Cormorant numbers were high with 19 on the 27^th. A Bittern was disturbed from reeds around Brooklands Lake on the 20^th but was not relocated during the month.

Single Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were seen regularly throughout the month. A single Long Eared Owl was seen on 27^th.

Water Rail were heard but not seen all month with up to 3 heard calling on several occassions.

A large flock of Lapwing seems to be roosting on the adjacent Holborough Marshes, 750 were seen to fly over on the 27^th.

Gull roosts continue to build with peak numbers seen on Tescos Lake. 254 Black Headed Gulls were seen on the 27^th and 15 Common Gulls on the 28^th

Cettis Warbler were less in evidence with a maximum count of 3 singing birds on the 13^th. Chiffchaff were around in small numbers with birds heard singing over the bright weekend of the 7^th/8^th. 2 Blackcap were seen on the 20^th. Goldcrest numbers peaked at 7.

A Grey Wagtail was seen throughout the month, 5 Meadow Pipits were seen on the 14^th and 3 Skylarks on the 27^th. Green Woodpecker numbers peaked at 4 on the 20^th.

Winter Thrush numbers were generally fairly low with maximum counts of only 13 Redwing and 7 Fieldfare.

3 Bullfinches were seen on the 14^th and small parties of Redpoll on the 20^th and 28^th.

Up to 2 Kingfisher were seen on most visits. Several Long Tailed Tit flocks were present all month containing up to 20 birds. A Treecreeper was seen next to Tescos Lake on the 13^th.

Great Crested Grebe numbers continued to build all month with a maximum count of 22 on the 14^th. Little Grebe peaked at 6 on the 11^th and the Black Necked Grebe, although elusive at times was present all month. A Great Northern Diver arrived on Brooklands Lake on Christmas Day and was present into January.

A female Smew was first seen on the 5^th, it was joined by a drake and second female on the 18^th with 4 females and a drake seen on the 19^th. A female Goldeneye was present all month on the Cormorant Lake and a drake Goosander made a brief visit to Brooklands Lake on the 18^th. Tufted Duck numbers were over 300 on the 11^th, with a similar number of Coot all month. Pochard numbers on Abbey Mead peaked at 78 on the 18^th with 53 Teal on the Medway on the 14^th. A single drake Wigeon was seen on the 18^th. Shoveler numbers reached 20 on the 4^th and up to 3 Shelduck were seen from the 18^th. 20+ Cormorant were seen throughout the month. An Aythya Hybrid resembling a Ring Necked Duck was seen on Lunsford House Lake from the 11^th.

2 Sparrowhawks were seen on the 4^th with one seen to catch a Blackbird on the 18^th.

3 Water Rail were heard on the 18^th around Abbey Mead Pit.

2 Redshank were seen along the Medway on the 14^th with a single bird on the 27^th. Good numbers of Lapwing were seen to fly over with 450 seen on the 14^th. A Woodcock was seen around Abbey Mead Lake on the 2^nd.

250 Black Headed Gulls and 40 Common Gulls were on Tescos Lake on Christmas Eve. A bird resembling a Yellow Legged Herring Gull was seen on Tescos lake on the 18^th.

Cettis Warbler were quiet all month with only single birds heard on most visits. Chiffchaff were heard calling on most visits.

A Grey Wagtail was seen several times during the month. Dunnock were numerous with up to 7 birds around Johnsons Lake on the 14^th. Skylarks were very scarce during the month and only single records of Meadow Pipit around Tesco Lake.

52 Fieldfare were seen on the 24^th and 6 Song Trush on the 14^th but numbers of Redwing were generally low.

A pair of Bullfinch were seen regularly at the Southern end of Abbey Mead pit, Redpoll were present inlow numbers on several dates and 20+ Siskin were seen around Johnsons Lake on the 18^th. Up to 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen (14^th and 18^th ) The birds were seen chasing each other and displaying on the 18^th.

January 2000

The Great Northern Diver remained on Brooklands Lake until January 9^th.

Great Crested Grebe numbers peaked at 20 on January 28^th. With the best count of Little Grebe being 3 on the 22^nd.

Up to 23 Cormorant were present all month. Towards the end of the month there was activity in the Heronry on the Medway, with 8 birds in the trees. A Bittern was first seen on the 20^th, with two on the 23^rd. Although elusive at least one bird was present into February.

2 Black Swans were on Johnsons Lake on the 28^th. Smew were present all month and moved between the pits, peak numbers were 11 females and 3 males on the 28^th. The best wildfowl of the month was a site rarity, a pair of Pintail briefly on Abbey Mead pit on the 15^th. 4 Wigeon were on Abbey Mead on New Years Day, 7 Shelduck there on the 20^th, with 5 on the 28^th. A female Goldeneye was on Cormorant Lake on the 9^th and 15th with a peak count of 42 Pochard on the same day. Other Wildfowl numbers included 22 Shoveler on the 15^th and 26 on the 30^th, c50 Teal on the Medway all month, 260 Coot on the 5^th, and 22 Gadwall on the 28th

A Sparrowhawk was seen on the 3^rd with Kestrel seen on most visits.

Water Rail were heard if not seen all month, a peak number of 4 were heard on the 11^th. The only waders seen were c200 Lapwings on the 8^th (flying towards Holborough) and 3 Redshank on the 16^th.

205 Black Headed Gulls were on Tesco Lake on the 16^th with a peak count of only 5 Herring Gulls on the 20^th and 15 Common Gulls the same day.

No Long Eared Owls were seen all month. Up to 3 Kingfishers were evident on most visits

Several Skylarks were present all month with good numbers of Meadow Pipits roosting on the overhead wires at the north end of Abbey Mead pit, 60 on the 9^th and 50 on the 10^th and 16 on the 28th. Small numbers of winter Thrushes were seen with peak counts of only 10 Redwing and 12 Fieldfare by the end of the month.

Bullfinches were usually seen along the river with 4 on the 3^rd, and 6 on the 8^th. Small flocks of Siskin were in the Alders with 12 on the 28^th.

3 Chiffchaff was the best count on the 9^th and a Firecrest seen in the scrub around Cormorant Lake on the 20^th. The peak Goldcrest count was 8 on the 18^th.

February 2000

The best counts for Great Crested Grebe were 10 on the 2^nd and 17 on the 19^th. 4 Little Grebes were on Johnsons’ Pit on the 21^st.

Good numbers of Tufted Duck were seen all month, 57 were on Abbey Mead Pit on the 2^nd. Shoveler numbers peaked at 26 on the 22^nd and Teal reduced from well over 100 on the Medway on the 5^th to only 27 on the 21^st. Smew peaked for the winter during the month on the 5^th with 5 drakes and 12 ducks, this reduced to 3 drakes and 13 ducks on the 19^th and 3 drakes and 10 ducks on the 22^nd. A Wigeon was seen on the 6^th. A Canada x Greylag Hybrid was seen on the 19^th with 22 Greylags on the same day.

The Bittern was last seen on the 21^st. The small Heronry was in full swing by the end of the month with at least 5 pairs.

Black Headed Gull numbers were high all month, moving from roosting on Tescos Lake to Abbey Mead. Well over 300 were present the 5^th with 280 on the 9^th. Many birds showed full breeding plumage by the 19^th. The highest number of Common Gulls was 10 on the 5^th.

A single Long Eared Owl was eventually located on the 19^th and present all month – showing very well sunning itself on bright mornings.

Water Rail was regular all month – more regularly heard than seen.

The only wader seen all month was Lapwing with 250+ on the 5^th.

Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming from the 19^th with 3 Green Woodpeckers on the same day.

Redwing were scarce all month, 100+ Fieldfare were seen on the 5^th. Skylark were seen all month with up to 3 present adjacent to Tescos Lake.

8 Long Tailed Tits were seen on the 6^th, 5 Siskin on the 5^th with 2 also seen on the 21^st. Reed Bunting were becoming much more obvious by the end of the month with 8 seen by the 22^nd.

March 2000

Great Crested Grebe numbers reduced to 8 on the 25^th and 7 on the 26^th.

No Smew drakes were seen in March, 3 ducks were seen on the 4^th and the last female seen on the 19^th.

2 Shelduck were seen on the 4^th with 5 on the 30^th. Teal numbers reduced by the end of March with the peak monthly count being 55 on the 18^th.

Black Headed Gulls continued to roost in good numbers on the Abbey Mead pit, with 142 on the 4^th, 212 on the 12^th and c400 on the 30^th. Lesser Black Backed Gulls were around all month in small numbers as were Herring Gull, 20+ Common Gull were seen on the 19^th.

Water Rail were heard all month with 3 heard on the 11^th. Kingfisher were very obvious all month.

The first Sand Martin arrived on the 18^th when 9 were seen over Tescos Lake, over 20 were seen the next day and peaked at 30 by the end of the month.

A male Marsh Harrier was seen quartering the reed bed at the north end of Abbey Mead Pit on the 30^th before moving off high to the south.

2 Jay were seen on the 18^th.

Holborough Marshes held 2 Common and one Green Sandpiper on the 19^th as well as c4 Snipe and c10 Redshank and several Lapwing.

Chiffchaff were singing from the 11^th with c8 heard on the 26^th. The first Blackcap was seen at Holborough Marshes on the 19^th with 2 at New Hythe on the 26^th and 3 on the 31^st. At least 4 Cettis Warbler were present and singing from mid month.

At least 2 Bullfinch were present all month along the Medway and 6 Reed Buntings were seen on the 28^th. The last Siskin was seen in an Alder alongside Johnsons Lake on the 26^th.

STOP PRESS>>>>>>>>>>Present by the 16^th

• 5 Sedge Warbler on the 16^th
• Cuckoo 2 from the 9^th
• Swallow up to 10
• House Martin up to 10
• Sand Martin 100+
• Redstart male seen on the 12^th
• Common Sandpiper on the Medway 16^th
• Aythya Hybrid resembling Ring Necked Duck mid month
• Up to 5 Cettis Warbler
• 7 Nightingale 16^th
• 15+ Willow Warbler
• 6+ Blackcap