The river was high,but on the turn.Weather flat overcast,light southwest,it had started to drizzle by the end of the walk.730 am-9am.

Two dog walkers were already out on the Common by the time I had arrived,but at least the dogs were on leads.Halling marsh (Common) reminds me of what the New Hythe area was like twenty or more years ago,with the numbers of finches,larks,buntings,pipits and wagtails that are in the area and the feeling of space is just great.

Full list of birds recorded-Herring Gull 60,G B b Gull 1,L B b Gull 6,Common Gull 6,B h Gull 60,Cormorant 6,Moorhen 2,Mute Swan 2,G W Pecker 1,G S Woodpecker 1,Mallard 6,Magpie 4,Crow 12,Jackdaw 24 (which flew across to Wouldham) Woodpigeon 20,Collared Dove 8,House Sparrow 4,Starling 30,Blue Tit 4 ,Great Tit 2,Willow Warbler 1,Common Whitethroat 3,Lesser Whitethroat 2,Blackbird 3,Song Thrush 1,Dunnock 2,Robin 1,Wren 1,Chaffinch 1,Linnet 25,Greenfinch 10,Goldfinch 20,Meadow Pipit 25,Yellowhammer 4,Reed Bunting 10,Skylark 1,House Martin 2,Heron 3,Lapwing 6.

A bird I first took to be a female Kestral flying low over the marsh and then across the river to Wouldham,was in fact a brown phase Cuckoo.While I was scanning the Downs in the distance above Upper Halling I saw a flock of Grelag Geese go down into one of the fields,two white Geese were with them,which I thought were probably feral Snow Geese.