Monday, June 04, 2007

Monday 4th June

It was an overcast day today, and there was a south-east breeze which really cooled things down during my visit between 6am and 8am.

During the visit a total of 8 Blackcaps, 4 Chiff Chaffs, 8 Reed Warblers, and 15 Whitethroats were singing.

As I approached the Lake, 3 Greylag Geese fed on the grass in front of Mote House. A scan of the Lake produced a minimum of 4 Mute Swans, a Grey Heron fished on the Lakes western edge, 1 male Tufted Duck, 1 juvenile Pochard and 6 Great Crested Grebes with 2 young, together with the usual Canada Geese, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens - with 1 pair on a nest on the Pond. There were only around a few Black Headed Gulls scattered on and around the Lake, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the water by the Boat House, and 3 Cormorants sat on the island next to the Weir, 1 sat on a smaller, lower island further out in the Lake, a Grey Wagtail sat on the Weir, and a Common Sandpiper fed in the mud by the inlet.

A total of 4 Pheasants called throughout the visit, a Mediterranean Gull flew around the Pitch & Putt with a group of Black Headed Gulls, a flock of Goldfinch was flying around and a House Sparrow sat in a Hedge by the Claygate entrance - a first for the year - a Nightingale sang along Laurel Walk by the fallen Beech, and a scan over the Park produced only around 15 Swifts, 2 Grey Herons flying east, a Sparrowhawk in a thermal above the Pavilion, 9 Herring Gulls flying east and around 10 in a thermal above the Lake, 3 Feral Pigeons flying west towards Maidstone town centre, and several Jackdaw and Woodpigeons.

3 comments:

Steve said...

So are House sparrow a real scarcity around Mote Park Simon? Funny enough we get a few at New Hythe but loads in Birling where I live.

Anonymous said...

When i started this years site list at East Malling, House Sparrow was a species that evaded me for over 3 weeks!

Adam

Simon said...

They are a scarcity in the Park. There are quite a lot where I live, close to the outskirts of the Park. On the odd occasion, like yesterday, they pop over from some surrounding gardens and make an appearance in a hedge or with a flock of Greenfinches!

Next Event - TBA