The RSPB Community

Open door policy at Northward Hill

Rolf W RSPB — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:09:50 GMT

If there is one thing about the office at RSPB Northward Hill, we operate an open door policy.

All are welcome to pop in and say hello, ask questions, and find out what's about on the North Kent Marshes. It's not a visitor centre by any means, but since we are all working hard inside giving nature home it is nice to meet the visitors and members who also make it happen. I am not one normally to begrudge my work, but yesterday something arrived in my in tray that, frankly, wasn't my job to deliver.

I had twice heard something move on my desk, and not being the tidiest of desks I thought something was about to fall over. In the end I gave the desk a good shake so that what-ever it was that was sliding would just get on with it and then I could file it away properly. On the third occasion I thought I was losing my marbles, but the sound caused me to take a proper look in my in tray and there I came nose to beak with a juvenile robin!

The nest is in the apex of the barn roof exactly in line with the office door. The chick must have finally launched its self to freedom and parachuted on a straight-line trajectory into the office and from there some-how made its way to my pile of work. I believe in adopting the right attitude at work, but this was ridiculous! The fledgling was promptly moved to my out tray and decanted back into the wild, and I had a stern word with Mrs Robin on the way back in, lest she had any ideas for the remaining chicks.

Wild About You this Sunday

Rolf W RSPB — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:08:32 GMT

Is it Spring? Not all of our birds seem convinced! We are hearing nightingales and cuckoos, and seeing the usual migrants, whitethroats and lesser whitethroats, willow warblers and chiffchaffs, but are they here in the numbers that we would expect?

In the next of the RSPB’s monthly bird ringing adventures you can join the ringing team to see who has arrived.

A short interactive presentation will explain what a ‘Constant Effort Survey’ is, the nationwide ringing study coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and how it reveals the state of nature in the UK.

BTO volunteer Roger Kiddie said, “Our bird ringing research provides a close-up health check on birds. The cold start has knocked back insects, the staple diet for many nesting birds, the race is now on to recover from a late start and get chicks away from the nest.”

As usual,you will assist the ringing team in releasing the birds back into the wild, presenting a unique opportunity to see the birds close-up.

All the details are on the events page... see you there!

Spring time!

Luke — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:38:35 GMT

Our first Swallows of the year were spotted five days ago and since then we have had a steady stream passing through the Northward Hill reserve. Chiffchaffs and Blackcap are now in song and a large fall of Wheatear (50+) this morning, along with our first singing Nightingale, really signaled the start of spring. To add to the excitement, a female Redstart was noted near the reserve. Spring is finally here!

The Marvels of Mosses

Dominique — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:18:00 GMT

Walking through the woods today the birds weren’t singing and the bees weren’t flying. But before I cried into my last soggy tissue I took a moment to have a poke around in the undergrowth. The variety and density of mosses was outstanding, and it’s the best time of the year to observe them. Mosses are simple organisms, with a lack of vascular system (a network used for the transport of nutrients and water).This simplicity limits their size however makes them perfect for colonising untouched ground. Recently Scientists have suggested that the arrival of early plants on land 460 million years ago, such as mosses, encouraged life to flourish by reducing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂).At this time there was 16 times as much CO₂ that meant the average global temperature was 25^oC - ten degrees higher than today’s average! Moss removes CO₂ from the atmosphere by dissolving the rock it sits on with an acid to extract nutrients; the chemically altered rock then reacts with CO₂, which removes it from the atmosphere.

Coincidentally right now is the time that mosses reproduce, indicated by sporophytes, alien like capsules, reaching out from the tips. Although the spores are perfectly formed for transport by turbulent air the lack of vascular system and thus close proximity to the ground means that the spores don’t quite reach the atmospheric turbulent wind boundary layer. The evolutionary response to this dilemma, by some mosses, is quite outstanding – they explode their capsules – cannon gun style 36,000 feet into the air!

The more you read about mosses the stranger it gets! The only period in a mosses lifecycle that the moss contains full genetic information (diploid) is during the reproductive period. Everything before this point in its life has been with only half its genetic information (haploid). Generally, life cannot exist substantially in this state, for example, an egg or sperm cannot develop further until fertilisation. However if you look at any moss without the reproductive pods you are observing an exception to the rule. There are no differences from the haploid moss to a diploid moss apart from the fact that it cannot reproduce.

