Monday 24th January

Made a quick lunchtime visit today - it was a rather overcast again, but with still plenty of birdsong.

It was interesting to see the tree surgeons preparing to start work on the clearance and felling of some of the park's scrub and trees. The 'Mote Park Regeneration Plan', which has taken over 3 years to prepare for, starts today, and over the next year there will be some exciting changes to the park. I, along with the Kent Wildlife Trust, have been liasing with the Park's Team of Maidstone Borough Council during the past couple of years forming a management plan and highlighting areas which must not be touched. For those reading this and who are interested in what scrub is being cleared, it is not as bad as it sounds. None of the large or veteran parkland trees are being removed, or any of the arboretum style planting on Jenner's Bank, the Len Valley will be managed sensitively with good management, and only a relatively small amount of scrub will be cleared from around the Lake - opening up the parkland vistas - new benches will be installed and new footpaths laid down. I am very excited about it all, and after seeing the plans, if all guidlines are abided to, I am quite confident that the park's team will do a great job.

Anyway, back to today! 5 Goldcrests were noted, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers called, 4 Nuthatch were heard, a Treecreeper called along Jenner's Bank, several Siskin were noted, and a Coal Tit was heard singing.

On the Lake the Pochard numbers have reached 36 birds - the highest so far this winter - and the Tufted Ducks have gone down to 6 birds. There were at least 18 Common Gulls and around 150 Black-headed Gulls making up the gull flock, and 2 Great Crested Grebes were also on the Lake. 2 Herring Gulls flew north.