Yesterday morning I was privileged to look through the specimens collected overnight with intern Marie. Here is a list and a couple of photos of highlights for me. Riband Wave, Latticed Heath, Dark Arches, Box Moth, Small Magpie, Least Carpet, Heart and Dart, Beautiful Hook-tip, Synaphe punctalis, Thistle Ermine, Dwarf Cream Wave, Agapeta hamana, Privet Hawk Moth, Buff Ermine, Lappet, Lackey, Dusky Sallow, Bright-line Brown…

The reserve is absolutely beautiful this time of year, a sea of every shade of green, a myriad chlorophyll created hues, from light lime green to dark spinach green. This evening, even at this tardy week in midsummer a male cuckoo echoed his disyllabic song muffled through the impenetrable close-leaved sallows. How many more days will he throw out his plea and threat to listening brethren and sisters?

Potential suitors may…

As I say above the weekend has been a little bit special starting off on Friday with a visit to Higham Marsh to look for the Peregrine Falcons nesting on the pylon. On one were two, on another was a third, at least two looking like fully fledged birds.

On the way back looking left over Higham I could see a raptor being mobbed by the usual corvids, on closer inspection (though bins, of course) I could see the unmistakable…

The reserve is looking really green and verdant at this time of the year and it nice to hear a fledgeling Cuckoo was seen yesterday afternoon on the power lines near to the office by Frank Cackett.

Despite the dull weather, the site was still home to a lone Cuckoo not sure of the sex however as it flew low over the brambles in the distance.

James informed me a female was still calling on Tuesday late afternoon, interestingly…

I went to the reserve mid-afternoon today and spent most of the time as usual along the 'office track' and up to Ernie Hemsley Vp. Sadly I missed the family scattering Paul Keenes' ashes on Sweeney Vp. After a couple of hours hearing two males singing and a female 'gawking' I went down to the electric fence gate to study the vegetation emerging from the murky water to see if I could catch a dragonfly pupating into…

Tawny Owlets were raised for the first time in the Owl Box on the Walnut Tree, every year over the last half a dozen since it's been there it's been occupied by Jackdaws. It was a surprise to find out 17 days ago that two almost fledged youngsters, were in there. After a week they were both out of the nest and perching high up hidden by the foliage. I watched them over the next few evenings being fed by both parents…

This brightly coloured day-flying moth is often mistaken for a butterfly by casual observers and not without good reason. It is brightly coloured and as I say is seen fluttering around the reserve on the sunniest of days. This time of year it is easy to find flying around low to the ground looking for a suitable plant, generally Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris). The relationship between these two is interesting, the…

We so often see a bird, insect or animal we dismiss as common and sometimes truly miss its' stunning beauty and sheer 'amazingness'. Look at this photo taken in the Walnut tree car-park yesterday. The Male Common Pheasant. A bird introduced by the Romans.

The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a bird in the pheasant family unsurprisingly;  The genus name comes from the Latin Phasianus, "pheasant". The…

I found these two mating in amongst the nettles, not wishing to disturb them too much I took a hurried photo on the mobile for later identification. I believe it to be a Sloe Shield Bug (Dolycoris baccarum).  Apparently, they are also known as Hairy Shield Bugs.

Now the weather is improving again I am hoping to discover more interesting minibeasts.

This afternoon I went to Northward Hill RSPB a little later in the day than normal ie early afternoon about 2pm.. As I was chatting to Trevor Hatton from the Medway Local Group I heard the unmistakable loud, bubbling trill, not dissimilar to a Little Grebe overhead the office. I immediately went outside and a Cuckoo was clearly on the overhead telephone wires, she was not calling so I made the assumption it was a she. Within…

Yesterday saw the long-awaited trip to the best place in England to see Ospreys. This is the second time the two groups have amalgamated on coach trips, proving very successful.

Leaving Sittingbourne at 7 am,  we called in briefly at the Railway Station, then onto Parkwood, Rainham and County Hall, Maidstone to pick up members, eventually leaving at 8 am for Rutland Water Nature Reserve. It was a Bank Holiday Weekend and…

Some forthcoming trips.