Not only are mosses simply amazing they are also very beautiful. Held on up to the light some species are translucent and glassy, the individual leaves resemble peridots other darker species emeralds. Some species are wild and tumbling whereas other are arranged around a central point giving them a star like formation. So why not head outdoors and have a closer look at the undergrowth, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Búho, Lechuza and Mochuelo

Nico Vilela — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:51:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this video)

My name is Nico and I am a residential volunteer that started at Northward Hill Nature Reserve last February. Being in the right place at the right time has enabled me to record this footage with my camcorder last week at Cliffe Pools. I wanted to share on the blog this video I made of a barn owl and, also, take the opportunity to say a few words about this wonderful bird.

Being of Spanish origin, I am interested in knowing the common names of birds in both languages. Doing a bit of research on barn owls, I found that in Spanish we have three different names for birds that we, in the UK, consider as owls. The word owl is translated as “búho”, name given to those owls which have plumage that stick up from the head looking like ears (Strigidae family). Barn owls (and all the Tytonidae family) go under the name “lechuza”; and little owls (Glaucidium genus) are called “mochuelos”.

It is a privilege to be able to see a barn owl flying over Northward Hill most evenings when I go for a walk. They are amazing birds for their unique hunting habits, but also, they are very important birds as indicator species. Their presence show that other wildlife that provide a good food supply must be thriving, therefore, indicating good habitat condition.

They depend on their hearing and their smooth silent flight to catch prey. Each ear opening, situated one below the other behind their eyes, hears the same sound differently, enabling their brain to calculate the exact location of their prey. In addition, having a "low wing loading" (big wings supporting a lightweight body) and soft feathers allows for slow and quiet flying, an essential feature to be able to selectively listen out for prey.

Barn conversions, land-use intensification and the use of insecticides, pesticides and rodenticides have been the cause of their decline throughout the 20th century. Although barn owls are on the amber list of conservation concern in the UK, their population is stable at the moment. However, we need to keep supporting the work done by the RSPB and other conservation organizations so we can keep seeing these charismatic birds flying on our landscapes. I especially believe in the importance of encouraging our farming community towards more environmentally friendly and traditional forms of farming, as these approaches will maintain the habitats that sustain our barn owls and many other wildlife.

Away with the birds

Rolf W RSPB — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:50:41 GMT

Today I had the opportunity to fly over most of the RSPB's nature reserves in the Greater Thames Futurescape.

It was the first day in a long time that was relatively sunny, the blizzards of earlier in the week had gone, but there remained some snow on the ground, and it was below freezing as we soared 1,400ft above the Thames estuary.

The overwhelming impression was how wet the land was looking compared with last year this time when we were suffering from a drought. The decades or hard work, planning, sculpting and tending to our land was shown-off in all its splendor by the beautiful patterns that the water drew-out upon the land, filling the ditches, rills, floods and scrapes as we intended so that the birds can feed through the winter and build-up reserves for their flight north to Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding grounds.

RSPB Northward Hill positively shimmered, and the new scrape created to the south of the Cooling Radio Station, while a significant addition to the reserve was difficult to pick-out for all the other prime wetland surrounding it.

As the land slowly dries back into the spring and summer, lapwing and redshank will find the perfect conditions to hatch and rear their young while about them, cuckoo, nightingale and turtle dove go about their similar business, hopefully crossing your path somewhere along the way.

A very brave walk on a freezing Mother's Day! At Cliffe. By David Sauders

Dominique — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:23:08 GMT

Despite the cold and dull weather 7 souls braved the elements to enjoy a most exhilarating mornings birding. It is always nice to see Alan and Terry make the effort all the way from Abbeywood, also the appropriately named Cliff along with stalwarts Sue, Steve and Warren.

Well protected off we set just after nine, Oystercatcher, Tufted Duck, Pochard and B.H.Gull were first onto the list, quickly followed by a Sparrowhawk and Bullfinch. We trekked high up onto the pinnacle to get an overview and could see the spectacular numbers of birds we were to have closer encounters with a little later. Over towards Alpha Pool Canada and Greylag Geese fed on the grass.

