PARK SWANS

 

At Cudmore Grove Country Park, the pair of mute swans was photographed on the pond by Michael Thorley on Tuesday 23rd.

Also seen by Michael on the pond were a pair of shoveler, coot and moorhen.

A nightingale was heard singing in the park's bungalow garden on Tuesday by Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk with the bird continuing to sing through the rest of the day in the car park, allowing other people to hear it in full song. 

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday and photographed this trio of swallows during his walk. As well as hearing the nightingale, other birds noted were 2 willow warblers, 3 whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, 10 blackcaps, 2 Cetti's warblers, 6 swallows, 4 bar-tailed godwits, 10 ringed plovers, 70 dunlin and 2 avocets. Later in the evening a pair of muntjac deer and a fox in the fields and six swallows over the park.

Earlier in Shop Lane a whitethroat, 3 chiffchaffs, 5 swallows and four Mediterranean gulls were noted by Andy. 

A buzzard was seen perched on a telegraph pole near Rewsalls by Caroline White on Tuesday evening.

On Monday 22nd Martin Cock visited Maydays farm and reported 4 sedge warblers, 3 Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, cuckoo, 4 buzzards, 4 marsh harriers, whimbrel, 3 Canada geese, stock dove and Mediterranean gulls.

Rob Lee heard a cuckoo calling near Bower Hall on Monday morning.

Eight Mediterranean gulls flew over Andy Field's High Street North garden.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday morning, James Taylor reported greenfinch, goldfinch, 3 brent geese, avocet, greylag geese, shelduck, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, sparrowhawk and mute swan pair and a pochard.

On Sunday 21st Michael Thorley saw nine lesser black-backed gulls, five Mediterranean gulls, four black-headed gulls, 2 buzzards mating, 20 carrion crows, 2 rooks, 3 magpies, pied wagtail and a brown hare in a field near Weir Farm. Later from Little Paddock 38 rooks, 2 jackdaws and a whitethroat.

Two swifts were seen flying over the Bower Hill marsh on Sunday morning by Rob Lee.

A tawny owl was heard calling in Dawes Lane on Sunday evening by Caroline White.

At Cudmore Grove two little owls had to be rescued on Saturday 20th by Mollie Kirk and Daniel Woollard from a blocked up fireplace in the park bungalow having fallen down the chimney, and then they were released back outside.

A whitethroat was photographed by Caroline White at Cudmore Grove on Saturday 20th. Also a pair of yellow wagtails, three Egyptian geese briefly on the grazing fields and sedge warbler.

Andy Field visited Cudmore on Saturday morning and noted five whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, 10 blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, 2 willow warblers, 3 swallows, 3 buzzards, sparrowhawk, pair of pochard and pair of shoveler on the park pond.

A pair of muntjac deer was photographed by the park pond on Friday 19th by Caroline White, a young muntjac seen too. Also at Cudmore Grove that evening were marsh harrier over the paddock and grazing field being mobbed by a carrion crow, blackcap and 20 linnets near Golfhouse, avocet pair, four shelduck, five brent geese, two greylag geese, two lapwing, 2 tufted ducks, two swallows, sand martin, 70 oystercatchers, 4 blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, willow warbler, song thrush, 2 green woodpecker, kestrel, mute swan pair on pond. A speckled wood butterfly was seen at the park.

Birds noted during a quick visit to the Strood on Friday morning included 2 shelduck, 4 redshank, 6 oystercatchers, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 2 little egrets, marsh harrier and a Cetti's warbler.

A hawthorn bush was in full bloom near the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 18th.

Birds noted in the Strood channel were great crested grebe, 20 redshank, two Mediterranean gulls, two buzzards, 2 swallows, 3 sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, meadow pipit, Cetti's warbler by the caravan park and also one singing briefly in an overgrown garden in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock walked the Strood seawall, Feldy View and then to St Peters, and noted 2 whimbrel, reed warbler, 9 sedge warblers, two blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's warbler including one singing at St Peters, nightingale singing on Ray Island and a great northern diver near Cobmarsh Island.

Steve Entwistle spent an hour at Cudmore Grove on Thursday and noted 2 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, mute swan pair and two sand martins.