Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

I started at New Hythe on a lovely bright, warm sunny morning. I spent 90 minutes walking around the Leybourne side and had a single silent Nightingale hopping about beneath the buddlea and a couple of  Willow Warblers, 6+ Chiffchaff and 20+ Blackcap. 

Soon after 0900 I decided that New Hythe had little more to offer and I fancied a change of scenery so I drove over to the Ashdown Forest and birded Old Lodge in glorious sunshine with temperatures heading towards 17C.

Redstart is one of my favourite species and a spring male takes some beating. I saw at least 8 at Old Lodge today including a group of 4 that spent most of the time chasing each other around a copse of silver birch. Elsewhere at least 2 males were singing and appeared to be already on territory and I had 4 Tree Pipits in the damp valley in the centre of the reserve. There were birds everywhere and of note I had a Raven, 6+ Siskin, 4 Redpoll and 4 Nuthatch.

After lunch overlooking land south of Old Lodge I decided to finish the day on the North Kent marshes at Cliffe where Ring Ouzels had been reported.

I got to Cliffe Pools around 16.30 and when I got to the second viewing mound 2 male Ring Ouzels were still on view, feeding in the long grass beyond the drainage ditch. Out on the flood there were plenty of ducks by no sign of the garganey reported earlier. Two Greenshank were visible from the first viewing mound. It was quite cool with a stiff northerly breeze and soon after 19.00 I'd had enough and set off home.

Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex

Chiffchaff

Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex

Tree Pipit

Redstart