A sunny but cold visit to @kentwildlife.bsky.social. Most birds heard only. 3 Chiffchaff’s heard around the reserve. Jay, Buzzard & Green Woodpecker also heard. Hopefully a lifers in a Small Sallow Mining Bee, a Bibio fly. Year ticks in Bronze Shieldbug & Variable Nomad Bee.

A meteorologically diverse visit to Cromers Wood, Sittingbourne this lunchtime. Cloudy & strong cold wind, then sleet, then warm sunny conditions then back to sleet. The woods are still being coppiced so few birds seen or heard. A male Mallard on the pond, Buzzard overhead, 2 Robin & a Chiffchaff.

A first wildlife survey at Stone Farm CP, Sittingbourne. The chalk stream had a Coot, Little Grebe & Mallard on, 2 Heron & at least 1 possibly up to 4 Snipe. 2 sp of Woodpecker heard. 5 sp. of Bumblebee seen & 3 Andrena. Only Peacock & a micro moth seen. I saw 1 Common Lizard missed Slow Worm.

Thank you to all involved in the latest @kentfieldclub.bsky.social journal. Looking forward to reading through it. #kentnature.

A morning visit to @kentwildlife.bsky.social Spuckles Wood, Stalisfield Green. The highlight was at least 1 Marsh Tit (yt). The Green Hellibore were also a year tick along with herb-Robert. Plenty of bird song as we walked the valley floor. #kentbirding #kentnature

Another warm sunny day. Headed to @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromer Woods. At least 5 Peacocks were alternating between sunning themselves on the paths or duelling. A Mistle Thrush (yt) sang across the wood as 2 Buzzards soared on the thermals. Barren Strawberry & Wood Spurge now flowering.

A warm, sunny & cloudless visit to the heathland plot. At least 100+ Andrena bees flying low over the sandy ground. The slope was partially covered by flowering Blackthorn. Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Wren & Blue Tit in song with Long-tailed Tit & Magpie seen. Also a Brimstone flew past

Attended the 2nd amphibian survey at Milton Creek CP, Sittingbourne this evening. Personally saw 7 GCN’s, 5 Smooth Newts & a Marsh Frog. A Song Thrush sang powerfully from some scrub. A Fox running across the mown grass area was a year ticket. #kentnature

A mid afternoon walk at a sunny @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromers Wood. 2 Chiffchaff heard along with 2 sp. of Woodpecker. A probable Peacock was disturbed & flew into the Sweet Chestnut. 2 Beeflies feeding on the flowering willow, mist likely Dark-edged. Found some Woodrush that I need to ID.

An afternoon walk at an overcast and windy Sharstad Wood, Doddington. The Wood Anemones are now in full flower. Most of the 9 bird species recorded were heard. The Merlin app noted Treecreeper & Firecrest that I will check. #kentbirding #kentnature

Attended the 1st wildlife survey of the year @ Milton Creek CP, Sittingbourne. A LBBG was a yt, good to hear at least 2 Greenfinch. Garden Bumblebee, Tawny & Early Mining Bee year ticks. An interesting Carder to be ID’d. 10-spot & Kidney Ladybirds also year-ticks along with Mottled Shield bug.

A warm but windy visit to a still damp @kentwildlife.bsky.social Ashford Warren & Hoades Wood. Plenty of birds in song. A Coal Tit flitting through a Silver Birch was a year tick. One possibility 2 Stock Doves in the wood. Possible Treecreeper & Firecrest heard. Merlin app picked up a Siskin flock.

A sunny but windy visit to @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromers Wood this lunchtime. A pair of Mallard on the pond, Brimstone (yt), Peacock, at least 3 & a Comma on the wing. First Bluebells flowering & a new moss I believe for me. Most bird activity by the pump house with Blue Tit, Chaffinch & Robin

Back to the heathland plot again today under overcast conditions. Again a Greenfinch was one of the first birds heard, Merlin picked up contact calls which I’m not completely confident with. Few insects about today but year tick with an Early Colletes & found a Vestal bumblebee tucked up in Gorse.

An afternoon walk between Teston & Wateringbury. A Yellowhammer calling in a paddock at Wateringbury, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Marsh Marigold at Wargraves Wood, which was carpeted with Ransom, & Cuckooflower were year ticks. Plenty of birdsong, particularly Great Tit, Robin & Wren.

Another warm sunny day, so headed back to the heathland plot @ Eureka Park, Ashford. Greenfinch again heard whezzying, Blue, Great & LT Tits recorded, along with Magpie, Dunnock, Robin & Blackbird, most only heard. Sparrowhawk over was a year and probably patch tick. A probable lifer hoverfly.

