The calm after the storm

The storms have been and gone, and (sheltered from the worst of the westerly wind) we've been little affected. There was a high tide and a large swell at Deal, but the wind did not deter some fishermen, although this one was more concerned with feeding the Turnstones.
Monday's gales had more effect as they were stronger and came from the south, and a description and some good pictures are on the St Margaret's blog.

Some branches were blown down in the wood, in this case leaving the tree to appeal - Where's my head?

When things calmed down, the birds emerged, including this Robin who was annoyed by the feeder being put back up in the tree, as he'd had an easy time when it blew down.That's it, it's easy with a bit of practice.

A Chiffchaff appeared, the first warbler in the garden this year. The first last year was three days earlier.
The male Sparrowhawk was again seen flying up the twitten, and the Little Owl remained serenely at his post.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, I tried some Alexanders leaf shoots, prepared and served like asparagus.
The kitchen was perfumed by the smell of the boiling shoots, and the eating was good - the tender young ones were the most succulent, with an original flavour and good texture. I'll try them again, as there's plenty about.

Food for Free

I've owned a great little book called Food for Free by Richard Mabey for about 20 years, and from time to time I worry the family by bringing stuff home to cook and eat.

I have to admit that my identification skills of plants and fungi leave much to be desired, so do not take umbrage when they refuse to join me in the feast. Also, many of the 'edible' wild foods are inferior to cultivated varieties.
However, living by the sea, there are many fleshy edibles on the shore and it was time that I sampled some of these:

Rock Samphire - of King Lear fame - I tried last spring, and was good and tasty;

Alexanders (above) are popping up everywhere, and need to be tried;

Sea Kale was sampled this weekend, and I boiled the stems separately from the leaves which (according to the book) can be tough and 'like chewing a battleship'. The stems though are succulent when eaten like asparagus with butter, and were collected and sent to London in the old days. In fact, the leaves were OK, like sprout tops, as it's early in the season and they were young and fresh;
Sea Beet is the forebear of sugar beet, beetroot, spinach etc, and is currently too small to gather - I'll try this later in the year.

The rare Wild Cabbage is also to be found around here, but I don't know what it looks like (apart from being cabbage-like, obviously).

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

So, another job, taking me to the north coast of Kent for a change. The beach at Swalecliffe is just along the road, and should provide good birding at lunchtimes.
Good to see my favourite waders, Sanderlings, are in residence, although not in the same numbers as around Thanet, and there were also a dozen Brent Geese looking diminutive against the Herring Gulls. Presumably birders and other naturalists are not welcome here though.....
In the other direction, the woods of Clowes and Thornenden should also prove of interest, and a brief stroll during the week revealed good numbers of species including some singing Siskins - not the most tuneful of birds.

Wind warning

This weather chart looks interesting for Monday (and for Wednesday in the west). The wind speed at 9am Monday is off the scale for the English Channel and SW Ireland.

The website (new to me) is http://www.windfinder.com/forecasts/wind_british_isles57.htm

Spring forward

As the weather warms up, the early flowers continue to emerge. As a consequence, photography changes from trying to catch ever-diminishing birds flying higher in the trees, to bugs and plants which are nearer at hand.
It's just dawned on me why we're having an early spring this year - it's because Easter is so early! The Lenten Rose (above) is appropriately named for a change, flowering through Lent.

Early morning walks in the sunshine confirmed the recent invasion of Chaffinches, which seem to be everywhere - hedgerow, field, garden and woodland - but nary a one is a Brambling.

A good variety of birds were heard and sometimes seen....including Yellowhammers, Goldcrests (and a Firecrest), Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, the larger Woodpeckers and a Sparrowhawk.
On the sea were just a few Great-Crested Grebes and a solitary Red-Throated Diver. A Peregrine Falcon was again seen hunting along the clifftop.

It is clear from the exodus of 'garden' birds from the garden that the food supply has been augmented by bugs, an ugly example of which is shown below. Click on the photo for a real treat.

It was also good to see a Brimstone butterfly - the first butterfly in the garden this year.

Common Frog (aka Toad)

Red Deadnettle

White Violet

Only the Blue Tits remain faithful.

Pigs and Enclosures

It's good to see free-range pork, as at this nearby farm which breeds saddlebacks. If I were not a long-standing veggie, I would be quite happy to eat free range meat, and would of course advise others to do the same.
I mean, couldn't you just nibble these piglets right now? Mmmm, apple sauce.......

There is another threat to the beleaguered British livestock industry, as (after all the troubles of BST, foot and mouth, blue tongue etc) the price of feed is rocketing, sucking in cheaper meat imports and threatening what's left of the British farmers' livelihood.
There's an online petition at http://www.pigsareworthit.com to encourage supermarkets and consumers to pay proper prices for British pork, bacon and ham.
On another (land-related) matter, another part of Kingsdown's scrub has been grubbed up and the land cleared - not necessarily a bad thing in itself as I dislike scrub taking over chalk downland, but it seems that in this case someone is trying to 'possess' the land by occupying and 'improving' it.
Fortunately, the real owner (Cancer Research UK) has noticed, and put up a sign saying 'go away'.
In the meantime, I hope that the soil will produce a nice crop of chalk downland plants. Thanks whoever you are!

Happy St David's Day

Happy St David's Day, with a host of golden daffodils, which are the Welsh national flower (prettier than leeks).
These are at Pegwell Bay, by the replica Viking ship which sailed to Broadstairs from Denmark in 1950 to commemorate the invasion, murder, rape and pillage by the Vikings in the Dark Ages. Seems a strange thing to celebrate, but I suppose the Danes enjoyed it.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus i chi!
Bydd yr Ddraig Goch hedfan yn fy garth Dydd Sadwrn!
Hefyd-Bant a chi yr tim rygbi!