News archive

May 2008

Friday, 30 May 2008

Quiz Night - April 12th 08

Quiz Night - April 12th 08

With around sixteen tables of mixed teams proceedings were run by Quizmaster and local group members Alan Dane assisted by his wife Frances, there was even an entertaining game of Heads and Tails whilst the results were being collated which raised £95. Congratulations to all the teams who took part including the winners.

The event was organised on behalf of the Tonbridge local group by Diana Bideleux; many thanks to her and also Alan & Frances for all their hard work as well as a host of local group members who helped make the evening a success. Our thanks also go out to Hadlow college and particularly Mandy White facilities manager who not only enabled us to use their excellent venue but also made available their superb catering facilities with food prepared on the premises.

There was excellent raffle and the whole event raised £800 for the RSPB. Plans are already in place for a similar event next year around March or April which will be made available on this site in due course.

Sunday, 4 May 2008

Male snipe singing in the rain

Recent Sightings - March/April 08

At Haysden Country Park in Tonbridge, a good range of sightings around the three lakes at the park were recorded throughout March. As well as the resident species such as kingfisher, kestral, sparrowhawk and great crested grebe, there were numbers of ducks including goosander, shelduck and widgeon. Waders in evidence included little ringed plover, greenshank and snipe as well as around 9 little egret at Hawden lake. Water Rails were also present as well as a cormorant roost of around 30 birds at Haysden lake. Also at Haysden lake there were stonechat, cetti's warbler, wheatear and a female black redstart. Ring necked parakeet have also been seen in the area.
April saw the return of large numbers of summer migrants including blackcap, willow and garden warbler, lesser whitethroat and chiffchaff as well as the cetti's and reed warbler. Also Swallow, swifts and martins have returned. The water rail continued to be present as well as a common sandpiper and ring plover. A number of shoveler were present at Haysden lake as well as a female goldeneye, mandarin and an egyptian goose. Other sightings of note have been barn owl, turtle dove, common tern, red legged partridge and common buzzard.

Over at Bewl Water March saw flocks of finches including Linnets, chaffinch and the odd brambling and bullfinch. Fieldfares and redwing were still in evidence as well as a singing yellowhammer. On the waters apart from the usual tufted ducks, mallards, coots and great crested grebes there was also pochard and wigeon and resident great crested grebe.
April has seen the return of migrants namely blackcap and chiffchaff as well skylark.

Foal Husrt Wood continued to record long tailed tit, fieldfare and green woodpecker in March as well as blackcap, chiffchaff and cuckoo in April with swifts arriving later in the month in the Paddock Wood area.

Tudley has seen the return of warblers such as blackcap and willow warbler as well as sightings of the resident woodpeckers.

Notable sightings at Bough Beech nature reservoir in March included a lesser spotted woodpecker and woodcock early in the month with chiffchaff, blackcap, swallow and sand martin appearing towards the end of March. Throughout the rest of the month there were regular sightings of goosander and brambling as well as buzzard, peregrine, snipe, redwing, fieldfare and sparrowhawk. Other notable sightings were a little egret, mediterrean gull, egyptian goose, black-necked grebe, a female goldeneye and a pair of garganey.
April continued to register returning warblers including williow warbler as well as house martin in addition to the already returned swallow and sand martin. A male redstart was seen early in the month as was an escaped gry/saker falcon. Brambling continued to be recorded to mid April when the first cuckoo's were see as well as nightingale, reed warbler and whitethroat. Other more unusual sightings were a little gull, red breasted merganser, a female hen harrier, whimbrel and scaup.

For more information on the reserves mentioned here follow the link to Places to see birds below: