STEVE ASHTON'S WILDLIFE GALLERY

April 2008

Stodmarsh in Snow and Sleet.

The weather forecasters did not get it wrong this morning, they told of Wintry conditions returning to Kent, and that is certainly what we got. I met up with Jim Johnson and Ray Clarrie at 7.30 a m in the Stodmarsh car park, just as the sleet and snow was beginning to fall. Chiffchaffs were seen and heard as soon as we got out of the cars, and there seemed to be a lot of birds flitting around the trees and bushes. Long-tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits were seen before we left the car park, as was Wren, Robin, Blackbird and Song Thrush. We made our way to the Marsh hide, noting Dunnock, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and Cetti’s Warbler on the way, where all we found from the hide was a hen Pheasant, a solitary Shell Duck and 2 Pipit sp dropped into the wet grass towards the back of the pool. A brief chat with Martyn Wilson, Pete Solly and Allan Ashdown, whom we met as we were leaving the hide, told us that a yellow Wagtail and a Little Ringed Plover was the best of the action from the Grove ferry end. The weather was now deteriorating, so we made our way back to the car park at Stodmarsh, where a pair of Siskin’s were seen on the bridge in the Alder wood, giving an unexpected photo opportunity, even though the light was nearly non existent. Other birds noted on our short stay this morning were 1 Sparrow-hawk, 1 Green and 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay, Reed Bunting and 2 Tree Creeper s. We also noted 1 Water Rail, Cormorant, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Teal, Shoveller, Mute Swans and Grey lag Geese. We saw 4 Marsh Harriers throughout are visit this morning.