Another lovely sunny day greeted the dozen or so meeting at this Medway reserve for the first of our Tuesday walks for the year.
Our main efforts were to be towards Berengrave and the reed beds hoping to catch up with some spring migrants along the way. Before we had left the car park we had stunning views of three sparrowhawk.
Our attention was soon drawn towards a blackcap which most of the group managed to see. As we walked along the riverside we concentrated on the trees and bushes – the tide being about as far out as it is possible to be! Another blackcap sat up in much better light and everyone got good views of this bird. There was a green woodpecker feeding in the orchard. A silent whitethroat flew across our view and then sat allowing us to get good telescope views. The telescope also became vital for spotting distant birds on the river with shelduck, teal, oystercatcher, greater and lesser black-backed gull, little egret, black-tailed godwit (coming into bright summer plumage) and whimbrel being among the sightings.
As we moved down the path we heard whitethroat, along with lesser whitethroat and cetti’s warbler. Goldfinches and long-tailed tits flew around and we saw a kestrel mobbing another sparrowhawk.
At the end of the path we crossed the road following the call of nightingale, we entered into the reed bed reserve. At one stage we could hear three separate birds singing, and our patience was eventually rewarded when several members of the group saw a nightingale fly low across the path. A chiffchaff was spotted calling from a nearby treetop and several swallow and house martin flew by.
On our return journey, a cuckoo was heard by a couple of members of the group, but despite our keen ears and eyes we didn’t managed to catch up with it again.
Thanks to Malcolm for leading an excellent walk, on a lovely spring day.
As for the Cuckoo, well there’s always next time – hopefully Stodmarsh on Sunday!
Group Total Year to Date 110 species