A lunchtime wander around a sunny & drying @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromers. 4 male Chaffinches around the pump house, 4 Robins & 2 Chiffchaff seen or heard. A Buzzard circled overhead. Disturbed around 10 Bumblebees, the only Tree Bumblebee allowed a photo. Clarke’s Mining Bee is also a yeartick

A day of year ticks. The Med Gull I posted about this morning. Then on the way to work a Red-legged Partridge at Wichling, Doddington. As I was setting off for my lunchtime wander, a Chiffchaff was calling from the site boundary.

First Med Gull of the year heard calling over the house. #kentbirding #kentnature

As we were in the area, we briefly stopped at Godmersham. In the murk and drizzle we heard & saw Blue & Great Tit, Wren, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon & Wren. On the river were Mallard, Coot & a Little Egret on the riverbank. 3 Red Kite flying through were a year tick.

The undoubted highlight of a cold and damp wander around Mintching & Kingsdown Woods, Sittingbourne were a pair of Bullfinches (yt) spotted near the start of the walk. Other than that Wren x3, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Skylark & Buzzard heard with 5 Jackdaw flying over were noted.

Just back from the first amphibian surveys at Milton Creek CP, Sittingbourne. A warm night with occasional drizzle we saw both Great Crested and Smooth Newts in 3 ponds. Also I saw a very large diving beetle and we found a spider on the water possible a Pirata piraticus @britishspiders.bsky.social ?

A colder, windier day today for my visit to Highsted Woods, Sittingbourne. Bird activity was less and the wind/ shaking branches made it hard to hear calls. Great, Blue & Long-tailed Tits noted along with Jay, Jackdaw, Robin & Woodpigeon. The Wild Garlic emerging, giving off their strong scent.

Whilst at hockey training tonight, a female Tawny Owl twice called repeatedly from Albany Park, Sittingbourne. Also a Blackbird heard. #kentbirding #kentnature

A glorious early spring day @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromers Wood. 2 species of butterflies seen, 2 each of Comma (yt) & Peacock. More constant birdsong today, no stand out birds though. Some Ladybirds already busy. #kentnature #kentbirding

Some Christmas presents have just arrived.

A first visit of the year to the heathland part of Eureka Park. I was expecting it to be quiet. However. First butterfly (Peacock), 10 queen bumblebee’s (3 sp), A wheezing Greenfinch was the avian highlight, a lifer in Common Whitlowgrass & a new moss. Also had an Earwig but it dropped in the litter

An early afternoon walk around the Old Park, Canterbury. Plenty of Great & Blue Tits & Robins calling from the wood. The Heathland was fairly quiet although I did get my first identifiable bumblebee in a queen Buff-tailed. 2 possible Fieldfares took off before I could get an ID. A few fungi to ID.

A 5.9 mile walk from Tankerton to West Whitstable & back. 5+ Great Created Grebes at The Street. Plenty of House Sparrow’s, Starlings, Dunnock’s & Robins, particularly in Whitstable. At West Whitstable Curlew, Oystercatchers, Carrion Crows & a Redshank. Herring & Black-headed Gull also about.

A brief visit to @kentwildlife.bsky.social Conningbrook Lakes, Ashford just the heavy showers moved in. Canada Geese, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Herring Gull & GC Grebe on the lake. On the edges were Coot & Moorhen. By the entrance & Silver Birches were Blackbird, Redwing, Magpie & a Goldcrest

A lunchtime wander around the Eureka Park fishing lake, Ashford. In murky cold conditions 2 highlights a Siskin & a wheezing Greenfinch, both yt’s. A Great Created Grebe was on the lake with BHG, a few Moorhen & Coot. More Moorhen, Coot & Mallard on the grass. Cuckoo Pint foliage now showing.

Morning. I was not expecting to find a parasitic wasp outside on the conservatory last night on a cold wet night in Sittingbourne

An overcast visit to Highsted Woods, Sittingbourne this lunchtime. With a strong cold wind. blowing, I recorded Blue & Great Tit, Robin, Carrion Crow & a Fieldfare briefly calling unseen in the old chalk quarry. An interesting fungi to ID. Green shoots beginning to show on the woodland floor.

