Feral Pheasants

There appears to be far more pheasants this year that avoided the guns over the winter. I have discovered three broken eggs in different locations. Crows, magpies, and foxes are the most likely culprits. It will be interesting in coming weeks to see how many poults manage to escape and repopulate the area. It is interesting to see how many hens are still roaming the fields, usually in groups of two or three with a cock in tow. Clearly some birds have yet to nest, perhaps they are awaiting, like the rest of us, the warmer weather.

Linnets

There is a small colony of linnets beginning to nest at the foot of the downs. They only make their presence obvious in the morning. I was there yesterday watching a beutiful cock bird at about ten metres when something caught my eye. It was a hen just a few feet from me. A brief examination of the briar patch revealed a beautiful nest.
There are meadow pipits in the wheat fields amongst the skylarks.

Invaders

Two second sightings in one day suggest that we may have new species becoming permanent fixtures in the area. I am referring to red kites and ring necked parakeets. The second is an alien species, whilst trhe kites have been delibverately reintroduced. My preference undoubtedly is for the kites.

First Swallow

Saw my first swallow of the year today at Wrotham Heath. Also heard and glimpsed a nightingale at Leybourne Lakes. It was not singing its full song but was undoubtedly the notes of a nightingale. There were also whitethroats present, the first seen this year.
Yesterday a red kite hung over the field in front of the house. Riding the up-currents it flew backwards and forwards giving superb vews of this distinctive bird. The first viewing of this species from the house.

Nesting Goldfinches

I have dunnocks, blackbirds, robins, blue tits and wrens nesting in or around the garden, but this morning saw a hen goldfinch collecting white fluff from old japanese anemones to be used for nest lining. This is about a month earlier than I would expect.
Blackcaps have suddenly appeared in some numbers and the bushes at the base of the North Downs have a cock singing every fifty yards or so.
A pair of red-legged partridge seem to have set up home in the fields opposite the house. I look forward to seeing whether they breed.
Saw a nuthatch and a tree creeper within two minutes of each other today at Wrotham Heath.

Mystery Holes at Wedge Wood

I was at Wedge Wood to take down the tent. It had been in  situ for about a year but as it was leaking, I wished to repair it and then build a wooden camping platform before returning it. Upon lifting the groundsheet, I found numerous little holes in the ground. My first thought was that mice or voles had been responsible, but there were no tunnels and none of the holes were lined with grass.
I then saw a hole at the very edge of the tent base and this one still had its occupant, a toad. I reckon that something like forty toads had hibernated beneath my tent; for some reason, only one of them had failed to emerge from its winter shelter. The photographs show some of the holes and the toad.

Feuding Finches

I witnessed several greenfinches and some goldfinches in the garden yesterday morning. There were several cock greenfinches and I was surprised to see them in such close proximity so close to the breeding season. Inevitably, it led to some chasing amongst the cocks. Then one greenfinch cock chased away a goldfinch. No great surprise there but then the reverse occurred. I would not have expected a much smaller goldfinch be aggressive towards a cock greenfinch.