Rain on and off for most of the day.Female Reed Bunting and Wood Pigeon in Garden.


My diary for 28th January 28th 1963 reads-Morning rain,afternoon stopped,not as cold.
Alders lake-Mallard 200,Tufted Duck 40,Pochard 60,Pintail 1,coot 69.

Lunsford lane ( Mill stream) Redshank 1,Snipe 1,Moorhen 2 and Mallard 2.

Nice day,sunny,quite mild.Walked west along the Pilgrims Way above Birling 1300-1400.One Kestral,1 Sparrowhawk and a single Buzzard.Best of all however,were 2 Ravens that flew west,first being picked up by their calls (this is my first record of this species in the area).

New Hythe,January 26th.

Put one 40ft net up at New Hythe 0900-1100.Dunnock 1,Wren 1,Great Tit 4,Blue Tit 1,Goldcrest 1.A fieldfare was seen in the west scrub,along the mill stream a Kingfisher was present along with 2 more Goldcrests,best of all was a flock of 50 Siskin feeding in the Alders on the edge of the Bittern lake.Went back from 1615-1645 to try my luck with the Bitterns but they did not show.However a Water Rail and and Cetti`s were heard.

Wildfowl count and other bird sightings.

The freezing weather of December 08,continued into Jauary.On 4th walked around the Leybourne and New Hythe lakes counting the wild fowl.Mute Swan 21,Coot 510,Pochard 122,Tufted Duck 351,Gadwall 110,Shoveler 63,Mallard 33,Great Crested Grebe 23,Little Grebe 5,Greylag Goose 12,Canada Goose 3 and Goosander (red-head) 1.Four Goldcrests were also seen on the walk round and a single male Stonechat,which was a different bird than the one present in December 08 (less white in the wings).On the 14th a male and female Blackcap in my garden,which now makes 4 in total since December 08,when a male and female were trapped and ringed.All the birds have been feeding in the same Ivy bush.18th male Blackcap retrapped in garden (08 bird).20th,New Hythe,put up one 40ft net 1300-1400,hit a flock of Tits,5 Blue Tits,2 Great Tits,1 Goldcrest and 6 Long tailed Tits,including 2 retraps from September 08.In the garden a male and female Reed Bunting and 1 Mistle Thrush,which was the first since winter 1985.