A Kestrel hung windward in the distance as we descended. Huge flocks of several thousand birds flew up from the high water roosts, mainly Blackwits and Lapwing with high counts of Dunlin. A Stock Dove was also seen

Back at ground level we added, off the Radar islands, Med.Gull, Avocet, on the water were Shelduck, Pintail, Coot, Moorhen and Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe and Little Egret. Overhead were various Corvids etc.

On a side pool off Conoco we spied Long tailed Tits and a Goldcrest. Shortly after a couple of huge flocks of Dunlin flew directly overhead by about 10 metres, giving us an audio as well as a visual display with their wing beats and whistling..

On Flamingo were Gadwall, Goldeneye, Teal and Shoveller.

Over toward the Thames was a female Marsh Harrier. In spite of the weather Skylark with Meadow Pipit took to the air.

Redshank, Grey Plover, Turnstone and Ringed Plover were at the top and beach end of Flamingo. Gulls were all around as usual in addition to those mentioned, Lesser Black Backs and Herring.

Blue Tits, Great Tits and Song Thrush flew around us.

Other species seen were Mallard, Cormorant, Dunnock, Blackbird and Robin.

So all in all a brief, cold trip, but we managed to clock up 47 species in three hours and a good time was had by all.

Being Mothers' Day I wondered how many of the female birds would end up being Mothers next Breeding Season. Here's hoping for a good year !

REGARDS DAVID SAUNDERS; RSPB WALK LEADER

Cliffe Pools Sightings - 8th Febuary 2013

Dominique — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 23:51:08 GMT

On Elf Pool:

Widgeon (in their hundreds)
Teal
Shelduck
Tufted Ducks

Near Black Barn Pools

Barn Owl (in field opposite black barn pool viewpoint)
Female Marsh Harrier
Pintail
Shoveller

Sightings from nearby Northward Hilll

Dominique — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:31:00 GMT

Over by Decoy Hill two Bewick Swans and a White Fronted Goose were spotted! This was three days ago (22nd Jan), spotted by Paul Keene.

Knock twice! Two success stories.

Dominique — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:41:00 GMT

As we were not quite snowed in yesterday morning, turning up to work was obligatory; there is no skiving when you live on site! Our first job was a log delivery. For a while now the team at Northward Hill have been undertaking fire wood deliveries to the Hoo peninsular as a way of raising money for the running of the reserve. The logs are sourced from the scrub clearance on the marsh (necessary to encourage breeding wetland birds by removing any perches for raptors) and areas in the woodland, which are opened up helping to create uneven age distribution of woodland. The wood has been seasoned for over 12 months and is processed by hand. Posters made by myself and Amy, another residential volunteer, have been distributed around the community, leading to an influx of orders. Our charity logs have been regarded as a great success and people are raving about the personal touch.

On route to the wood delivery; the wildlife was running wild! Foxes ran in front of the truck, Fieldfares covered the fields surrounding Cliffe and the Great Spotted Woodpecker made a special appearance clinging to a roadside telegraph pole! In the past ten years, the great spotted has become a success story of its own, with breeding pairs reaching 40,000 in the last BTO breeding birds survey. It is not completely understood why their numbers have increased, however there is a theory that the surplus of dead wood from the Dutch Elms disease increased habitat for the grubs which the Great Spotted feeds on. Let alone their remarkable appearance their anatomical engineering is phenomenal. Whilst pecking the g-force on the skull and beak exceeds 1000 g; which should cause them to shatter upon impact. However a few clever adaptations prevent this: the hyoid bone which loops around the nose eyes and throat (kind of like a safety belt), an elastic beak and an area of spongy bone in the skull. The tissues in the skull have even been studied by motorbike companies to improve helmet design. This fantastic bird also has specially adapted toes which allowed our friend to cling to that telephone pole. His red black and white markings stood out spectacularly in contrast to snowy Higham, a not only a physically but visually stunning success story.

Earthworks to waterworks

Dominique — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:53:00 GMT

Happy New Year!

The area around the Calling Radio Station (the red brick building visible from the marshland viewpoint) has been dramatically transformed over the past month. If you visited in December you will have seen the humongous trucks and diggers scouring the earth, digging out shallow scrapes in the three fields surrounding the old WWII building.

