Garden strangers and more owl encounters.

Yesterday morning, between 08.00 - 09.00 hrs, I witnessed something which I'd never previously seen. Mike and Leslie, our next door neighbours, have placed a couple of, suet filled, half coconut shells in their apple tree in the hope of attracting the Great Spotted Woodpecker (I presume?) The sight of three Rooks pecking away at these offerings was simply bizarre. Obviously I have recorded Rooks from the garden regularly over the past twenty-five years, but this is the first time I'd ever actually seen them in a Vine Close garden. I can't begin to guess why they had dropped in? The nearest rookery is in the Ebbsfleet/Stonelees GC area, so a good three miles away from Dumpton. I suppose it is possible that they were migrants, yet I'll never know and, to be honest, don't particularly care. It was just another crazy encounter which occurred completely out of the blue.

I took Bruno across to Worth Marshes RSPB Res. for his walk this morning, bumping into Chris Gillard as a direct consequence. He was on the look out for Little Ringed Plover, which he had heard yet not managed to find in either his scope or binos. We spent a very enjoyable forty-five minutes, or so, just chatting about the current Kent birding scene and some of the nonsense which is now "par for the course". We parted company, rather abruptly, when I saw another dog walker approaching. Bruno and I continued on our way, reaching the start of The Roaring Gutter before doing an about turn and heading back towards the van. I'd already seen a Barn Owl, whilst with Chris, so wasn't in the least surprised that it (?) reappeared as we walked back. Although I've already managed to capture some reasonable images of these birds, never look a gift horse in the mouth seemed to fit the bill and I spent a few minutes rattling off more shots as the bird hunted the adjacent marsh and actually perched up, briefly, which was a nice surprise.

It's the final day of the traditional coarse angling season, today, and I have no plans, as yet, for what to do during the close season. My C&DAA membership is due for renewal at the end of the month and I might resort to having a play around with the Carp in Brooke Lake, Minster, just to bend a split cane!