Seeing the old porta-cabin style office in a skip makes this weekend fairly unique for starters. Then the spectacle of a Collared Pratincole at RSPB Cliffe Pools adds to the uniqueness of this last few of days of May, the truly 'summer is round the corner month'. As the song goes,' June is busting out all over' and with luck we will find out on Tuesday.
The weather has been better over the weekend, but to be honest that isn't too difficult given the dismal wash-out of the last few weeks.
Vertebrates and Invertebrates have struggled against the wet weather, today signs of change were afoot. more bees were on the Borage, Comfrey and Gorse, hardly abuzz but definately more-buzz than recent times.
Two Cuckoos called from either side of Sweeney Viewpoint and one flew into a small Willow right in front of me, giving a rarely seen treat.
Further out on the water Canada, Greylag and Swans all had their own gosling/cygnets.
Lapwing chased Oystercatchers from their nesting sites then once on the latters sites they would turn tail and the chaser became the chased, like some bizarre game of tag.
Plenty of other birds were out there on the water Shelduck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard and many more.
Overhead this weekend there was a notable increase in Swift, Swallow and House Martin numbers.
Raptor wise Buzzards were riding the thermals, a distant Peregrine Falcon circled with a morsel in its' tallons. As ever Male and female Marsh Harriers were quartering the reed beds after the frogs and a Kestrel was over head scanning the grassy slopes far below, be it a beetle, worm or vole, all fair game for a parent with hungry mouths to feed back home.
For me the two highlights of the weekend was meeting a lovely family from Strood, Ray, Caz and their Grandaughter Willow. They showed me where they'd been watching a Weasel foraging, and when we went back, it was still there and together we watched it hunt in a Briar patch for a good ten minutes.
As for insects, quite a few butterflies made an appearance over the three day period either in ones or twos. These included, Peacock, Tortoiseshell, Wall Brown, Small, Large and Green-veined Whites, Painted Lady, Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Red Admiral and Orange-tip.
A Hairy Dragonfly made an appearance in the sun.
I found a new species of beetle (for me), Cantharis rustica, a species of Soldier beetle and new Hoverfly Scaeva seleniticia aka The Yellow-clubbed Hoverfly.