The last couple of days of wall-to-wall sunshine could almost convince you that spring has sprung, although I've been in North Kent long enough to know that winter can often have a sneaky sting in the tail. Whatever, Monday & Tuesday have been glorious - lapwing are displaying (one of our volunteers today even reported a bird "scraping" for a nest), skylarks are singing over the marsh, avocets are starting to arrive on the Flood (over 100 today), roosting ringed plover seem more interested in displaying than actually roosting and there was even a singing great tit in the orchard at Kingshill Farm today. This bird wasn't giving it's familiar "teacher, teacher" song, but a variation of it. Possibly a young bird getting a bit of practice in, or maybe a European migrant, individuals of which can occur in the county in reasonable numbers in the right conditions. There's still a good variety of ducks on the Flood, although it's clear that many of them have departed across the North Sea on the first leg of their journey back to Russia or Northern Europe. There are also still good numbers of buzzards about, but many of the other raptor species like peregrine & merlin will also be starting to head off to their northen nesting sites. But we can expect to hang on to a few well into the spring. And not forgetting the barn owl that was out hunting at about 5pm last night - these calm, dry conditions will be ideal for them as they try to get into condition for the breeding season.
I've added a cracking photograph of a little egret to the Gallery. It was taken by Christine Chapman along the access track. Thanks for sending that to me.