ORinTHOLOGICAL SECTION - HTTHE AREA 



Nesting success \vas perhaps the outstanding feature of the 

 1 957 bird year. A young Greater Spotted Woodpecker, just out of 

 the nest, vra.s seen in High Street on 22nd February; a clutch of 

 Blackbirds left their nest on 23rd .^ferch; the whole tit family - 

 after a very mild winter in 'vyhich their casualties were 

 negligible - increased beyond belief; at least five pairs of 

 Wrynecks raised broods to the flying stage, and two pairs of 

 House Martins were still feeding young in nests on 12th Octobero 



Sv/ifts too had a good season; the last one of the year 

 passed over our house on the 1 6th November, 



The year opened well: 35 Snow Buntings were at the Y/icks and 

 51 Swans at the Midrips on 1 st January; a Robin sang loudly 

 through the night of 4th January in Killacoona garden; 2 Waxwings 

 visited Lympne on 20th Pebnaary and 8 stopped in a Cliff Road 

 garden for three days from 9th November,, A Hoopoe visited 

 Aldington on 3rd April, and 2 visited West Hythe on 24th June, 

 Cranes put in several appearances in the Burraarsh and Lydd areas. 



But the final record may be the best news of all: a Buzzard 

 has been in the woods north of Saltwood for the past three v/eeks, 

 I saw it on 21 st December and I talked to another observer there 

 who had seen two of the birds together on the previous day, 



WoSo Nevin, 



BOTANICAL NOTES - FOLKESTONE DISTRICT 



The New Year came in with a gale and a v/et spell, but the 

 weather became drier and milder so that unusually mild and sunny 

 conditions prevailed throughout the ""/vinter months: the first 

 four months were the driest for 37 years. 



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