Over the Christmas holidays the downpour that commenced has filled these scrapes right up. In time invertebrates and plants will colonize the mud and thus encourage wetland birds to inhabit the area. Although this may take a while it’s definitely worth a walk up to the woodland view point to get an excellent view of the significant change to the landscape. And of course it’s the perfect way to loosen the belt after all those Christmas choccies!

Of Moles and Men

Dominique — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:02:39 GMT

Looking out of my bedroom window last week I discovered not only a beautiful rainbow but also another of nature’s great spectacles, the blemish of molehills. Moles are fascinating animals yet relatively little is known about them. Amateur naturalist Peter Stafford took the very first photograph of a mole underground as recently as 1967. It was not until 40 years later that another photograph was taken, again by Peter, using infrared for the BBC’s Spring Watch.

The unconventional mammal appears to have six digits, however, the sixth finger is actually a specially modified wrist bone of the pentadactyl fin shared by almost all vertebrates. Their eyes were once believed to be vestigial but students from the University of Aberdeen found that they could detect light even when their eyes are shut! In the same study it was also discovered that moles have a type of stem cell which repairs retinas from diseases which cause blindness: these cells are present in our own eyes but remain dormant. Thus studying the eyes of moles could thus hold the key to human retinal repair!

Moles have been known to have a bit of a tough time of it. They are hated by gardeners and were once hunted for their soft furs but this past year has been a bumper success for moles, as the excessive and extended rain this spring/summer has kept the ground soft making it easy for males to burrow around in the search of potential mates. The wet weather has also kept earthworms near the surface and as their main food source, it has allowed them to stay out in the fields longer rather than retreat to woodlands (where the soil remains moist) as they usually do.

It is likely that this has been the most whiskery baby boom yet!

A December morning

Rolf W RSPB — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:47:00 GMT

On a December morning there is no finer place to be than Northward Hill. The driveway to Bromhey Farm as with other reserves is often a thrill in itself, with Rooks, Crows and Great Spotted Woodpecker enjoying the winter sun and blue skies overhead. Flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing were at Elmley so I was eager to catch up with the ‘winter thrushes’. Good numbers were on the hawthorn bushes laden with their distinctive red berries and the birds were taking full advantage of the glut, gorging to fatten up for the coming months.

To the viewpoint and the bushes were alive with Greenfinches, Chaffinch and Goldfinches prising off the tree buds as best they could, it was pleasing to see so many juvenile finches around, despite the dismal summer some had managed to raise broods, and still the many Fieldfare chakkered their way from tree to tree all around...

A Kestrel sat a on a telephone wire then set off on a forage. Gorse bushes shone in the sunlight, a Green Woodpecker flew its undulating flight to a distant tree.
At the moment a lot of work is being carried out to re-landscape for the future but in the distance Greylag Geese, Lapwing, Cormorant were seen at Egypt Bay. Closer on the ponds were a lot of Teal, Widgeon and 3 Gadwall and another couple of hundred Greylags. In the distance the unmistakeable dark form of a young Marsh Harrier could be seen quartering the dykes, mobbed by Crows and Rooks before alighting onto a low post to escape the harassment. A keen eye spotted a small falcon land near to a patch of mud, it was a female Merlin, always a delight. A Heron krawed overhead seemingly chasing a young Cormorant, a little while later a Sparrowhawk flew through. Other Corvids were Magpies, Jay and of course Jackdaw. A Common Buzzard then wheeled into view eventually settling atop a bare tree, two magpies flew in and perched within a metre of the much larger raptor. I watched fascinated to see them pecking at its’ wing tips and tail feathers. Unsurprisingly, after a minute or so of this pestering, off she flew to continue her soaring until lost from view.

Back at the car park I watched a huge flock of scores of mixed finches flitting backward and forward between the bushes and a sea of sunflower heads, feasting for a short while then en masse dashing back to the safety of the hawthorn. After ten minutes the reason for their nervousness appeared and hurled itself into their midst. A male Sparrowhawk, a minute later it flew off across the field empty talloned. Driving back on the road, he sat on a small tree and dashed off at the sound of my car splashing through the puddles. The day was not quite finished for the Merlin appeared again flying off a foot or so above the wilting winter crop into the distance no doubt hoping to surprise attack a pipit.

