May 12th

I had a slightly different type of walk today, I did my usual car park circuit, where I spent sometime trying to get a photo of a family of LONG-TAILED TITS, with no success, a few LINNETS were whizzing around and the LESSER WHITETHROAT was rattling away also a GREY HERON flew over. I stopped to scan the veg garden for a while, hoping for a Whinchat really, although I still haven't had a spring bird here, there were a couple of SWALLOWS, one picking up mud and one on the fruit wires. I then stood for a while by the moat hoping for a photo opportunity but nothing was really playing ball, I did see GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, WREN, CHIFFCHAFF  and a couple of SONG THRUSH. I then met a another bird-watcher, he was looking for amongst other things Marsh Tits, so I offered to help, there are a few places that are favoured and a short circular walk would touch on 4 potential spots, we headed passed the lake which was fairly quiet. Just passed the lake the first area was fairly devoid of any birds although some more Long-Tailed Tits were nearby, the second area, one of my favourites, again didn't produce the Marsh Tits but there were a couple of CHAFFINCH and GREAT TITS and best of all 2 COAL TITS we continued on and found at least 2 TREECREEPERS in a newly opened up area and a NUTHATCH called there, the final area by a small pond finally gave us our quarry, a MARSH TIT, it looked like it was gathering food and then disappeared into the undergrowth, I was starting to feel a bit of a fraud until it showed itself!! We didn't see a lot else after this, I headed for a quick look across the valley for a couple of minutes, while Gavin was heading to Dungeness, which sounded much more attractive than a day at work  :-(  
I have had a great week, so I'm not complaining. Sorry no photos today just a couple from Dungeness on Monday.