The Stour Valley list for 2020stands at 98 species so far.
Please send your sightings to martynwilson@talktalk.net
January 26th
The final weekend of
January in the valley with an eleven and half hour day on Sunday. The list has
stalled at 98 and, unless someone adds two new year species in the week we will
not reach our target of 100 for the month. Highlights this weekend were, 4 Hen Harriers into roost Sunday evening including 1 adult male, 1 immature/first
winter male and two other ringtail. A Black-tailed Godwit from the amp
was new for the year as were Pintail added by Richard Collins, Redshank
added by Mark Chidwick and Penduline
Tit added by Brendan Ryan
in the last few days of the past week. There were 14 Water Pipits in the fields with cattle at Collard's on Saturday, on Sunday no Pipits
but 6 Corn Buntings. There were however 18 Water Pipits at the Marsh hide. The 2 Tundra Bean Geese were behind the
houses in the village with 200+ Greylags Sunday afternoon but no sign of
any White-fronts. The Tawny Owl was again in its Woodpecker home
in the Alder Wood in the morning but, no sign there mid/late afternoon! a Great-white Egret visited Marsh hide. A Peregrine
Falcon flew over Stodmarsh lake, Four Goldeneye were on Collard's
including one drake. A Nuthatch was by the road at the green gates at Trenleypark
wood and 5 Shelduck were on the Ramp pool. Other bits included 3 Stonechats,
3 Chiffchaffs, 1 drake Wigeon, 1 drake Goosander, 2 Kingfishers
and 2 Kestrels.
Four obvious species missing this year that we almost always get are Siskin, Greenfinch, Ring-necked Parakeet and Mealy Redpoll plus in the past 3-4 years we have also had Pink-footed Goose, Long-eared Owl, Whooper Swan, Spotted Redshank, Hawfinch, Cattle Egret, Golden Plover, Curlew and Ruddy Duck! The Duck will probably never be seen in Kent let alone the Valley ever again.
Great-white Egret and Banded Galloways