And finally..........

Finally a post, and finally the end of a traumatic year, hopefully 2013 will be a better one.
 Thank you to all those who have visited my blog this year and those who have taken time to comment, it's always lovely to hear from you all. I look forward to reading more of your blogs over the coming year.

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks, taken on just 2 days really! My first sighting of a BLACKCAP in winter in my garden is the first pic. The others were taken yesterday, I caught up with the WAXWINGS at Staplehurst station just 3 miles from home, then a quick walk at the castle produced a WATER RAIL, 200+ FIELDFARES and good numbers of REDWING and 6 SISKIN flew north.

Wintering Blackcap

Waxwings

Fieldfare

106 species this year was pleasing, considering the sporadic nature of my visits.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL :-)

December 2nd

The patch finally got a visit, the first for nearly two weeks!! It was a beautiful day, the orchards on the way to the castle were full of FIELDFARE, a few REDWING and REDPOLL. Bull and Birches wood had one small flock of tits which included LONG TAILED and 1 MARSH TIT. Roundshill was similar and when I arrived at the it was lake partly frozen over and held just a handful of MALLARD. Around the fields a KESTREL hunted and 25 LAPWING flew east. I heard a few YELLOWHAMMERS and REED BUNTING, as well as MEADOW PIPIT and SKYLARK.

Part of the 25 no. Lapwing flock

Kestrel

Fieldfare

Raven?

On the way back the corvid above flew north-east the picture and my initial impression point to RAVEN (106?) it was a little distant but heavy cropping, still points me in that direction any thoughts would be more than welcome :-)
The afternoon was spent looking for Waxwings around the Faversham area, despite driving around Yorkletts, where they had been reported, I failed in even finding Youngs Transport yard, let alone any Waxwings!!! A report of 80 birds along Faversham creek had me heading to Abbey Fields and the creek, REDWINGS were everywhere but no Waxwings, a Common Seal (I think) was in the creek, which was really nice to see. Last stop was Oare, I stayed until it was almost dark, there was nothing out of the  ordinary but a long string of STARLINGS headed across the Swale towards Favesham, the line of at least 30-50 birds deep spread for almost half a mile a really great spectacle.

'These berries are all mine!'

Common Seal

Common Seal

Late afternoon Egret