Swallows and house martins are still on high and resting on the wires and feeding to build up their fat reserves for the long journey ahead back to their winter quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
As they are making plans to leave another winter visitor to the Medway Estuary have arrived, I saw about a hundred Dark-bellied Brent Geese fly into the mouth of the river across from Essex side, no doubt heading for the eelgrass rich areas of Motney Hill and Burntwick island off Gillingham, Lower Rainham and Hoo St Werburgh.
This is an internationally important area for this bird, so iconic, so much a part of the winter water scene in Medway.
To see a flock over the estuary of 2,000 plus in the air, wheeling, twisting and turning is one of the most spectacular sights on the peninsula.
It is, aside from anything else, a good reason to abandon forever any suggestion of an airport within a fifty mile radius of the area.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.