The week at Hoo

Blessed with great weather on both dates, Monday and Wednesday it was a pleasure just to be out here, as I have said before the wildness of the place and the solitude is for me. Sky dancing calling male Marsh Harriers high up overhead and the constant calls of Mediterranean Gulls all around makes it a very special place. If I was more expressive with my words and had taken school, my education, a little more seriously instead of keep bunking it to go fishing, I could possibly describe it a lot more eloquently.

Regulation Parka, long hair, probably about 14 or 15 and a catch of Tench

Sunrise at Hoo

The week has been good, on the entrance track I had my first Hairy Dragonfly on Wednesday, 2 Corn Buntings are on territory singing and I await the arrival of the first Hobby, the Fleets and Dykes with the dragons are a magnet for them.

The 2 mornings however have been about finding nests and marking them, to date I have found 3, 2 Lapwing and a Skylark, both Red Listed birds now unfortunately, Lapwing eggs in particular are stunning.

In a massive field Lapwing are canny birds and will walk into the nest from 50 metres away, once there incubating there pretty visible but as soon as they come off them it’s another matter. You have to keep eye contact with the blade of grass you have marked and then walk out there; it’s the only way to find them. If you get distracted along the way you’ve had it, you won’t find that blade of grass again.

I suspect by Monday all will be hatched and mobile

There is also a pair of Redshank, I have the area marked but as yet have not located the nest, I intend to take the scope on Monday, I should be able to locate the nest from distance, by Monday also I suspect that a pair of Oystercatcher in another field will have laid.

Can you ever get fed up of seeing them?

On Wednesday’s visit I had the highest count also for the site with 46 Mediterranean Gulls seen, all working the fields with the Black Head’s, I could also see that a number of them were ringed.

Just part of the Med Gull flock

This many together is quite a sight, no doubt en route to their breeding grounds.

Jay in the garden - getting closer

My next visit is Monday, hopefully Hobby.