KEEP YOUR PECKER UP

 The grey days continued through most of the month with just the odd day of respite,but a Spring like day on the 25 th saw temperatures soar to 20 c and the start of the Butterfly year, more of that later.

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER - BOSSENDEN WOODS.

SNOW BUNTINGS ON THE BEACH AT COLDHARBOUR RECULVER.

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MALLARD -RUSSELL GARDENS DOVER

AMERICAN WIGEON ARC PIT DUNGENESS A rare vagrant from North America

-A first for me.

BLACK REDSTART SAMPHIRE HOE.A first winter male.

SNIPE -STODMARSH.One of 15 from the Reed Bed hide.

RINGED PLOVER On the shingle at Swalecliffe

SANDERLINGS AT SWALECLIFFE

TURNSTONE AT BROADSTAIRS

PURPLE SANDPIPER AT BROADSTAIRS

These birds used to winter around Dover Harbour,The Warren and Hythe but seem to have deserted these places now.

GUILLEMOT IN THE MARINA AT DOVER Probably sick judging by its lack of movement.

MALE KESTREL DRYING ITS WINGS IN THE SUN LANGDON HOLE

CORN BUNTING DOVER CLIFFS.

DRAKE TUFTED DUCK -KEARSNEY ABBEY

SEVERAL PAIRS HAVE WINTERED AROUND KEARSNEY PARKS.

WREN KEARSNEY ABBEY

STOCK DOVE -KEARSNEY ABBEY

Wednesday the 25 th the warmest day of the year so far, I went to Lyminge Forest hoping for Goshawk

but those hopes were dashed however the warmth  marked the opening of the Butterfly year with lots of Brimstones emerging and several Comma and Peacock also on show.

COMMA 

BRIMSTONE

PEACOCK.

Back to wet grey and windy for the months end .....just for a change.

JANUARY 2026 THE SUN AIN`T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE

A month of Grade A Grey days or so it seemed,obviously there were exceptions but not too many.

I did my now annual Dour Dawdle on New Years Day to get the year list of to a slow start.

Buckland Bridge has been knocked into the river again giving this Little Egret a vantage point for fishing.

SHAG IN THE MARINA -I have been trying to get the bird completely out of the water when diving this is the closest I`ve got.

NO CIGAR HERE EITHER.

GOLDCREST IN KEARSNEY ABBEY

LITTLE GREBE KEARSNEY ABBEY

GREY WAGTAIL RIVER DOUR

GREY HERON ON A COLD TILED ROOF

ANOTHER GREY WAGTAIL

GREY WAGTAIL

THE GREY HERON RETURNS TO THE RIVER.

TUFTED DUCK - BUSHY RUFF

SONG THRUSH IN FULL SONG DESPITE THE GREY SKIES

BLACK HEADED GULL AX072

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER- RAMSGATE HARBOUR

BEWICK SWANS - ROMNEY MARSH

COOT AND REEDBED STODMARSH

MEDITERRANEAN GULL FOLKESTONE HARBOUR

CORMORANT FOLKESTONE HARBOUR.

TURNSTONE AT OARE.

ALL ABOARD

THE AVOCET FLOCK AT OARE CREEK WITH WIGEON AND SHELDUCK.

CAMBODIA NOT SO WILD

 There were very few wildlife highlights on this trip to Cambodia we travelled from West to East and North to South by road and saw very few birds on the way,normally you see lots on the wires and in the fields but just the odd Drongo,Egret and occasional Bee Eater.Raptors were almost non existent I saw two Hawks briefly and Cathy spotted a Kite.In the end I almost gave up looking.We had a boat trip on the Meekong and saw the IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS which was good but apart from House Sparrows and Common Mynahs there was not a lot to see.

COMMON TIGER

A SMALL GREEN AND BLACK SNAKE

INDIAN ROLLER AT ANGKHOR WAT

DRAGONFLY

PAINTED JEZEBEL

ZEBRA DOVE

SPOTTED DOVE

GOLDEN BIRDWING BUTTERFLY

PIED FANTAIL

BLACK SCORPION

BLACK SCORPION ABOUT 150mm.

LONG TAIL BLUE LOOKALIKE COMMON CERULEAN.

ONE OF THE TWO RESCUE ELEPHANTS.

BARN SWALLOW AT THE WAR MEMORIAL.

TREE SPARROW AT THE KILLING FIELDS MUSEUM.

So it was disappointing from the wildlife aspect but the people seemed happy and friendly and seem to be getting on with life.

GOODBYE CAMBODIA FAREWELL ANGKHOR WAT.