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The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a busy time with lots of house and garden work, setting up my BBS walks and trying to catch up on on those little jobs which didn't seem that urgent when I went on holiday!

So, gardening and housework done (sort of) and it was off out to recce my two BBS walks.   Both went well, although one has an area that is totally inaccessible (unless you have wings!) and where the landowner is rather forthright in his comments.   Good job I'm used to football crowds and wasn't overly offended.

Green-veined White

Last Wednesday Irene and I did a walk around one of the BBS squares and had a lovely sunny wander through a small wood and some fields.   Whitethroat, Blackcap and large numbers of Blue Tit and Chaffinch were our main counts.   We did find a predated egg at one stage, but have been unable to identify it - probably from one of the nearby farms as it was rather large!

Water on Great Bells

A couple of days ago I visited Great Bells on Sheppey with the RSPB to see what is being achieved there - given their loss of the Elmley Reserve to ECT.   [note that whilst the original Elmley reserve will remain open to the public as previously, Great Bells is a sanctuary reserve with no public access.]   Having been involved in a couple of surveys of the site when it's management was originally taken over by the RSPB,  it was interesting to see how the new rills and bunds have changed the site and once the installation of a new pumping system takes place, hopefully more water on the site will bring about an improved habitat for birds and wildlife in general.

Yesterday the whole Wednesday squad were back together and we went off to Cliffe Pools.   We had a lovely walk in sunshine, even though the wind did play havoc with Malcolm's hearing aid and Sally, Irene and my hairdo!!

Great Migrant Habitat at Cliffe

We had several Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, Nightingale, Cuckoo, Common Tern, Swallows and Swifts to enthral us. Added to those summer migrants, we also counted around 150 Avocets, many of them appeared to be settled on one of the islands - so potentially nesting.   Redshank, Whimbrel, and Oystercatchers were feeding in the fields around the pools.   Cetti's Warbler and Dunnock were singing well, and a Chiffchaff was skulking about low in the brambles with nesting material.

Spot the Lapwing nest!

We found Lapwing nesting in the nearby fields, some of them appear to have chosen a dangerous spot, in the path of some rather large-footed horses, but hopefully nature will find a way of making it work - can you spot the bird on the nest?

With a Marsh Harrier in the distance, two Hobby and a Peregrine overhead our day was complete.

Here's looking forward to a great day at Minsmere!