Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 20th November 2024

Date: 20th November 2024

Time: from 8:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, -1°C to 2°C

It was definitely the coldest day of the autumn/winter so far for my visit to the site this morning, albeit mostly sunny.

It proved to be an excellent visit with several bird highlights.

Firstly, I added another species to my 2024 site list, a fly-over calling but unseen Grey Wagtail, taking the total to 48 species, my highest ever annual total. 

Secondly, I had my first record of Fieldfare of the autumn/winter with c.25 birds seen flying over the northern section of the site.

Other highlights included 6 Redwings in the northern section of the site and at least c.20 in the western section of the cemetery flying between different bushes, a single relatively confiding Green Woodpecker seen feeding in the western section of the cemetery and another calling from near the church, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (1 seen flying over the northern section of the site, 2 more birds seen in the wooded area adjacent to the footpath heading down to the A127 and another heard calling in the wooded area of the southern section of the site on my way home), a single Goldcrest heard calling in the wooded area down Hilly Road from the church and a single Cormorant flying over the northern section of the site in a westerly direction.

With regard to mammals, I saw just a single Grey Squirrel in the wooded area in the southern section of the site.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Goldcrest

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Starling

Fieldfare

Redwing

Blackbird

Grey Wagtail

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Cormorant

Herring Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit ….

Photo: Green Woodpecker

Photo: Green Woodpecker

Photo: Redwing

Photo: Jay

Photo: Jay

Photo: Cormorant

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):

Birds = 48 (47)

Mammals = 3 (3)

Butterflies = 17 (23)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (12)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0)

Total species list for the site

Birds = 66

Mammals = 7

Butterflies = 25

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

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"A species that knows it is destroying itself but is too greedy to change course"

"How have we allowed ourselves to become dominated by Lords of the Desert: people who are prepared to destroy everything as long as they can command the ruins?"

Brilliant piece from George Monbiot ....

Here's my column this week, about the astonishing moment in which we find ourselves: facing the greatest predicament humankind has ever confronted, and doing sweet FA about it. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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— George Monbiot (@georgemonbiot.bsky.social) November 15, 2024 at 7:17 AM

How have we allowed ourselves to become dominated by Lords of the Desert: people who are prepared to destroy everything as long as they can command the ruins?

— George Monbiot (@georgemonbiot.bsky.social) November 15, 2024 at 7:24 AM

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

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Hypocrite

Why does this man advocate for protecting animals abroad while continuing to shoot birds out of the sky at home? He’s eager to lecture others but refuses to practise what he preaches.

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— Protect the Wild (@protectthewild.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 10:13 PM

Love nature .... act now

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Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

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Our planet has two lungs

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

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Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 19th November 2024

I visited the reserve today primarily to contribute to the monthly work party.

However, I did manage to add 2 new site records for 2024: Redwing (at least 2 seen flying over the Eastfield Road entrance) and Chaffinch (a single male seen in bushes just past Thorny Wood).

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):

Birds = 38 (36)

Mammals = 3 (2)

Butterflies = 12 (15)  

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (11)

Reptiles = 0 (1)

Amphibians = 1 (2)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 49

Mammals = 4

Butterflies = 22

Dragonflies and damselflies = 15

Reptiles = 2

Amphibians = 3

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

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Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 17th November 2024

Date: 17th November 2024

Time: from 8:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 7°C to 8°C

It was a generally very quiet visit for birds, both in terms of sightings or even calling or singing. although a briefly soaring Common Buzzard and an extremely rapid hunting Sparrowhawk in the northern section of the site were notable highlights.

Photo: Common Buzzard

Photo: Common Buzzard

In addition, I heard at least 2 calling Redwings and saw 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, the first along the access track from Larkins Tyres and the second in the northern section of the site.

With regard to mammals, I immediately saw 2 Grey Squirrels at the entrance to the access track from Larkins Tyres and then another in the northern section of the site. As I returned home through the wooded area in the southern section of the site, a Red Fox ran across the track in front of me.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Wren

House Sparrow

Starling

Goldfinch

Redwing

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Common Buzzard

Sparrowhawk

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Red Fox

Grey Squirrel

Here are some other photos from my visit ….

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):

Birds = 47 (47)

Mammals = 3 (3)

Butterflies = 17 (23)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (12)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0)

Total species list for the site

Birds = 66

Mammals = 7

Butterflies = 25

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Instructions for living a life

"Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."

From "Something", a poem by Mary Oliver.

Mary found inspiration for her work in nature and had a lifelong habit of solitary walks in the wild.

Love nature .... act now

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Record from my flat - Red Foxes

Records of Red Foxes from my flat continue and have increased in frequency in recent weeks, possibly as a result of this year's grown cubs dispersing from their natal areas.

This evening at 9:50 p.m., I heard 2 very loud vocalising Red Foxes at the rear of the block of flats where I live which I eventually saw on the rear garden lawn when the motion-activated lighting revealed them! I managed to get a short recording.

