Spawning Spring.

Frogs are not everybodies favourites, in fact our next door neighbour has a real phobia about them. Personally I think they are fabulous and the deep resonant noise filling the air-waves in the garden is one of most evocative I know.  

This is the view of the pond from the lounge sliding door, taken with a telephoto lens. I guess there were at least 50 probably more pairs of eyes poking out of the surface.

Most of the female appear to have already big clumps of spawn. I hope that this year there won't be a late frost that wipes most of it out.

On close approach most of the frogs dive beneath the surface. A few were too pre-occupied to notice me standing there and others reappeared after a while while I stood  still.

There is something very attractive about a pond full of frogs and the hope that when they leave the pond they will reduce to huge population of slugs that threatens anything that grows in the garden other than those plants that are normally called weeds. 

If each bit of spawn becomes a tadpole there will be a huge number around the edge of the pond. This sometimes brings Wrens and Blackbirds to the hobby of "fishing".

This one stayed while I took a photo from directly above, but when I bent down it sunk very quickly

This afternoon I took a walk along Kingsdown Road to the Golf Course, hoping to find a flock of  Long-tailed Tits with the Northern birds reported last week. I had no luck but I did see this rather badly discoloured Common Gull in one of the fields.

As well as this poor gull there were a couple of Redwings feeding with several Blackbirds and two Song Thrushes.

Changes in the garden

I noticed some change in the guard in the garden today. Fine and a lot colder than of late there was a lot of activity in the feeding stations.

There are always a fair number of Blackbirds around the garden, but they tend to be protective of their individual feeding areas and repeated drive interlopers away.  Today there were five on the patio feeding area busily picking up the spillage from above with little interaction between them In total there were at least ten around. 

Like many people I've noticed the number of Greenfinches in the garden has been very low. This has been the situation for a couple of years, probably due to Trichomonosis a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. It has been recorded in a number of garden bird species and is widely acknowledged to be the causal factor in the rapid decline of the British Greenfinch population that was first noted in late summer 2006 

Today there was small influx of around six birds, all looking very fit and healthy. Sick birds are normally very fluffed up and slow moving unlike the sleek bird above, that does looked startled at having to share his feeder with a chaffinch.  

Down in the Bay the sea was quite calm, but the tides high. These are good conditions to watch Rock Pipits that move into the Bay when the areas below the beach are covered.

Above I noticed two Kestrels cruising along the top of the cliffs. Their numbers do seem a bit down as other predators have increased in the county.

I'm not quite sure what this one is doing, but it seems to be scanning the area, either for prey or for any danger around.

Our magnificent car park is now perfect habitat for pipits and wagtails, that all seem to enjoy rough ground with puddles in it.

Altogether there were three Rock Pipits and one Pied wagtail making use the shambles that out council taxes financed

Coming back for a trip to Folkestone I stopped to scan a field with around 40 Common Gulls. There were a few Black-headed Gulls with them, (One above).

Towards the back of the field I noticed an adult Mediterranean Gull, still in complete winter plumage.

When it flew it had a ring on its right leg, but it was to far to be able to read any information.

A tour of the Area.

This morning I was taking a few shots of my favourite Sparrows, at the Kitchen feeding station, I was about 4 metres from them,when chaos ensued.

A Cock Sparrow, on top of Pam's "Studio" sunning itself before a fat ball feast.

 a good front view, showing the rather neat bib and strong seed-eating bill.

This one was a very good model, showing his best side, as well. Note the small white spot behind the eye.

The hen House Sparrow is much plainer but still a neat looking bird.

Anyway, about the furore that took place. Suddenly all the Sparrows that were sitting around dived into the pyracanthus bush and a Sparrowhawk swept by my and chased its prey.Although the bush is close the the Kitchen wall the hawk managed to circle it three times, reaching into it as it went, and taking no notice of me standing there. It finally flew off, without a catch, and the Sparrows settled back in their stronghold.

Later I walked up the road to Barrow Mount, an area of scrub that affords great views of the surrounding  country.

It wasn't very birdy, although I did flush a small covey of Grey Partridges as I walked across it. In the horse field next to it there were a few Gulls, of three species, feeding.

 A Black-headed Gull, no black head in winter, and a Common Gull, with the slightly darker back and a somewhat pigeon like head.

 I think the gulls, rather like Badgers, Little Owls and even Buzzards, make the most of the wet meadows finding worms as they come to the surface.

 A few of the larger Herring Gulls were also using the field.

 These two pictures show the difference in the wing patterns of the Black-headed, above, and  Common Gull, below.

From Barrow Mount there are some great views, showing many of the Bockhill birding features.

 Looking SE across the farm the Monument and the old coast guard station, now call the Bluebird Tea Rooms.

 Further to the south, with the dip down to the Bay hidden, the lighthouse comes into view. It is a National Trust Property and judging by the people at the top, it was open today.

 Ringwold Church, with its unusual tower, is to the NW.

 Slightly further to the N the handsome Ripple Windmill stands out.

 Always dominating the Bockhill patch the Monument overlooks the area.

 The Duke of York's Royal Military School clock-tower, looking SW.

 Looking down to Bockhill Farm, with the small Farm Wood, a site with many scarce birds to its credit, and the Paddock above it on the right.

 The Freedown, on the left and the "Big Field" on the right.

As  we haven't had any winter weather the grassed "Big Field" is very green and productive, and the wintering sheep must be doing very well.

Looking towards the sea over Orchid Bottom and the big top field. 

 When available, The Empty Wood, has seldom yielded any good records, hence the nickname.

Looking down the "valley" to the New Townsend Farm.