A first visit to Stone Farm CP, Sittingbourne for a quick lunchtime walk on an overcast day & a cold wind blowing. Rook, Jackdaw & Meadow Pipit in the grassland area. The wet woodland had Cetti’s, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Wren & Robin heard. Red Dead Nettle & Common Field Speedwell coming into flower

A very wet and cold February Milton Creek wildlife survey this morning. The highlight was a Spoonbill, site tick, flying up the creek. Good views of a Greenshank & a Spotted Redshank on creek edge. 5 male Pochard on the lake were new for the year. #kentbirding #kentnature

Found this in a charity shop in Dymchurch. @kentishplover.bsky.social #kentbirding

Today’s walk was from West Hythe along the RMC to Hythe & back. 20+ Redwing in the tree’s along with Blackbird’s. At least 1 Kingfisher seen. Cormorant, Mallard & Moorhen on the canal. On the return walked beyond the carpark to Port Lympne estate where a male Mandarin duck was in a flooded field

A damp, cold lunchtime visit to a wet & muddy Cromers Wood, Sittingbourne. Most of the sightings were around the old carpark & pump-house. Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tits seen or heard along with Robin & Blackbird. Under the pylons were 2 Wren. A GSW was heard. A new fungus for me in Yellow Brain.

A lunchtime peruse around Eastwell Lake, Ashford. The lake was quiet, a few Mallard, single Coot, GC Grebe & Little Egret . The watercourse in Aviary Wood had a couple of Mallard & a partially concealed Kingfisher. The church had a singing Song Thrush, LTT, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Blackbird also seen

A lunchtime walk from Margate to the North Foreland pumping station. On an incoming tide 100+ Herring Gull were in the rock-pools with Oystercatchers, Curlew & a couple of GBBG, Little Egret & Grey Heron. A flock of 64 Brent Geese were on the incoming tide. 5 Fulmar flying around the cliffs.

A brief visit to @kentwildlife.bsky.social Oare Marshes this afternoon between the rain. Arrived at high tide but few waders, only Redshank, Oystercatcher & Lapwing. 3 Skylark seemed to be having a territorial fight & calling. A Marsh Harrier over the Faversham Creek Reed bed. No Water Pipits seen.

A warm sunny visit to a muddy @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromers Wood. 2 Buzzard drifted overhead, while Blue & Great Tit, Robin, Wren & Chaffinch called. 2 7-spot Ladybird were out on Wood Sage. Seemingly a new fungi in Variable Oysterling. A Wolf Spider sp. was on a log. #kentnature #kentbirding

A lunchtime visit to Eureka Fishing Lake, Ashford in drizzle/ light rain. c34 Mallard, 8 Moorhen & 5 Coot on the lakeside grass. The lake only had a couple more Coot, Moorhen & a BHG. The lakeside trees had Blue & Long-tailed Tits. The surrounding heath, the Gorse is in flower. Some more moss to ID

First moth of the year at the kitchen window. A Dotted Border I believe. A lifer. #kentmoths #kentnature

A lunchtime visit to a sunny but, in places,cold @kentwildlife.bsky.social Cromer Woods, Sittingbourne. 5 Blackbird seen along with Robin, Blue Tit & Woodpigeon. Great Tit, Wren & Buzzard heard. A Thrush (probably Song) & a Crest (most likely Gold) feeding in an Ivy clad tree. Mosses to be ID’d.

A 5 mile ish walk around Eastling, Doddington & Newnham in overcast/ murky conditions this afternoon. No new avian species for the year but Jackdaw’s were raucous & seemingly pairing up. Great Tit’s were teachering. I believe I have a new fungi, Glistening Inkcap & moss’s. #kentnature #kentbirding

It was the first Milton Creek Wildlife survey of 2026, in sunshine and no wind. 33 bird species seen with 16 new year ticks. Kingfisher still about, lots of Teal & Black-tailed Godwit. First Shieldbug (Hairy) & Firebug found plus Rebecca found an uncommon snail Thames/ 2-lipped door snail.

A 3 mile walk around the village of Wormshill, nr Sittingbourne. Starting in murky conditions later brightening up. Very wet & muddy underfoot. 21 bird species seen or heard. Warmer today & heard the first Great Tit teacher calls of the year. 4 new year ticks, nothing exciting.

A 4m walk from Doddington to St. Katherines church, Kingston this morning in a strong, cold southerly wind. c20 Jackdaws in the fields immediately behind the village. c15 Skylark (yt) in the fields on top of the downs. Kingsdown Wood had c10 clumps of Butcher’s-broom. Fieldfares in orchard were a yt

Today’s lunchtime location was a frozen Eureka Park fishing lake, Ashford. In cold fog, 14 Moorhen on the grass in front of the lake. Around a patch of open water were Mallard (c45), Coot, BHG & 2 Shoveler (yt). In the lake side tree’s were Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird & Chaffinch.