Saturday 26th April

It was a gorgeous warm and sunny morning today, with a pleasant light southerly wind.

5 Nuthatch were heard singing, 4 Pheasant called, 13 Blackcaps, 9 Chiff Chaffs, and 20 Whitethroat were heard singing, 3 Stock Dove were heard, my first Cuckoo of the year flew across my path as I walked through the large area of rough grassland, 2 Green Woodpeckers were heard, a Grey Heron was seen flying south, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, a Coal Tit sang from a Larch on the Park’s eastern boundary, a Goldcrest sang from an Alder by the Model Boat platform, 2 Treecreeper were seen in the Alder Carr, a Linnet called as it flew over west, a Cormorant flew south, and a Little Owl was seen perched on a bough of an Oak.

Magpie

Birds seen on the Lake were 4 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Tuftie, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. There were roughly 14 Black-headed Gulls on the Lake, and 8 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Also of note was a Comma seen on a Cherry on the Golf Course, my first Speckled Wood of the year was seen on a Hawthorn, and the Wild Garlic are blooming on the edge of the River Len.

Speckled Wood

Friday 25th April

Under an overcast sky the temperature was rather mild during my walk this morning.

Today I was treated to 2 new bird species for the year with both of them being spotted on my first scan of the Lake, just 15 minutes into the visit. Firstly 2 Sand Martins were observed hunting insects over the Lake and, after hearing its distinctive call, a Common Sandpiper was spotted flying low of the surface of the Lake heading towards the eastern end.

13 Blackcaps, 7 Chiff Chaffs, and 20 Whitethroat were heard singing, a Grey Wagtail called as it flew over, a pair of Linnets were seen in a Hawthorn in the scrub area by the Inlet, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, a Little Owl could just be made out sitting in its hole, 3 Pheasants called, 2 Green Woodpeckers were seen, a Treecreeper called from an Alder in the Alder Carr, 2 Nuthatch were heard singing, a Stock Dove was heard, 2 Jay were seen on Jenner’s Bank, and as I walked through the largest area of rough grassland 2 Swallows whizzed past flying west.

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 2 Tuftie, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 15 Black-headed Gulls, and also noted were 6 Reed Warblers singing around the perimeter of the Lake, a male Kingfisher was seen catching 2 fish by the Weir - I tried to take some photos but just 1 was clear, 2 Greylag Geese flew onto the Lake, and a Grey Heron perched on a low bough of an Oak on the eastern end of the Lake.

Kingfisher - my only clear photo

Also of note are the Cowslips in full flower on Jenner's Bank.

Cowslip
Primula veris

Tuesday 22nd April

It was very mild this morning with the Sun just being able to shine through the cloud cover.

11 Blackcaps were singing, 10 Chiff Chaffs were singing, a Goldcrest sang from a Yew along Laurel Walk, a Grey Wagtail called as it flew over north, 3 Nuthatch were heard singing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in the Alder Carr, a Coal Tit sang from a Yew along Laurel Walk, 3 Green Woodpeckers were heard, a pair of Stock Dove were seen perched in an Oak, a Ring-necked Parakeet called from a Horse Chestnut on the Golf Course but could not be spotted, 6 Jay were seen, the Little Owl could just be made out in the darkness of its hole in the usual Oak tree, 8 Swallow were seen zooming over the scrub by the Inlet, 2 Pheasants were heard calling, a Grey Heron was seen flying east, 3 Treecreeper were heard singing from the Alder Carr, and 5 Whitethroat were seen and heard in scrub and rough grassland areas.

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, a Black Swan, 6 Tuftie, 2 Great Crested Grebes, a Cormorant, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 27 Black-headed Gulls, and 2 Herring Gulls. Also noted were 4 Reed Warbler heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Wild Cherry on Jenner's Bank

A visit at dusk to see the Little Owl proved successful. Unfortunately, due to bad light and not having a big enough zoom on the camera I couldn't get any photos. It was also interesting to see a large number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls flying north throughout my evening visit.

Whilst waiting for the Little Owl it was great to see the first Pipistrelle and Noctule bats of the year hunting the midges around the various parkland trees.

Saturday 19th April

I was in Mote Park from 10am to 1pm with the Kent Wildlife Trust on their second organised walk in Mote Park. The weather wasn’t particularly great with a pale grey overcast sky, a cool northerly breeze and a few spots of rain, but some good birds were seen.

I was without my notebook this morning so the bird sightings are summarised. Around 5 Blackcap were heard singing, lots of Chiff Chaffs were singing, several Nuthatch were heard, several Green Woodpeckers were heard, a pair of Stock Dove were seen flying from a potential nest hole, about 5 or 6 Pheasants were heard calling, roughly 6 Treecreeper were noted, several Goldfinch were seen, and a few Great Spotted Woodpeckers were noted – with 1 bird drumming near Jenner’s Bank. For me however, bird of the day was a White Wagtail which was seen on the Golf Course not too far from the old Ash tree, a few Pied Wagtails were also seen on the Golf course. It is the first time I have seen a White Wagtail in Mote Park.

Birds seen on the Lake were 7 Canada Geese, a Greylag Goose, 2 Mute Swans, a Black Swan, 3 Tuftie, roughly 5 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Little Grebe, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 15 Black-headed Gulls, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a first-winter Herring Gull. Also seen was 2 Grey Herons flying past along the River Len, a Grey Wagtail was seen on the Model Boat platform, a Reed Warbler sang from a clump of reeds on the Lakes eastern edge, 2 Cormorants flew west, and a Swallow and some House Martins were observed feeding over the middle of the Lake.

Thursday 17th April

A chilly north-east wind blew throughout my walk this morning, with brief sunny spells and lots of cloud cover.

6 Blackcaps were singing, a Coal Tit sang from the top within a Yew along Laurel Walk, 10 Chiff Chaffs were singing, Willow Warbler sang from a Willow by the large reedbed next to the Weir, several Nuthatch were, 5 Jay were seen – with 1 pair carrying nesting material, 2 Stock Dove were heard, a Pheasant was heard calling, a Linnet was singing from a Hawthorn, a pair of Green Woodpeckers were seen in the rough grassland, a Treecreeper was heard, a Whitethroat sang from the scrub by the Inlet, a Little Owl was perched inside its hole in an Oak, and a Ring-necked Parakeet was seen feeding on buds of a Horse Chestnut on the Lakes eastern edge.

Ring-necked Parakeet

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese, a pair of Mute Swan, a pair of Tuftie, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Shoveler, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 30 Black-headed Gulls, and 4 Common Gulls. Also seen was a Grey Heron along the edge of the River Len, the first Reed Warbler of the year was singing from the large reedbed by the Weir, and a Cormorant flew west.

Saturday 12th April

I was in Mote Park all morning today. This April the Kent Wildlife Trust is holding 2 walks in Mote Park, the first one was today, so I decided to join. A fairly strong south-westerly wind made the temperature very cool, and it also meant that the warm sunshine was occasionally hidden by cloud-cover.

I was without my notebook this morning so the bird sightings are summarised. Around 5 Blackcap were heard singing, lots of Chiff Chaffs were singing, with most of them along the River Len, a Willow Warbler sang beautifully from a Willow by the large reedbed by the Weir, several Nuthatch were heard as they proclaimed their territories, a pair of Green Woodpeckers were seen clambering up the top of Oak in the rough grassland, 2 Stock Dove were seen, roughly 5 Treecreeper were noted – with 1 bird giving a short burst of song, 2 Swallows and 5 House Martins were watched flying high above the Lake, and several Goldfinch were heard.

Birds seen on the Lake were a few Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, a pair of Tuftie, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 24 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Common Gulls, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Also seen was a Grey Heron perched along the edge of the River Len, and 2 Grey Wagtails were seen as they flew up from the Pond.

Also noted was Butterbur and Bluebells in flower, a Red-eared Terrapin was sunbathing on a submerged branch on the eastern side of the Lake, and as I walked back home from the cafeteria a Black Swan flew onto the Lake and began preening.

Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Red-eared Terrapin

Black Swan

For anyone interested, the best spot in the Park to see flowering Cuckoo Flowers (or Lady’s Smock) is just to the left of the small kiosk by the boating ramp. They are giving a wonderful display with roughly 50-60 plants flowering at the moment.

Cuckoo Flower (Lady's Smock)
Cardamine pratensis

Wednesday 9th April

It was another gorgeous day today during my 2 hour visit this morning. Warm sunshine in a cloudless sky and lots of birdsong.

A Coal Tit was singing from half-way up a Douglas Fir, 7 Blackcap were heard, 10 Chiff Chaffs were singing, 4 Nuthatch were heard, 4 Green Woodpeckers were seen, 2 Pheasants called from the areas of rough grassland, 4 Stock Dove were seen in an Oak, 4 Treecreeper were seen in the Alder wood along the River Len, a male Reed Bunting was seen by the Weir - my first of the year.

Reed Bunting

3 Goldcrests were seen, whilst walking past the group of Larch on the eastern edge of the Park an extremely large female Sparrowhawk flew over – putting my Sparrowhawk/Goshawk ID skills to the test, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker continued to drum from the top of an Oak between the 2 bridges along the River Len, a smart looking male Linnet was observed singing to a female as they both perched on the top of a bramble bush - the first time I have seen a male displaying to a female in the Park, and the pair of Little owls sat on a bough the usual Oak tree.

Song Thrush

Birds seen on the Lake were 7 Canada Geese, 2 displaying Mute Swan, a pair of Tuftie, 3 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 38 Black-headed Gulls, 7 Common Gulls, and 3 Med Gulls in full summer plumage.

Mute Swan

Also noted was the group of Wild Cherry on Jenner’s Bank have started to flower.

Wild Cherry
Prunus avium

Saturday 5th April

Just a quick mid-morning visit was managed today. It was another beautiful day with lovely sunshine, but the temperature did seem a little cooler than yesterday.

My walk was made all the more special when 2 Swallows and 2 House Martins – the first hirundines of the year – were spotted catching insects over the eastern part of the Lake, 15 Chiff Chaffs were heard, 5 Blackcaps were heard, 1 Jay was heard, a Goldcrest called from a Wellingtonia as I passed underneath, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, a Stock Dove was seen in an Oak, and a Little Owl perched just inside its hole.

Birds seen on the Lake were 5 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, a pair of Tuftie, 3 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 45 Black-headed Gulls, and 7 Common Gulls.

Also noted was the sighting of a Slowworm relaxing in the Sun. I later found out from another birder that a Willow Warbler was singing in the wet wood this morning - my mid-morning visit must have been a little too late to hear it.

Friday 4th April

It is another beautiful day today, with warm spring sunshine.

12 Jays were seen today, 3 Goldcrests were heard, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, 3 Nuthatch were seen, a flock of 8 Goldfinch flew over whilst I stood on the playing fields, and a Skylark not only decided to fly over, bu also decided to sing its wonderful song, 6 Blackcaps were heard singing, 4 Stock Dove were heard, a Little Owl was seen sitting in an Oak, 6 Green Woodpeckers were seen, 5 Pheasants were heard – with 1 bird giving great views as it puffed it’s chest up, called and flapped it’s wings, 13 Chiff Chaffs were heard singing, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were heard drumming along thw River Len, 2 Treecreepers were hear singing, and the first Common Whitethroat was seen and heard in the large area of rough grassland.

Birds seen on the Lake were 6 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, a pair of Tuftie, 4 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 41 Black-headed Gulls, and 10 Common Gulls, and 2 Med Gulls. Also, a Grey Heron and a Kingfisher were seen along the River Len.

Also noted were the first Small Tortoiseshell, and the first Comma butterflies of the year.

Grey Heron footprint

Thursday 3rd April

What a beautiful day it is today – a lovely spring day.

The first Blackcaps have arrived! 8 of them in total. 16 Chiff Chaffs were also heard singing, 3 Stock Doves were heard calling, 5 Pheasants called, 6 Nuthatch were noted, 5 Green Woodpecker were seen and heard – with 1 pair observed displaying, 5 Jay were seen, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard – with 2 birds drumming, a small group of Siskin were in Alders along the River Len, 3 Treecreeper were heard, and a pair of Little Owls were seen – they were first spotted sitting just inside their hole in the usual old Oak, and then at mid-morning, on a branch just above their hole ‘cuddling’ up, and preening each other – very romantic.

Chiff Chaff

Birds seen on the Lake were 13 Canada Geese, 1 cob Mute Swan, a male Tuftie, 5 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of roughly 41 Black-headed Gulls, and 10 Common Gulls, and no Med Gulls.

Also noted was the first Peacock butterfly of the year.