Pear tree and Beyond: Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve

I have seen a few Black Necked Grebes over the years, but always in their winter plumage, never their breeding plumage, probably because they are a rare breeding bird in the UK, I believe Scotland, Northern England are its favoured breeding areas.

So eight Black necked Grebes turning up at a local nature reserve, some in their summer breeding plumage was a " must see occasion".

The yellow/gold ear tufts on the side of there head giving them a very special look for me.

There chosen venue for their short visit which only lasted a few days was Sevenoaks wildlife Reserve.

Dates 12.04.18 -7 , 13.04.18 - 8 , 15.04.18 - 4 *, 16.04.18 - 0

It's hard to believe as you walk around this site that it was once a sand & gravel quarry. The site converted from a gravel pit to a nature reserve back in the 1950s is almost entirely man-made, the lakes and ponds created by excavating and flooding former gravel workings with water from the River Darent. Nearly all trees on the site were manually planted, a pioneering project of its time, and a forerunner of numerous industrial sites converted back to natural state around the country.

Unfortunately on my visit, four of the Grebes had left during the night, but four were still there on the lake albeit very distant, good views of them through the bins, but just too far for my camera lens, although I cannot resist taking a photograph, always disappointing, but If I can call it a record shot, it serves as a reminder of the occasion when I look back on it. here are three of the four birds present on my visit.

As well as the Black-Necked Grebes other wildfowl noted were Great Crested Grebes, Cormorant, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese.

Unexpectedly, a singe Whopper Swan looked out of place, seen near the "new Islands" did'nt appear injured.

Also two Little Ringed Plovers, this time I resisted the urge to produce a bad photograph of the distant plovers.

Whopper Swan

At the North Lake, two Herons were seen on there nests giving excellent views, not quite an Heronry yet, but I expect the numbers will increase with time. A close look at the photograph revealed two little chicks just about reaching the rim of the nest.

A quick look in "Carter Hide " revealed a few Blackcaps in the lakeside tree's, at the back of the hide in the damp boggy area huge number of Scarlet/Ruby Elfcups some of which were quite big, certainly the most I have seen growing in one area.