CAR PARK CROONERS

It stayed sunny for most of Tuesday 22nd although there was still the cool easterly breeze. Spring flowers are continuing to make the most of the sunshine with the bluebells in the country park starting to reach their peak. This little group pictured above is in the last remnant of what used to be the Cudmore Grove on the clifftop, before the coastal erosion removed much of the grove.

Also sprouting up in the same shady spot were some lords and ladies, or wild arum, pictured below. These strange flowering spikes can be seen along some of the cool hedgerows and wooded areas around the park.

It was great to hear the loud and rich songs of two nightingales singing from opposite ends of the car park. The original male that returned last week to the park entrance, may've sung with a little more energy today, as a rival male was singing from a hedge near the cliff-top. My house is half-way between these two birds and one appeared in my back garden in the afternoon singing loudly whilst I worked studiously at my computer. I guess I must be very lucky that I can open my window and carry on working while a nightingale serenades me!

I have been eager to find out if the nightingale that bred last year by the pond has returned from Africa yet. One bird was seen and heard calling briefly this morning by the pond but no song from the male as yet.

Other summer migrants noted included a couple of common whitethroats, a lesser whitethroat, blackcap pair, usual singing chiffchaff, one or two swallows and a sand martin.
The pair of sparrowhawks appear to be showing interest in the park again this spring and one was heard calling close to the nesting tree.

At the park pond 10 male pochard were squabbling with each other while two females looked impassively on. Also 2 pairs of teal, 3 pairs of tufted duck and a water vole swimming around the edge.

Two adders were seen in a cursory look at their favourite spots but two peacocks were the only butterflies seen.

The last hour of daylight was spent along the Strood seawall as the sun dropped down over Ray Island. The tide was out so a few waders were scattered along the channel. Sixty black-tailed godwits, 2 greenshank, 4 whimbrel, 2 knot, 20 dunlin, 40 grey plover, 20 oystercatcher, 30 redshank, 10 curlew and snipe were the main waders noted.

Along the seawall and dyke were one singing corn bunting, 2 reed buntings, 2 sedge warblers, while 15 pied wagtails and a yellow wagtail waited on the saltings to roost in the nearby reedbed. A fox was seen sprinting back up a wheat-field, disturbing a yellow wagtail as it ran away.

Closing the park up for the night, the cliff-top nightingale was seen in dark silhouette against the sea behind, singing loudly - as was the other male near the park entrance. Flying over various corners of the car park were a handful of pipistrelle bats - surprisingly the first ones noted for the park this spring.