There is a new threat to the wildlife and Nightingales of the old Army camp at Lodge Hill in Chattenden, Kent even if Medway Council doesn't get permmission to build on the SSSI site, this is described by Adrian Thomas, the RSPBs Campaign Manager for 'Save Lodge Hill'.

LODGE HILL THE LATEST

Here is the poster for the above event please feel free to copy and post wherever it is felt necessary.

Seen this morning at Northward Hill RSPB spotted and photographed by Dougie Wright. 

With it's long brush this animal is a familiar sight to most, nearly a metre long, it is a widespread carnivore, its colour can vary considerably from foxey red to chestnut red to black and occasionaly a white tip to the bushy tail. It is active mostly at night but is more and more seen in broad daylight and in built up areas, sadly like…

Just to clarify the above event it will now take place on the 24th of FEBRUARY 2018.

Here are the results of this weeks count by Will and Ruby the Wardens:-

Mute Swan 2, Greylag Goose 7, Wigeon 250, Teal 52, Mallard 22, Pochard 6, Tufted Duck 9, Grey Heron 7, Coot 53, Lapwing 200, Marsh Harrier 2, Buzzard 1. 

Wetland Bird Survey for RSPB Nor Marsh in the Medway Estuary this week was as follows:-

Shelduck 278, Wigeon 35, Teal 163, Mallard 12, Pintail 19, Shoveller 178, Avocet 2, Oystercatcher 113, Lapwing 12, Ringed Plover 4, Black-tailed Godwit 500, Dunlin 278, Greenshank 1, Green Sandpiper 2, Redshank 48, Black-headed Gull 20, Herring Gull 6.

Thanks to Rob and Marie Tilley and David Saunders for their results.

Murray Orchard did a count this week at RSPB Cliffe Pools this week and here are his results:- 08:30 to 15:15, Overcast, cold, calm with light rain from 10.00, increasing later with snow early pm, then drier before heavier rain from 15.00. Breeze increasing from SE.WeBS count for RSPB reserve; offsite 11.30-14.00, returning for HT (15.10). 6 Greylag Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose (Kingfisher Pools), 37 Shelduck, 740…

Yes it's that time of year again! Amazing how quickly it comes round every year.

Settle down with a cuppa and count the birds in your garden over a one hour period then put the results onto the RSPB website, google RSPB BGBW for more details how become involved. 

A lovely picture of a sunrise at Cliffe from this morning by Rob Budgen, sunrise this morning was 07.54 and he lives in South West London! Now there's dedication for you.

What a fantastic photo by Hugh Russell of the fading sunlight at RSPB Cliffe Pools. 

Yesterday six of us attended a training session at RSPB Rainham to be instructed in the rules and protocols of dealing with young and vulnerable people we may encounter in whatever our roles may throw us in contact with, be they visitors, staff or volunteers.

Our Insructor was Julie (Jules) Foreman who expertly guided us through the complexities of current legislation etc.

So thank you to her and her team and the professionalism…

So things have moved from last weeks' blog, which I thought I had published but obviously not, so I apologise for that straight away.

Norse are keen to get involved as you can see from my previous posting, now we have Medway Council, Medway Swale Estuary Partnership, Medway Rotarians to join the PLA.

The date is looking around mid May, possibly Saturday the 12th as the tides are about right for a midday start.

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I have for sometime had it in my mind to clean up the River Thames foreshore from RSPB Cliffe Pools to the disused jetty at Lower Hope Point of the washed up plastic, but the task was enormous so much had accumulated over the months if not years, resulting in a mountain of plastic waste.

Part of the problem was that it is just over the sea defence wall on the North Kent Marsh and almost no-one saw it and it's not even…

Enjoy these fanatstic photos by Rob Budgen, taken today at RSPB Cliffe Pools.

Bewicks' Swans, also known as Tundra Swans, Corn Buntings and a fox who Rob says they must have modelled Basil Brush on!!!

This colour-ringed Greenshank is known as Billy and has returned to Cliffe Pools for his twelfth winter.

Last but not least is this beautiful sunrise at Cliffe Creek.

Thanks…

 

 

 

 

Bird Ringing for Visitors:

Get hands-on with the experts

 

9am to 11am, Meet at the Brick Barn next to the main car park

 

RSPB Northward Hill, Bromhey Farm, Cooling, ME3 8DS

 

Have you ever fancied watching bird ringing in action? This is your opportunity to come along to a public ringing demonstration, led by BTO officer and long-standing RSPB volunteer Roger Kiddie.

Roger and his…

A big thank you to The Range in Chatham (Dockside) for donating 4 x 3.6 bags of bird seed to Northward Hill reserve. I put some out this moring in the snow and the Robins and Blackbird went straight to it.

Intern David with one of the donated bags.

Interestingly the Egyptian Geese are still around out on the Marsh towards Richardsons.

A big thank you to The Range in Chatham (Dockside) for donating 4 x 3.6 bags of bird seed to Northward Hill reserve. I put some out this moring in the snow and the Robins and Blackbird went straight to it.

Intern David with one of the donated bags.

Interestingly the Egyptian Geese are still around out on the Marsh towards Richardsons.

With a member of Medway Local Group contracting Lyme Disease simply by walking the dog in the countryside. I thought it timely to warn people of the dangers, basically it is being infected by the bite of an infected tick. Diagnosed early recovery is almost always complete, left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and/or wrongly treated it can be serious for the individual. So here is the NHS information sheet on it.

Lyme di…