When I went to bed at 11:45 p.m., I glanced out of my lounge window and saw a Red Fox slowly walking past the front of my block of flats. 

Love nature .... act now

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Records from my flat - Red Fox and Common Buzzard

Records of Red Foxes from my flat continue and have increased in frequency in recent weeks, possibly as a result of this year's grown cubs dispersing from their natal areas.

This morning at 5 a.m., I was woken up by at least 2 vocalising Red Foxes at the rear of the block of flats where I live although I failed to see them.

At 1:30 p.m., I had a brief view of a distant Common Buzzard flying north being pursued and harassed by a Carrion Crow.

Sightings of Common Buzzard have been much lower in the last 2 years and have been especially uncommon this year with only 3 including today's sighting.

Summary of Common Buzzard records during the last 4 years:

2021: 11 dates involving 13 birds

2022: 26 dates involving 38 birds

2023: 8 dates involving 8 birds

2024: 3 dates involving 3 birds

Love nature .... act now

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Record from my flat - Ring-necked Parakeet

Ring-necked Parakeet is a species that I commonly see during trips to London, such as at Richmond Park or the WWT London Wetland Centre, but since 2023 I am now recording it occasionally at my St. Nicholas Church local patch site, most recently on 24th October 2024 when I saw 8 fly-over birds.

This morning at 8:25 a.m., I saw a single Ring-necked Parakeet flying east from my flat, taking my "species recorded from my flat" list to 37.

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeet at WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London

Photo: Ring-necked Parakeet at WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes, London

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What is a kakistocracy?

A kakistocracy is a state or society governed by its least suitable or competent citizens.

The term is derived from 2 Greek words …. kakistos (κάκιστος; worst) and kratos (κράτος; rule), with a literal meaning of government by the worst people.

Mmmm? .... any contenders? 

The second term of the Orange Man Baby with his band of MAGA loyalists and their racist, misogynistic, retribution seeking, war mongering, Christian evangelical apocalypse believing, treasonous and climate, environment and nature trashing agenda could well be right up there!

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Records from my flat - Red Fox

Records of Red Foxes from my flat continue and have increased in frequency in recent weeks, possibly as a result of this year's grown cubs dispersing from their natal areas.

The majority of my Red Fox records have been late at night or in the early hours of the morning but the last 2 records, both of vocalising but unseen animals, have been much earlier, 3:30 p.m. yesterday and 5 p.m. today.

Love nature .... act now

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💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 13th November 2024

Date: 13th November 2024

Time: from 8:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 6°C to 8°C

After a relatively quiet visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve on 11th November 2024, I had an exceptionally good visit to my other local patch site this morning with 19 bird species (untypically high for autumn) recorded.

This included another new species added to my total site list (Meadow Pipit) and another species added to my 2024 site list (Cormorant), taking the totals to 66 species and 47 species respectively.

I often use the Merlin app when I am out now and, on my last few visits to the site, it has picked up Meadow Pipit although I have failed to hear, let alone see, this species. That changed this morning with the Merlin app picking up and me actually hearing a calling Meadow Pipit whilst I was in the northern section of the site. Unfortunately, I didn’t see what was obviously a fly-over bird.

Cormorant is a species that I usually manage to record at least once each year and this morning’s visit produced my first record of 2024, a single bird flying over the northern section of the site in a westerly direction.

On 4th October 2024, I both heard and saw fly-over Skylarks, my only records since my first back in 2022. However, I recorded this species again on 11th October 2024 and 24th October 2024 and this run of remarkable autumn records continued this morning with 2 calling Skylarks seen flying over the northern section of the site in a northerly direction.

Other highlights during my visit this morning included c.40 Redwings seen from the northern section of the site (fly-over flocks of c.15, c.15 and c.10 birds plus several others heard calling), a Goldcrest heard briefly calling in the wooded area adjacent to the footpath heading down to the A127, a single Great Spotted Woodpecker seen in the northern section of the site plus 2 other birds seen together along the footpath heading down to the A127 and 2 Green Woodpeckers seen in the central section of the cemetery.

With regard to mammals, I heard a regularly “barking” Reeves’ Muntjac from deep within the wooded area surrounding the pond in the northern section of the site but I failed to see any Red Foxes or Grey Squirrels.

Given the cold temperature this morning and only intermittent sunshine, the sighting of a single Speckled Wood near the church was very surprising.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Meadow Pipit

Skylark

Goldcrest

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Wren

Redwing

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Cormorant

Black-headed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Reeves’ Muntjac

Speckled Wood

Here are some photos from my visit ….

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):

Birds = 47 (47)

Mammals = 3 (3)

Butterflies = 17 (23)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (12)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0)

Total species list for the site

Birds = 66

Mammals = 7

Butterflies = 25

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature