An evening stroll in the woods on the North Kent Downs but the strong cool NE wind made it a challenge. 2 Firecrests singing, pair of Bullfinch, only a few Chiffs & Blackcaps singing and a brief snatch of Nightingale song. Song & Mistle Thrushes, Goldcrests & Coal Tits also noted.
Other noteworthy species on yesterday’s walk: the first singing Lesser Whitethroat & Garden Warbler of 2026 on rural Godinton Park, 4 Mandarins (3 drakes chasing a duck), male Stonechat & this footpath crossing Toad. The #PWC2026 list moves on to 83 species.
One of those memorable #patchbirding walks after work today with a ringtail female HEN HARRIER circling the Hothfield Flood Storage Reservoir at 16:25 before heading towards Hothfield Church & NW. It put the Jackdaws up & got attacked by a local Common Buzzard. Patch tick ✅ & a real thrill to see.
… Nightingales also in song in Orlestone Forest, our first Cuckoo calling near Kenardington Crossing + Lesser & Common Whitethroats at Fairfield. At RSPB Dungeness 2 Hobbies were catching insects over Dengemarsh, 1 Ruff & GW Egret at Cooks/Boulderwall with Little & Cattle Egrets nearby.
A sunny start in Kentish Woodland on the North Downs this morning, and great to find a singing male Tree Pipit back on territory. Love their display flighting & song. Garden Warbler & Nightingale singing too plus Bullfinch, Coal Tit & GS Woodpecker with Common Buzzards overhead.
Great find… cheers 👍👏
At Dungeness today
Female Pied Flycatcher
Dungeness: Light rain early morning dropped lots of Willow Warblers on the peninsula, also Pied Flycatcher, singing Wood Warbler, Redstarts, a Ring Ouzel, Garden Warblers, Blackcaps, Common & Lesser Whitethroats, many melted away as the sun came out.
#UKBirding
… Reed & Sedge Warblers, Cetti’s, Blackcaps & Chiffs, Sand Martins & Swallows. On the RSPB reserve all 3 Egret species, 2 Dunlins & 2 Ringed Plovers from the visitor centre, White Wagtail & Greenshank from Makepeace/Shirley Coward Hide, 6 Avocets, 2 Peregrines, & booming Bittern.
Another top day at Dungeness with the early morning rain resulting in some grounded migrants. Female Pied Flycatcher & female Redstart in gardens on the estate, a singing male Wood Warbler at the Long Pits, 3 Wheatears, lots of Willow Warblers, Lesser & Common Whitethroats…
2 evenings in row visiting Hothfield Heathlands KWT. This evening: 2 singing Nightingales, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat, Chiffs & Blackcaps aplenty, Nuthatch & Treecreeper, 1 Firecrest, 4 Tit species, 4 Linnets, 4 Yellowhammers, Song & Mistle Thrushes & Goldcrest.
Nightingale, Willow Warbler & Firecrest all singing at Hothfield Heathlands KWT this evening. The Nightingale showed well 👍.
A rare sight on the patch… the Godinton grazing fields are normally the domain of sheep, but in 2026 there are 2 herds of cattle… never recorded a Cattle Egret on the patch… my chances and the odds must have increased now… 🤞🤞🤞
#Patchbirding still hard work. Monday’s visit to the Hothfield Waterfall Lake involved dodging the showers… 3 Mandarins, 2 Tufted Ducks, 4 Teal, Little Grebe & Grey Wagtail, 6 Swallows, 1 Whitethroat (on Godinton) with another 14 Swallows & 2 Stonechats at the Flood Gap…
A heavy shower whilst admiring the Worten Wood Bluebells, led to a fall of Hirundines at the Hothfield Flood Storage Reservoir… 10 Swallows, 4 House Martins & 2 Sand Martins fed over the wet areas. #PWC2026 total is now on 80 species. Little Grebe, Raven, Stonechat also noted.
11 mile #Patchbirding dawn walk around the full circuit today. And it was a great way to start with a singing Nightingale along the River Stour by Singleton Lake. 10 Swallows and 5 singing Whitethroats across the patch too.
