Out at last

Finally able to get in and drive my car the short distance to the canal and spent an hour hobbling along the canal path on a lovely bright crisp morning. Many of the normal birds around, I saw 5 Little Egret's, a Robin that kept me company by flying from bush to bush during my walk, and a flock of Meadow Pipits. The only other birds that I saw that I had not seen from my garden were 2 Grey Herons and 2 overflying Cormorants.

It wasn't until I got back to the house and recorded what I had seen that I realised that I had never seen Meadow Pipits in HamStreet before, which was a surprise and another bird to add to the list.

A calmer day

A calmer day after all the wind and rain yesterday and plenty of activity on the feeders in the garden. Mostly the normal visitors, one new bird for the year being a Kestrel which I first saw over the field and then it swooped down and caught something, probably a mouse. It was on the ground feeding for a good 10 minutes before flying off towards the canal. The Nuthatch that I saw on new years day made a brief reappearance again.

The birds are starting to show signs of of gaining territorial advantage with several male blackbirds having a set to in the garden. The Greater Spotted Woodpeckers that I normally see (male and female at different times) both appeared in the tree together, is love in the air already.

New Years Day

Normally on New Years Day I am wandering around the marsh and Dungeness starting off my new years list but this year, due to me stupidly falling off a ladder and tearing my knee ligaments I am house bound and on crutches, so my new years birding is from the house.

Every cloud has a silver lining as after an hour of watching the birds I saw a Nuthatch appear on my peanut feeder at the top of the garden, the first time I have had one. On top of this there was just the normal birds that I would normally expect to see totaling 19 species by the end of the day. Who knows what might turn up next!

Great White Egret

The sighting of the Great White Egret was not a fly over as I thought, it was seen down on the Military Canal by the Ploddingbirder behind the Wyevale Garden Centre. What normally happens is that by the time the weekend comes and I have the time and daylight to go to see it, the birds have gone, but not this time!. I went to the canal this morning and found the Great White Egret along towards Ruckinge, so a new bird for Hamstreet area for me and a lovely bird to see.

Great White Egret sighting

I saw a report today that a Great White Egret had been seen in Hamstreet. I assume this was flying over and did not see it myself as I was at work. I am not surprised by this as they are seen more regularly now with the one at Dungeness that has been around for some months now.

Sparrowhawk on the prowl

On Saturday whilst in my garden bird hide (shed) I was watching the birds on the feeders. Plenty of Blue Tits with 9 on the feeders at one time, and the other usual garden birds. The Coal tits have disappeared which is a shame as I enjoyed watching them. About an hour into watching these birds they all flew away from the feeders a Sparrowhawk came hurtling in past my shed and through the bushes chasing the frightened birds, he then landed on a tree for a few seconds before flying off empty handed.

Tawny Owl

On leaving my house for work at 6:00 this morning it was nice to hear a Tawny Owl calling from Hamstreet Woods. As it was so quiet it carried well and I stood for 5 minutes by my car listening to it call 7 times. This is the first Tawny Owl I have heard calling in Hamstreet for a few months.