David Saunders

Guts and Glory, by Amy Winchester

Dominique — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:08:03 GMT

Standing in the freezing cold November air waiting for the start of the race I wondered why I had chosen to miss my Sunday lie-in in favour of a 5km run through pits of mud and chilly water. Then I thought about my past four months of residential volunteering on the RSPB reserve at Northward Hill. I had gained so many skills, chain-sawing, brush-cutting, off-road driving and of course bird identification and surveying, and throughout all the different daily tasks we always had the company of birds.

Rowing a small boat across Cliffe Pools in order to brush-cut an island we were overwhelmed by the stunning sight of several thousand Dunlin taking flight in the afternoon autumn sun. Four months ago I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Common Gull and a Herring Gull, but now I was excited when we luckily spotted a Firecrest (the smallest bird in the UK, alongside the Goldcrest) during a patrol around Cliffe, and I am pleased to say I am now able to recognise the call of Fieldfare (Chak-chak-chak).

So, as I was sliding down the next muddy bank into the pool of freezing water I felt very proud to be raising money for a charity that has helped me learn something new about the little birds that keep me company everyday.

Luke Wallace (my fellow residential volunteer) and I managed to raise £100 for the RSPB by running the ‘Guts and Glory’ race at Bures Pit, Essex, so thank you to everyone who sponsored us.

Amy Winchester

(Residential Volunteer)

Great Expectations by David Saunders

Dominique — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:15:00 GMT

Great Expectations

On such a December morning as this there is no finer place to be than Northward Hill. The driveway from the road to Bromhey Farm car park as with other reserves is often a thrill in itself, with Rooks, Crows and Great Spotted Woodpecker enjoying the winter sun and blue skies overhead. A friend had already text me about the numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing at Elmley, so I was eager to catch up with the ‘winter thrushes’. I had hardly got out of the car when I saw both in number on the hawthorn. The bushes were laden with the distinctive red berries and the birds were unsurprisingly taking full advantage of them. Feeling the how cold it was, they will have to gorge themselves to fatten up for the coming months. On the way to the viewpoint the bushes were alive with birds feeding, Greenfinches and Goldfinches prising off the buds as best they could.

It was pleasing to see so many juvenile finches around, so despite the wet summer some had managed to raise broods, and still the many Fieldfare were chakkering their way from tree to tree all around me.
A Kestrel sat a on a telephone wire then set off on a forage. Gorse bushes shone in the sunlight, at last at the viewpoint, where it was pleasing to note the returned seating. A Green Woodpecker flew its undulating flight to a nearby tree.

At the moment a lot of work is being carried out to re-landscape for the future but in the distance Greylag Geese, Lapwing, Cormorant were seen at Egypt Bay. Closer on the flood were a lot of Teal, Widgeon and 3 Gadwall.

As I watched the ducks, the dark form of a young Marsh Harrier could be seen quartering the dykes, mobbed by crows before alighting onto a low post.

A Heron krawed on high seemingly chasing a young Cormorant, a little while later a Sparrowhawk past over.

Other Corvids were Magpies and Jay and of course Jackdaw. A buzzard then wheeled into view eventually settling atop a bare tree, two magpies flew in and perched within a metre or so of the much larger raptor. I was fascinated to see them pecking at her wing tips and tail feathers. Not surprisingly after a minute or two of this pestering off she flew to continue her soaring until she was lost from my view.
There is no doubt that the North Kent Marshes are a magical place at any season and must be preserved at all cost my great expectation for an excellent morning was not lost as Magwitch was in the murky depths of the marsh.

DIY Easy Peasy Birdfeeder!

Dominique — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:24:00 GMT

It's no secret that garden birds need all the food they can get over winter, with some smaller species having to consume twice their own body weight daily just to survive!

However whilst putting out fat balls is essential, it is easy for birds to become deficient in vitamins. Wild berries are a natural source of the vital vitamins. Rosehips provide a fantastic source of Vitamin C which is why it was once common practise to give babies rosehip syrup (which can also be combined deliciously with vanilla icecream). Hawthorn berries also do the business, a favourite of the on and off visitor, waxwings. Urban gardens are often void of these types of plants as they are rather less palatable to us.

