Apologies for the lack of blog posts and recent sightings of late... must do better. The last week has seen a complete mix of weather with driving (but not settling) snow last weekend through to the balmy climes of the last few days. Bird song has filled the air most mornings with Skylarks, Dunnocks, Robins, Wrens and Song Thrushes proclaiming their territories while Cetti’s Warblers have began warming up out on the trails. Even the Honey Bees have woken up and have been busy around their hive in the building although there are very few nectar sources this early in the season.
Dunnock - Ken Bentley
Cetti's Warbler - Pete Alfrey
The first Bearded Tits of the year were seen predictably by the Dragonfly Pool on Friday and pairs of Stonechats seem to be staying even closer together before they inevitably leave us in March. Reed Buntings are beginning to lose those brown winter head feathers and the wearing tips are revealing the black pattern underneath. I have not heard one singing yet but it will not be too long. Water Pipits are still to be found around the pools and most are starting to become even paler and more conspicuous a bit like our Ermine coated Stoat which was seen again this week around the Butts Hide. Despite being a predator I am surprised something has not eaten it yet!
Stonechat - John Humble
Stonechat - Jerry Hoare
Reed Bunting - Andrew Rodger
Water Pipit - Alan Reynolds
And a short video of a Water Pipit by Part Hart
Our Marsh Harriers have been very active and I am sure that we have two pair on site at the moment and we have had some great views of them harrying the duck over the target pools and Purfleet Scrape. They often head south across the river and patrol both Dartford and Crayford Marshes too. The Buzzards are also still patrolling the site and seem to like perching on the Central Control Building where the Carrion Crows and Magpies torment them with impunity.
Buzzard - Pete Jackson
Pintail numbers are approaching 50 and flocks of Shoveler and Gadwall are getting frisky and The Chase is now on while the best part of 1800 Lapwing have been manoeuvring across the sky in swirling, shimmering flocks with a few Starlings, Black-tailed Godwits and Golden Plover amongst them. The Peregrine has often been to blame but a blowing crisp packet is just as likely to spook these notoriously skittish birds.
Shoveler - John Ferguson
Lapwing - John Humble
Black-tailed Godwits - Tony O'Brien
And there have been loads of Snipe in front of the Ken Barrett and Purfleet Hide - nine in here - Alan Reynolds
Our Kestrels are still the photographer’s favourites with the male bird now in pristine plumage of contrasting colours while Sparrowhawk attacks are still regular around the feeders with Collared Doves still being the favoured prey and one was even seen by Jen and her climbing club yesterday as it circled over the Boulders!
Kestrel - Pete Jackson
Kestrel - Clive Watts
Fantastic sunny day on the boulders! The kids were rockstars!! Don't miss out next time - join us next Saturday for more - Jen Blake
The Barn Owls have gone back to sulking in their boxes but the Short-eareds are back out and about and two birds have been showing wondrously well this week with performances on and off all day but they are certainly best in the evening.
SEO - Ian Plume
And so with fair weather comes fantastic light and skies and we have seen a couple of corking sunsets in recent days.
Phragmites - Helen Mathias
Sunset on Friday - Tony O'Brien
With just a week to go in February it is only a matter of days before the first Wheatear, Sand Martin or Little Ringed Plover make landfall in the UK and the whole surge of spring begins both in the land and skies...
19-2-17
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer