Friday 14th January

No lectures again this afternoon which meant I could attempt to beat the Friday evening motorway traffic back to Kent. I reached Maidstone and got into the park at quarter past 3 and spent an hour and a half in the park until it was too dark.

Mallards

Of particular note on the Lake were 6 Mute Swan, 10 Tufted Duck, 13 Pochard, and 2 Grey Heron. Water levels along the River Len and stream by the 'Old Pond' were very high after the recent rainfall, but thankfully the Weir bridge wasn't flooded.

40+ Redwing were seen, 3 Goldcrest were noted, a Treecreeper was heard, 5 Stock Dove were perched in an Oak on the north-eastern corner of Jenner's Bank, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker were heard, a Green Woodpecker was seen in the parkland west of Mote House, a Coal Tit was heard singing, a Cormorant flew west, a Pheasant was heard calling by the Walled Garden, a flock of Long-tailed Tits were seen moving through the hedge on the eastern edge of the Lake, plenty of Chaffinch were roosting, and without doubt the highlight of the walk was a flock of at least 100 Linnets roosting - a first of the year, and the first time I have recorded this species roosting in the park. (I have been told by another birder that 152 were seen roosting at the weekend). Also seen were 54 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Herrings Gulls flying north over the park