Moans, groans and Ravens.

It's been so long since I last updated. Weather and life all seem to be conspiring against me, not that that is a bad thing.

The other day as I was walking round Broadwater and thinking I would call my blog said title, I heard a call and stopped as 2 Ravens croaked and flew off. These aren't even the Ravens I was thinking about, but more of that later.

So back to November, between 14th-20th I went to Broadwater twice. Strong winds and hard rain soon had me giving up with hardly anything seen. One of the moans I have at the moment is the state of the reserve. Every path has at one point a mud bath waiting to be crossed, a lot where vehicles had gone down. Two of the best paths were either closed or had been churned up by heavy plant vehicles that it wasn't even worth trying to go down it. I know they are doing some good work there but my footwear is more important I think.

One of the few birds I did see and that was looking soaked.

The 23rd finally bought a bit of better weather and I got 16 species. Actually saw 4 Pheasants rather than just hearing them, Coal and Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Common Gull and 11 Herring Gulls going over were the highlights and the insects seem to have all gone to ground.

The 26th saw a trip to Bough Beech and 30 species. The best bird being Black-tailed Godwit. With Wigeon, usual flock of Mandarin and Marsh \Tits on the feeders being my other favourites. 

Dunnock

Shelduck

Grey Heron

This is how low the water is now. Picture below shows the 

Tern island no longer floating.

Normally the water is up to this sign. Such is the 

changing faces of a reservoir.

The 27th was when I saw the aforementioned Ravens. Ironically they were 2 minutes from my house. They were on top of the local church as I went to pick up one of my boys. New one for Tunbridge Wells for me.