Sunday 9 June 10am—4pm

THURSLEY COMMON NNR

Meet in The Moat car park GU8 6LW (SU899416).  A special habitat with hobby, redstart, woodlark & Dartford warbler as well as numerous dragonfly species.  Bring binoculars if you have them and a packed lunch. Outdoor meetings are free of charge.

Saturday 22 June         10am - 4pm

OARE MARSHES KWT RESERVE

Oare Marshes ME13 0QD (TR013647). Reed beds alive…

A busy day today and I only managed to spend an hour at NwH RSPB reserve. After ten minutes a Cuckoo sang just opposite the office-track, probably on the over-head wire partially obscured by the surrounding trees. I then saw it fly into the wood followed a second later by another. In flight and unless they 'cuckoo' it is fairly difficult to sex them.

I think I would be safe to describe the Cuckoo as iconic, encapsulating…

Yesterday evening was the last walk in this series of showing people the beauty and uniqueness of RSPB Northward Hill. There is something special about an evening walk at this time of year, the light of the setting sun across the marsh to the west is pretty stunning, giving the vista a rich golden bath. It goes without saying the freshly emerging foliage on ancient trees such as the mighty oak in that light is absolutely…

Yesterday morning I saw an unusual sight as I drove off site, it the middle of the road was a Stoat attacking a Magpie as the former saw me it scuttled off in the kerbside bracken. The Magpie appeared injured on its right wing because it drooped badly, enough to prevent it from flying off as would be expected.

It hopped up the opposite bank and disappeared down a rabbit hole, to either die or be found again by the fleeing…

I visited the disused army camp at Lodge Hill in Chattenden this morning as I've not been there much of late due to going to Northward Hill a lot recently obsessing with their Cuckoos and Nightingales.

Almost straight away before I'd got out of my car a male burst forth with a full song in an uncharacteristically sparsely leaved bramble, giving me the best view of this actually seldom seem bird.

As I slowly walked…

Thursday was the second walk at RSPB Cliffe Pools and the fifth one overall. It was a pleasant surprise to meet twenty people in the car-park at Cliffe, even though I was a couple of minutes late and the gates were locked as I'd forgotten to remind reserve staff not to close it at five as normal. Once I'd unlocked we went in, parked up and introduced ourselves. It was nice to see a few returning faces and some from last…

This time of the year is just when old friends are awaited eagerly for their welcome return. The warblers, Cuckoos and Nightingales have been here a little over a month already.

I saw my first Swift high over the reserve feeding on winged insects up on high last week, but today I heard my first screaming party as two males pursued a female with that classic summer sound,  shrill screeching, as classic as the song of the…

Today having spent a great deal of time at RSPB Northward Hill, I thought it was about time I paid a visit to the fabulous Lodge Hill. For those who don't know it, it is an abandoned British Army Camp in Chattenden. Medway Council have had their eye on it as a potential 'small town' for some years now. Originally a plan was put in place to build 5,000 dwellings on the site with planned infrastructure such as schools…

Spending most the day on the reserve at Northward Hill I was well used to the weather patterns this Thursday. Basically, it was torrential rain for 20 minutes, then dry for the same period. It was nice to meet the volunteers, as they had their lunch who'd been out on the reserve planting up Comfrey, Ground Ivy, White Dead Nettle and Black Horehound.

It was really good to catch up with Kate and her team from the Bumble…

The forecast for today was gloomy and cold and they were spot on, for that was exactly it! Undeterred I made my way to the car-park. It was great to see a lot of other people had felt like me and made the effort to visit the reserve.

Continuing my quest for the 'Cuckoos nest' I stopped at the office pond to listen to the Reed Warbler, he (as ever) singing lustily a few yards away but not showing himself. If I moved too…

It was nice to again see a good turnout for the third walk (and second at Northward Hill RSPB reserve. In all including me, there were 24 of us in Bromhey Farm car-park for a prompt start at 7 o'clock. I must admit I am always a little nervous that the object of our walk would not perform. Earlier on in the day, I'd heard two males singing well in the scrub just after the pond on the way up to Ernie Hemsley Viewpoint,…