Saturday 16 January 2016

FLEETING KINGFISHER

Enlarged picture of a distant kingfisher taken at the back of the country park pond on Wednesday 13th. The bird flew into the bushes overhanging the water, it changed perches a couple of times and then was lost to view. A fleeting appearance for less than a minute.

Seven little egrets perched in the bushes for the high tide roost on Wednesday, five tufted ducks noted too.
In the alders near the pond about eight siskins were feeding on the cones, the first flock here for a couple of weeks.

The resident female kestrel was seen on Wednesday, pictured here from the hide as it perched high on a tree to the east.
The next day it was holding on tight to a branch on its nesting tree during the very strong wind on Thursday afternoon.

At the end of the Thursday afternoon the Cetti's warbler sang very late as the light faded, while 20 magpies were seen gathering in the nearby copse beside the pond.
At dusk on Wednesday afternoon a sparrowhawk flew low and fast into the copse.

On Tuesday a female marsh harrier flew slowly along the park's borrowdyke which got the waders and wildfowl on the nearby fields very anxious and flighty.

At the Strood the Sandwich tern was seen again by Martin Cock at high tide on Wednesday 13th.

Just east of the Strood along the Pyefleet, a merlin was seen sitting on a post and rail on the saltmarsh for the second day running by Andy Field, also nearby a short-eared owl and 3 green sandpipers.

No comments: