A beautiful early spring morning spent around Æthelred’s Field and the surrounding conservation area and playing fields.
The area was, as usual, alive with nature. At the pond near the village hall, pond skaters were dashing about on the surface, and nearby there were primroses.
Plenty of resident birds in full song – Goldfinches, Robins, Dunnocks – but a few lingering winter visitors too, with several Redwings ’seeping’ and Siskins ‘klewing’ overhead.
In the lovely rough area adjoining the stone circle field, a Mistle Thrush rattled, and best of all a Stonechat hunted from the fence – the first I’ve ever seen in Awbridge.
That tiny speck really is a stonechat
Meanwhile from the wet woodland below, a Chiffchaff sang, a Green Woodpecker gave a brief yaffle, and overhead Buzzards mewed.
This really is very special place, and a remarkable achievement on the part of ‘The Green Man’, Bryan Raines. With every year, new areas are enhanced, the existing habitat matures, and the biodiversity increases. Awbridge is so much the richer for it.
There are more pictures on Flickr, in the Awbridge Birds set.
