Bird spotting with RSPB Medway

In December we were delighted to host a visit from the local RSPB group, after community gardener Ruth invited them to assess the wildlife potential of Lloyd's Wharf ..."It was bottom of the tide when we arrived, with the creek reduced to a narrow channel between exposed mudflats.

We soon saw moorhens and redshanks on the mud and a good number of teals in the channel. A pied wagtail flew over along with several black-headed and herring gulls, and these were joined by the first of a number of black-tailed godwits. A surprising sight in the middle of Sittingbourne in an area surrounded by industry and commerce.

There were several distant flocks of feral pigeons to go with a couple of perched wood pigeons, then a single snipe, the bird of the day, flew down the channel. The best of the rest were a little egret being worried by three herring gulls and a glimpse of a sparrowhawk. We also saw mallard, magpie, crow, jackdaw and dunnock, and we heard robin.

As regards the plants there was nothing of major interest, which was not surprising given the time of year, although the large quantity of White Melilot, much of it still in flower, was notable. Also of interest was the finding of a Harvest Mouse nest earlier this year and spotting of a couple of Small Blue butterflies.

Overall, we agreed that further visits in the Spring were worthwhile, and the possibility of providing assistance in the design and building of a bird hide or screen for use by the local schools and the wider community was discussed. A very pleasant visit was rounded off with a tour of the Raybel and the new Dolphin Sailing Barge museum, not to mention the coffee and cake. We would like to thank Raybel Charters for their hospitality and for the opportunity to visit such an unusual and interesting site.