This simple and decorative bird feeder provides alternative nourishment than that found in many shop bought designs. In just a few easy steps you can make one of these :

You will need:

An apple, the perfect way of losing the last slightly squidgy one in the fruit bowl!

An apple corer or sharp narrow knife.

Garden twine/string.

A wooden skewer.

Seeds (pictured here are pumpkin seeds, but sunflower hearts are best).

Firstly core the apple, then make small incisions all over the apple and fit the seeds inside them. Create a perch by snapping the skewer into a piece twice the width of the apple. Loop the string around the middle of the skewer and then push it through the cored center. It is now ready for hanging up in the nearest tree! An additional perch can be added by poking the remaining skewer through the apple perpendicular to the first (see picture above).

Our one was very popular with the goldfinchs and chaffinchs which hang out in the car park. Within the day the seeds were gone and a few days later so had the apple. Why not try it out with different fruits?

Bon appetite!

Recent Sightings at Cliffe Pools by Murray Orchard

Dominique — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:40:59 GMT

Recent Sightings Sunday 2nd Dec at Cliffe Pools, Thanks Murray Orchard!

Goldeneye 21 (4 drakes) – on Flamingo Pool

Scaup 1 (fem/juv on Radar Pool)

Velvet Scoter 1 (fem/juv on Radar Pool)

Great Crested Grebe 70 (Radar Pool)

Little Grebe 107 (Radar Pool)

Greenshank 1

Black-tailed Godwit 1,630 (roosting on Ski Pool)

Teal 680

Wigeon 170

Shoveler 105

Pintail 22

Mallard 95

Friday 23rd Cliffe Pools Sightings

Dominique — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:50:53 GMT

A quick trip to Cliffe Pools on Friday left us with some exciting sightings!

Female Hen Harrier
Firecrest
Spotted Red Shank

A Literary Landscape

Dominique — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:16:00 GMT

Curled up on the couch, with a mug of cocoa, Friday left me feeling particularly thankful for modern day central heating, inner cavity insulation and furnishings. The wind wrapped itself around the building whistling at all the cracks whilst the rain shattered down on the tin roof above the office, well within earshot. This and a combination of my reading material left me particularly in awe of the marsh land communities which existed here in the 19^th century. Of course I had been reading Great Expectations, which (in the improbability that you don’t know) was written by Dickens and set here on the North Kent marshes. Looking out from the Ernest Hemsley viewpoint on the reserve it is possible to see the remains of an 1800's pub. Perhaps this was the very one Dickens had in mind for the scene in The Jolly Bargemen. No other buildings remain from this period, emphasising the lonliness of the marsh.

When I first arrived I had asked the long running volunteers what Northward Hill was like in the winter and the unanimous reply was bleak. This did worry me a little however I was then too soaked up in the August sunshine to really listen. Now that the weather has begun to turn I am starting to see what they mean exactly! Lots of wind, rain and mysterious mists! Dickens took full advantage of the mists that arise on the marsh throughout the book for dramatic effect. The mists came to symbolise danger and uncertainty. For example when Pip is a young boy running to give vittels and a file to the convict, when Orlick tries to murder him and on his walk to the coach to London, perhaps signifying of the misgivings to come from his fortune.

It is really worth a visit to the site to have a first hand experience of the grazing marsh, little unchanged from 200years ago. For everybody knows walks which encounter red noses and thermos flasks are the most exhilarating for a Sunday afternoon. It is well known that Dickens himself was a enthusiastic walker, walking up to 20miles each day! Why not savour a taste of the marsh that Dickens lived and loved and visit Northward Hill today!

(image: Snipe, Gallinago gallinago, at home in the grazing marsh)

David Saunders' Sunday Walk

Dominique — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:17:00 GMT

On the way to Northward Hill near to the village of High Halstow a Kestrel hung in the beautiful autumnal blue sky scanning the verges for a tasty meal.

A mile or so on at the RSPBs Woodland car park a familiar tinkling from on high in an Ash tree came from a dozen or so Goldfinches as they fed. Already a Green Woodpecker could be heard yaffling in the distant, then almost at the same time came the chip-chipping of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and so into the wood proper.

