NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

A two-day trip to the shingle, staying at 'Hotel Hollingworth' where the current offers included a single-malt taster session, Champions League football, Tom Petty playing live in the lounge and personal chauffeur. I well may re-book... A bit of a whistle-stop tour of the pits and avian highlights that resulted in a tidy total without much effort being needed - the drake Ring-necked Duck on Cooke's Pool was still present, the two roosting Long-eared Owls put in a welcome appearance by the dipping pool, both first-winter and second-winter Iceland Gulls were seen over the patch, a literal 'wild-goose' chase provided both five White-fronted and a single Pink-footed, plus back up sightings such as Smew, Peregrine, Merlin and Mediterranean Gulls. The sea was lively, as good numbers of Guillemots (2000), Razorbill (50) and Great Crested Grebe (330) littered the waves, with a steady offshore passage that included Red-throated Divers, Gannets, Fulmars and Brent Geese. ...

Yesterday, in the sweltering heat of a scorching November day (slight exaggeration there), two redhead Smew turned up on the RSPB reserve - birds that embody all that is freezing cold. My initial thought was "I wonder what they really were then?" But my scepticism was rammed firmly down my throat when they were seen by multiple observers, including some of Dungeness's finest. They were still there today, and as I watched them I ate a large slice of humble pie. The November plants in flower list has now reached 74 species with the addition of creeping cinquefoil, ribbed melilot, common field speedwell, creeping thistle, bristly oxtongue and rib wort plantain.

Even though I don't 'year list' I do still get caught up with the madness that inflicts birders during the first few days of the year - that being the rabid need to get out into the field and see as many species as possible. And so I went to Holmethorpe SPs this morning, to pay my respects to the redhead Smew that are wintering on Mercer's Lake. The two birds present had become three overnight, and if you squint hard enough you may just about be able to see them in the amateur photographic offering above. It was more pleasing to meet up once again with Gordon Hay and Ian Kehl, who, like the Ravens at the Tower of London, preside over their domain with a steadfast devotion which instils comfort for us visitors.

Dodgy pun headlines and poor digi-scoped images - not much has changed this year at ' North Downs and Beyond ', I can tell you... My 2013 campaign (yes, we birders like to harden up our image with military analogies) kicked-off (and sporting ones) with a visit to Holmethorpe Sand Pits. I chose this site as there had been a drake Smew present for the past couple of days, and also a chance to catch up with my good friends Gordon and Graham. All three were year-ticked without any problems at all. The flooded Moors region revealed a minimum of 8 Jack Snipe - and considering that you cannot access the vast majority of this area (it is behind fencing to stop birder's enjoying themselves), heaven knows how many are actually out there. Two Little Egrets were close by. A Goldeneye, 8 Egyptian Geese and 200 Ring-necked Parakeets were other highlights. This photograph is of Mercer's Farm, looking east towards the North Downs. It used to be home to a wintering Lapwing...