Nightingale, I love the sounds they  produce, and then a
Cuckoo which was calling for quite a while.
Two  other species showed themselves which was a Swallow over the cattle field, and as I was walking back up Marsh Road a Common Whitethroat made a appearance. Those 4 new species  has brought my Halling year list to 51

I saw 2 species of butterfly, the first being a Small White, and 2nd one is a first for my patch and that is a Small Tortoiseshell.

 

Approaching the top of Marsh Road a Starling   was perched on the telegraph wires, and the light was brilliant, clear blue sky so I took this shot of it, I can honestly say that I had to do very little to improve the picture.

 

The other species seen  on this day was: Moorhen,   Kestrel,   Buzzard,    B/H/Gull,   Common Gull,   L/B/B/Gull,   Herring Gull,     W/Pigeon,   C/Dove,   C/Crow,   Magpie,    Pheasant,  Green Woodpecker,   Great Tit,   Blue Tit,   Goldfinch,   Greenfinch,   Chaffinch,   H/Sparrow,     House Martins,    Starling,   Blackbird,   Song Thrush,   Wren.

** Thursday 25th April. Dungeness RSPB Reserve.**

Well I certainly pick a wonderful day to go out after quite a few weeks. Knowing it was going to be a warm sunny day we decided to go out for a few hours to  Dunge, and now that Pam is so much better it is nice to be getting out and about again.
My first sighting was 2 Common Buzzards riding the thermals over the Lydd to Dungeness rd, the temperature at this point was14c
As we entered the entrance my first Swallow of the year was seen. There was quite a few birds heard but not showing  on the way to the centre, most of them being Whitethroats.
After calling in the centre for a chat and a catch up with Chris we then drove around to the Denge Marsh Hide. We was going to go around to the Scott Hide but it is closed as it is being painted.
Another place that is closed is the return track from the Hookers to the car park due it flooding, the same is over the road by the Hanson Hide, the willow trail. After all the years of going there I can't remember them being closed due to flooding.
I am not going to list the bird species seen on Burrows Pit as there was nothing out of the ordinary there.
On the way to denge marsh a beautiful male Wheatear was feeding in one of the fields. The other birds seen en route was Reed Bunting(m),Common Whitethroats, Marsh Harrier(m, spotted by Pam) and  a good number of vocal Sedge Warblers but I only saw 2.
We had lunch before I went into the hide and in that short period of time the temperature had risen to 17.5c, it is a long time since I have been out birding in a thin jumper and gillet.
Once in the hide there was nothing much about, the most enjoyable birds to watch was a pair of Marsh Harriers making a food pass, not something seen every day,and 3 Common Terns, at one point 1 of them was continually being mugged for the fish it was carrying. I was expecting to see the Tern  rafts out in front, but they haven't done so yet, they are late doing it this year because if they are put out to soon the B/H/Gulls move in first.
Below is a shot of the 3 Terns, the centre one has the goodies. It was a distant shot so I had to play around with it to get some sort of record photo.

The other species seen was: Mute Swan, Cormorant,Greylag and Canada Geese, Coot, Mallard, Shelduck,,Lapwing, W/Pigeon, C/Crow, Tufted Duck, Pochard G/C/Grebe.

There had been sightings of a Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank there but they wasn't showing when I was there.
We then headed over the road to the ARC Pit, and the Hanson Hide. On arrival I was greeted by the call of a Green Woodpecker. I was expecting it to be busy but it wasn't. Again  on the way to the hide
Sedge Warblers was heard along with the odd Reed Warbler.


The first this I noticed when I opened the flaps was the height of the water, it was still high enough to cover the islands, so no waders was going to be seen. I was hoping to see a couple but no chance, so it was just a matter of sit back and enjoy. At the far end of the pit thee was 3 Little Egrets and then 2 Great White Egrets made a  fly by heading back towards the main reserve, further out than I would have liked. I tried to take a picture of them but just not good enough for these sort of shots, my one attempt is below, thank god they are distinctive jizz.

There was a good number of Tufted Duck around so I spent quite a while taking shots of those. I have also thrown is a few other pics there.

 

 

 

Cormorant

 

Coot 

 

As we left the arc pit I saw my first Red Admiral butterfly in car park, and a Common Buzzard soaring well high.
I decided to check out the only place I knew of that I might find some waders, that being the far end of the arc pit from the road. It is a bay with shallows and a few islands, and I wasn't disappointed, the first wader species I found was 2 Oystercatchers, followed by 3 Whimbrel
. They was on the island furthest away but I did attempt a photo of them, but  unfortunately I was only able to get a shot of one of them because they was too far apart.

 

 

Then to round up the day I found a Spotted Redshank in partial breeding plumage feeding out in the shallows close to one of the islands.
It was now mid afternoon and as we left to come home the temperature was now up a little to 18c, when we arrived home it was 24c

My total bird species seen today was; G/B/B/Gull,   L/B/B/Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, B/H/Gull, Common Tern, Mute Swan, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Cormorant, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Coot, Moorhen, G/C/Grebe, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Shoveler, Shelduck, Lapwing, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Oystercatcher, C/Crow, Magpie, W/Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Starling Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Common Whitethroat, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler.