Today at Dungeness: Black-throated Diver & Arctic Skua E past the seawatching hide this morning. An increase in singing Warblers with Whitethroats & Reed Warblers more in evidence. 1 House Martin at ARC Pit, 4 LRPs & 3 Avocets across the RSPB reserve. Finished with a singing Nightingale (Orlestone).
#Patchbirding is hard work at the moment, not helped by the local Godinton landowners that have destroyed hedgerows, scrub & reedy ditches in February & March. With the summer migrants arriving in the coming weeks, there might not be suitable breeding & feeding habitat for them😢
A pleasant evening stroll around Godmersham Park: 2 Mandarins, 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Grey & several Red Legged Partridges, Barn Owl, 3 Hares, 3 singing Firecrests, 2 Yellowhammers and a good dusk chorus. Calling Kingfisher, Gr & GS Woodpeckers & Chiffchaffs.
At Scotney GPs, 4 Yellow Wagtails by Scotney Farm, 2 Green Sandpipers & lots of Mediterranean & Black Headed Gulls. Other sightings today: GW & Cattle Egrets, Ravens & Common Buzzards tussling, Marsh Harriers, Booming Bittern, Bearded Tits pinging & 2 Common Scoters E offshore.
A sunny day at Dungeness. Lots of Willow & Sedge Warblers singing across the DBO & RSPB areas, 2 LRPs on hayfield 1 by Dengemarsh Hide, 2 Wheatears along the entrance track nr Walkers Outland trail, 3 Blackcaps, & 1 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Snipe, 1 Avocet & 1 White Wagtail on Cooks/Tanners pools.
A rare visit to Victory Wood today… 2 Swallows moved through quickly to the north, more Chiffs & Blackcaps, and a good session for Butterflies with Speckled Woods, Brimstones & Peacocks all noted. Finished at Denge Wood with singing Firecrest & a pair of Stock Doves.
An early start at Hothfield Heathlands KWT reserve this morning… serenaded by lots of Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs. The usual woodland species too plus Yellowhammers & Linnets across the heathland. 2 Kestrels & Common Buzzard overhead. Longbeech North was quiet. 1 Redpoll & more Chiffs & Blackcaps.
Well Chough-ed with our start to the day at the White Cliffs of Dover; singing Skylarks & Corn Buntings aplenty… and then the drizzle rolled in. Back inland the woodlands visited were quiet. 3 Mediterranean Gulls at Conningbrook Lakes CP and Swallow, Blackcap pair, Red Kite & Raven at Eastwell Lake.
Despite drizzle & strong winds at Dungeness today a few summer migrants were seen: our first Wheatear (male) & Sandwich Terns of the yr. Adult Yellow-legged Gull from the RSPB visitor centre, the family of 3 Whooper Swans at Dengemarsh & 2 LRPs, 2 Ringed Plovers & 2 Dunlin on the Boulderwall Wetland
Little Ringed Plover this evening at Conningbrook Lakes CP (on the railway pools). 4 Green Sandpipers & 1 Common Snipe on the wetland pools.
Quiet end to #patchbirding in March, not helped by weather, fly-tipping & ongoing habitat destruction on part of the patch (Godinton). 4 pairs of Tufted were a highlight (6 birds on the waterfall lake & 2 at the flood reservoir). 6 singing Blackcaps and a male Reed Bunting (Singleton). Roll on April
I feel your pain guys. My patch has been decimated in places during March (Godinton) with hedgerows removed, ditches dug out and scrubland cut, mown and destroyed. So very sad and it does not bode well for the summer migrants if and when they arrive to breed.
A tale of two reservoirs today… sunshine, stunning views but few birds at Bewl Water this morning. Grey & cold at Bough Beech this afternoon but our first Sand Martins & Swallows of 2026, Drake Pintail & Pochards, 4 Gadwall, 10 Mandarins, 2 Kingfishers, Snipe, Red Kites, Raven etc.
A weekend spent in Kentish Woodlands… all 3 species of Woodpeckers, Firecrests, brief Hawfinch, Red Kites, Ravens, Tawny Owls, Siskins & Redpolls, Goshawk & Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and singing Blackcaps.