Wood pigeon clattered out of the Hawthorns making me look skywards to the source of their alarm, a Sparrowhawk drifted on the breeze overhead, I wasn’t sure if that was the reason for their fears, but more of that later. A dragonfly alighted on a nearby tree giving me an excellent chance to get in a quick photo and identify it as a Common Darter.

Corvids were all over, Carrion Crows, Magpie, Rooks and Jackdaws making their’ kyak’ call over me. Then I saw a buzzard wheeling as it turned in small circles taking advantage of the scant thermals of the cooler climes. Robin, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Dunnock and the commoner Tits flitted through the undergrowth, always a delight were Long Tailed Tits si-si-ing from bough to bough foraging for tiny insects to fatten up for harsher times ahead.

At the panorama of Northward hill with the incredible views of Egypt Bay, Essex and the outskirts of the Capital I spied a Marsh Harrier quartering a distant hedgerow. A Heron sat statuesque amongst the reeds close to the WWII communications Station as 50 Black-tailed Godwit spun over the flood probably in response to the female Harrier. I spoke to a couple of couples walking through about the madness of an airport within a hundred miles of this world class site and they were in total agreement.

A Jay flew into a nearby tree catching my attention and a dark coloured Butterfly fluttered round an Oak settling onto a dead log allowing me time to get a good image. It was a Peacock male still in summer colours, deep red wings with four large peacock- likes ‘eyes’ acting as a defensive markings.

For me that was a highlight but I didn’t know that in a couple of moments it would be surpassed. My attention was caught as a large brown raggedy bird flew up from the base of a nearby tree obviously disturbed by my presence, at the scene was an almost eaten Wood Pigeon and the diner was a Buzzard! I imagine the moulting the raptor had actually predated the pigeon as opposed to finding it as carrion. No wonder the pigeons were on tender-hooks !

Sightings By Linturn Hopkins

Dominique — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:03:00 GMT

Linturn came to the reserve last week and here is his account of the visit:

"Sightings from Earnest Hemsley viewpoint: Scanning across the marsh I saw a male Peregrine sat on a gate preening, and a Common Buzzard was seen flying inland over toward Cliffe. A Little Owl called from trees below the mound. Several Redwing and 5 Fieldfare were in the bushes as were 2 Chiffchaff, 3/4 Goldcrest, 20+ Long-tailed Tit, 3 Song Thrush and 10+ Blackbird. Overhead a male Sparrowhawk soared, eventually diving down toward the farm. A few Siskin and a Redpoll flew around the viewpoint.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker fed on the bird feeder behind the viewing screen.

Marsh viewpoint: 800-1000 Black-tailed Godwit (spooked by female Marsh Harrier, took flight, but returned to scrape), 40 Teal apox, 8 Common Snipe, 1 Little Egret fed in the ditch next to the reservoir. Two female Marsh Harriers were further out over the marsh and another Common Buzzard flew west and low over the viewpoint, towards Cliffe, late afternoon. On the western side of Northward Hill, two more Common Buzzards hung in the cool northerly wind and a female Kestrel also hunted there. As evening drew in, Chaffinch flocks appeared - aprox 100 chaffinch in total and 1 Brambling (heard calling) passed over toward Northward Hill. The Little Owls were, surprisingly, quiet!

Also I saw a very late Ruddy Darter dragonfly which made the most of the warm afternoon sun (it was warm out of the wind!). Will it see another day?"

Mushroom season

Dominique — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 21:50:00 GMT

Last week the shops were crammed with witch’s hats, gruesome masks and spooky treats, but whilst all the racket of Halloween was going on another unearthly spectacle was unfolding. Past the autumnal equinox, the colder air masses have swept in making way for more rain as well as... an invasion of fungi!