My "Bird of the Day" is not a easy choice but I am going to pick the  male   ** Wheatear.**  because he looked so dapper in his breeding colours especially with the sun on him.

** House Martin Sighting.**

I still haven't been out anywhere to make a good list, and see some good birds, but today I had to go to the doctors surgery to collect some medication, and while I was there I walked down to the river for a quick look to see what was about. I could see the tide was almost at it's lowest as it is visible from the surgery entrance.
It was very breezy and sunny, there wasn't much about considering the tide level, but I did have some birds to watch, House Martins. I counted 11,  but there could  have been a few more.
They was  flying across to the other side of the river collecting mud. They was collecting it from the same stretch of mud bank as last year, and taking it back to build their nests in the same road as last year.
I wasn't expecting to see them for a few more weeks yet, most years I see Sand Marting back first.
Yesterday afternoon I watched 2 Common Buzzards soar over the garden, followed by a female Sparrowhawk darting through.

** Thank You.**

Hi Bloggers.
          I realise that I should have done this earlier, but on behalf of Pam and myself we would like to thank  you all for your kind comments. I think Pam was touched to know that my fellow bloggers who she only knows your names from when I leave comments on your blogs, took the time to leave get well messages.
I will catch up with your blogs soon. Cheers. Ken.

** Wild Life Watching Put On Hold For A While.**

Just thought I would  post a short blog stating why. Pam and I went on a holiday  and while we was away at the end of the second week we both caught a virus. I am just getting over it, but because Pam  is astmatic it has hit her very bad. Las sunday,24th. She had to go into hospital for tests.
After having all the regular tests, the final one being blood gasses she then came home but still under the hospitals consent.
Every day a nurse come in to take all  the usual readings, sats, temperature, blood pressure etc, it is called Home under the Hospital. It is a way of freeing up a bed on the wards.
Pam is starting to be more active and doing a few things in doors, but also resting up in between.
It is not the sort of blog I like to write about, but I hope it it will not be long before I am writing about wildlife again.
The only thing I have noticed is that I have got 2 Siskins feeding  every day, 1 male and 1 female.
and 2 male Blackcaps.
I hope all my fellow bloggers are having some good sightings.

** Halling Today, a Short Report.**

On such a beautiful day  there was no way that I was going to stay in so I took a stroll down to the river. I stopped on the way as usual on the cemetery bridge that goes over the A228 by-pass, and I saw exactly what I expected to see Common Buzzards, there was only one pair showing today but it was enough to keep me occupied because they was riding the thermals displaying, at one point they went so high it was very difficult to see them. Shortly afterwards while scanning the skies again, I spotted 2 Sparrowhawks over one of the old disused quarries
 After taking a rest outside the cemetery gates something caught my eye, it was bright yellow, small and flying non stop , it was my first butterfly of the year, a male BRIMSTONE. I was hoping that it would settle so that I get a photo of it to put on here but it stayed on the wing, it did about 2 circuits around the cemetery area and then disappeared, still I wasn't at all disappointed, a great butterfly for a years first.
Birds on the river was virtually the same as usual, Mallard(7), Shelduck(2), Teal(5), Cormorant(2), Grey Heron(1) Canada Geese(2) Greylag Geese(17 flying over), Gulls was made up of Black Headed-Common-Herring, and 2 L/B/B/Gulls, Lapwing(2) Redshank(2).
Below is one of the Black Headed Gulls that was quite happy to stay put and take in the views.

From here I cut across to Marsh Rd (it is not a nice walk along the Common at the moment because it it far to muddy, well churned up) Once I got there I walked down to the gate that leads into the cattle field which has dried out a lot, and started to scan. The first species I saw was the Moorhens that are always skulking in the shallow flood just in front of the trees, today there was 5 of them, 1 male Kestrel, C/Crows probing around, Then I saw the bird that I have come across now and again feeding in the small stream that splits the field into two, the KINGFISHER. I was moving from bush to bush but never any closer, but I still attempted to get a record shot. I know that it is not a good picture, at that distance I didn't think I would even be able to see what it is bit I could...just.

 

 

Today I am having a "Butterfly of the Day", my ** BRIMSTONE.**

** Blog Customising Solved.**

After asking for any idea's concerning how to customise my blog I was given a few idea's but with no success, it still kept freezing, but I did a bit of thinking, no it wasn't a strain on the ol brain :-)   I searched on line and came up with this solution. All I did was to download Mozilla Firefox. I was then able to open up my blog and go to customise-advance and make all the changes that I wanted without it crashing.
I have been back  to try it out again and I had no problem with it.
I hope this will be of some interest to any bloggers that are having this trouble.