This afternoon I went for a quick visit to Sutton-at-Hone watercress beds – Sutton-at-Hone is a village a few miles south of Dartford in Kent, along the Darenth Valley. This little spot is always good in winter for birds and an hour spent there at this time of year is bound to turn up something of interest.

As I walked down the track I spotted a fox strolling across the grounds of St. John’s Jerusalem National Trust. This fox was a very sleek country fox, looking very plump and healthy and as I watched it, it sneaked into a garden and came running out with a slice of bread which I imagine was intended for the birds. The Chaffinches, Goldfinches and lone Song Thrush in the area didn’t seem too bothered though as they tucked into the other food someone had provided for them.

As I approached the River Darent I flushed out a Little Egret which in recent years has become a regular winter visitor to this spot. However, the real treat was a feeding water Rail in the cress beds themselves – another regular winter visitor here although one which ismuch harder to get a sighting of. I watched this bird for about 10 minutes as it fed oblivious to my presence before moving along to look down another ditch. Whilst watching this bird 4 Ring-necked Parakeets flew overhead, screeching on their way to their evening roost and a Jay flew across a field and disappeared into some trees. I took a couple of blurry record shots of the Water Rail.

 4 Moorhens were feeding in the second of the ditches that make up the cress beds and a couple of Wrens were creeping around in the Brambles along with a number of Blackbirds. A couple of flyover birds were 2 Cormorants, 4 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Moving to another part of the cress beds I spotted a Grey wagtail at the water’s edge – another of the regular winter birds at this location. I scared my water Rail into a bramble thicket but immediately spotted a second Water Rail, followed by a third, just sitting in the water picking through dead vegetation. I don’t ever remember seeing three Water Rails all together but made the most of this performance, watching them for 5 minutes before my freezing hands sent me back to the car for some warmth.

birds, birding