Betwixt and between

The drive across the marsh today really illustrated how betwixt the seasons we are just now. The Bewick's Swans have gone and there were far fewer Blackbirds flitting along the hedgerows but a few Song Thrushes. I found no Fieldfares but there was still a sizeable flock of House and Tree Sparrows on the feeders at Baynham Farm along with Greenfinch, Chaffinch and a few tits. On the shingle between the road and the sea there was at least one Wheatear and a Black Redstart and the Scaup remained on Scotney pit. From the Dengemarsh road there were 2 or 3 Marsh Harriers hunting in the reeds, a pair of Great Crested Grebes were displaying and a Great White Egret was stalking fish along the margins.
We returned along the front a spent a bit of time watching the rubicola Stonechat before checking out the gull roost where the interesting bird was a Yellow-legged gull before returning to the Obs for a welcome cup of tea. On the drive back I was pleased to see a Barn Owl near Chapel Bank.


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Spring is here

Returning from a 5 day trip to Iceland where it was very snowy and still in the grip of winter, it was interesting to see how quickly things change once the temperature rises. Along the roads were frothy Blackthorn bushes, in the garden there were clumps of daffs and crocuses, the Camellia is smothered in red flowers, the Hellebore bed is full of nodding heads and the first Fritillaries were showing their droopy heads.




Across the marsh the Bewick's had gone and the first Wheatears had arrived on the point.
The heather bushes in the front are covered in bees and at least 2 Small Tortoiseshells have been feeding on the flowers.

Unfortunately we seem to have lost our frogs over the last few years and there's no sign of frogspawn.


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