They hide amongst the undergrowth, feeding off decaying wood and rotting organic matter. Few resemble anything like that which you might savour with your full English breakkie. Those dull cousins barely resemble the exotically coloured inside-out umbrellas (chanterelles, Cantharellus sp.), lace like plumes (morels, Morchella sp.), the coral reef imitators (Ramaria) and those creepy gelatinous ear shaped mushrooms! Devil like horns (Geoglossom) can be found poking out of the earth, a strange intrusion to unfamiliar eyes. Mushrooms are in fact only the flowering part of a myecelium fungus which inhabits the soil below; a mere gram of woodland soil can contain up to 1million species of microscopic fungus. It’s not just their diverse and alien appearance which is intriguing; 14 species in Britain are even toxic. Voltaire (the political thinker) once said “ this dish of mushrooms has changed the destiny of Europe,” after the death cap mushroom knocked off Charles VI (Holy Roman Emperor) leading to an outbreak of war.

Northward Hill has been sprouting all kinds of mushroom now the wet weather has arrived. See below for the impressive photo taken by Nick Covarr, residential volunteer, from the top of the sunflower field.

Why not come for a wander and see how many you can spot for yourselves!

Recent Sightings

Dominique — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:00:39 GMT

Recent Sightings in and around the penisular:

5 Ring ouzels spotted at Cliffe

Firecrest at Alan's Pool

2 Short eared owls at St. Mary's Marsh

Thanks to local bird watchers for reporting.

Hawthorn, why it's got us talking!

Dominique — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:29:14 GMT

Opening up small glades within the woodland at Northward Hill is one of the many ways we work to encourage a wider diversity of species on the reserve. It serves to break down the stability of a climaxed community in which just a few species have monopolised. So these past few days it has been the job of us (the volunteers) to do exactly that. Armed with chainsaws, brush cutters, loppers and shears this should of been a breeze were it not that one of the most dominant plants, the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), personally referred to as a silent series of expletives! This plant has certainly got us all talking – whilst comparing, and sometimes competing, to demonstrate the most impressive scratches, punctures and splinters, to ringing up Granddad and asking whether it was manganese sulphate or monosodium glutamate paste he used to make to draw out splinters, the dreaded bush never wanders far from our minds. But the funny thing is people have been chatting away about this woody shrub for centuries!

The plant is shrouded in folklore, possibly more than any other plant in the British flora. Over the years the plant, which is a member of the rose family Rosaceae, has also been known as Hag (old English), Porn (Norse), Ske (Old Irish), May, Mother-die, Quick, Awes, Agags, Boojuns and many more! The name May relates to its ties to May Day where the beautiful blossom was once used for decorative purposes such as in the May queen's crown. The hawthorn was also said to possess magical powers:

"He who bathes in the dew of the hawthorn tree, he forever handsome be,"

Goodness only knows how you bath in hawthorn dew! Despite these positive connotations the plant also bears a sinister side: apparently bringing death and illness if taken inside a house. Anybody who cuts one down without good reason is said to have bad luck for the rest of their lives! Whether lucky or unlucky Hawthorns are certainly very valuable to insect life as the shrub provides food and shelter to a whopping 150 species! Do you have any Hawthorn tales, old or new? Please comment below.

Little Owls

Dominique — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:36:00 GMT

One of my favourite residents of Northward Hill has to be the Little Owl, and as the leaves turn to ochre hues I cannot wait to see its startling yellow eyes amongst the flora. If you have ever been wandering through the reserve and heard a squeaky dog toy noise from up above then you have most likely heard its distinctive call. This small predator is certainly one of Britain’s cutest birds, leaving the comedian Ricky Gervais with a deep longing to have one to keep as a desk pet.

It may surprise you to know that the creature is not native to our shores; it was in fact introduced from the continent during Victorian times, becoming well established by the 1920's. From the 18 individuals brought to the country in 1888 the species is now currently estimated to have a population of between 5,800 to 11,600 breeding pairs. The bird has long been a symbol of wisdom due to its ancient position as companion to the Greek Goddess Athena. Its percieved nobility and association with higher culture led to its introduction in a time when importing exotic foreign artefacts was popular in Britain.

The Little Owl's success is most likely down to its wide crepuscular (dawn and dusk) hunting time range and food sources. Its prey includes small mammals, beetles, earthworms, insects, amphibians and strangely, although rarely, grasses, leaves and small fruits! Little owls have also been known to keep stashes of food, sometimes impaling beetles onto thorns to keep them in one place. For more information or to listen to its screech click here! Don't forget to visit and try to see one for yourself!