STEVE ASHTON'S WILDLIFE GALLERY

My Diary

Chislet and Stodmarsh.

I had a walk early on this morning around the Chislet area, which rewarded me with my first Nightingales of the year, three in full song, as well as Common and Lesser Whitethroat. Also noted in glorious sunshine were 4 Yellow-hammers, a pair of Bullfinches, along with all of the commoner species one would expect to find out in the country. A female Sparrow-hawk glided low over a field, and an early morning Marsh harrier was seen, looking for its first meal of the day, hunting a small patch of reed bed to the back of the village of Upstreet. It is the first time for two years that I have visited this patch, which consists of reed bed, open fields and plenty of hedge row and wooded areas. Last time here I was rewarded with a Red Kite and a Barn Owl, and being close to the Stour valley, it always seems to have plenty of Avian activity going on. At least 4 Cetti’s Warblers were seen or heard, a Sedge Warbler was heard chattering away deep in the reed bed, and plenty of Reed Buntings were present. I moved on to Stodmarsh and walked down to the Marsh hide with Steve Ray, where a few of the locals had been watching a Grass Snake devouring a Marsh Frog in front of the hide. We caught the tail end of the action, (and the frog) as it disappeared down the snakes throat, and watched as the snake slithered of deeper into the reeds, no doubt to sleep off its dinner. The Marsh Harriers were seen hunting and catching Marsh Frogs from the area out in front of the hide, and a Sparrow-hawk perched briefly in the small bush to the left of the hide. A walk through the Alder wood on the way back where I saw numerous Blackcaps, with plenty of Females now arriving, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Greenfinch were all seen, and a Green Woodpecker was heard. Five Marsh Harriers were seen flying out over the main pool at Stodmarsh, and a pair of Jays were around the car park area, seen as I left for home, to endure the latest helping of rubbish served up by the Arsenal football team. I use the term football loosely.