Evening visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 28th July 2020

Date: 28th July 2020

Time: from 9:00 p.m.

Weather: dry, setting sun, dark, 19°C

Although I had visited the site earlier in the day, the success of recent evening visits prompted a second visit of the day.

My visit tonight was “bookended” by 2 Red Fox sightings close to home.

As I closed the communal external entrance door to the flats where I live, there was a Red Fox (presumed adult) standing very close by on the grassy track at the end of the road. It watched as I watched it and then eventually walked (me, that is) down to Basildon Road.

When I arrived on site, I scattered some Chappie dog food and some peanuts around one of the entrances/exits where I have previously seen a Badger emerge and then settled down to quietly wait and watch.

At 9:10 p.m., I saw 2 Red Foxes cross the grassy strip that runs parallel to Church Hill down to St. Nicholas Lane. Given their similar size, I think they were probably cubs.

At 9:25 p.m., a Red Fox appeared in the grassy strip and seemed to be quite intent on scratching around or digging in a particular spot. At the same time, another appeared at the edge of the church car park and jumped up on to the white concrete block. In the gathering darkness, this individual was much easier to see since the area was partially lit by one of the street lights. This Red Fox was definitely one of the cubs.

I have seen a Red Fox cub previously jump up on to this white concrete block so this is probably a good location to bait with dog biscuits.

Between 9:35 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. there was a lot of loud vocalisation, a mix of screaming and “geckering”, from the direction of the dense hedged area where I used to watch the Red Foxes on my morning visits. Those animals then evidently moved since the vocalisation continued briefly over by the western edge of the cemetery.

At around the same time, I had 2 brief sightings of Red Foxes crossing the grassy strip but it was far too dark to determine whether they were adults or cubs or indeed the same animal.  

At 9:40 p.m., I heard some movement from just along from where I had scattered the dog food and peanuts and moments later I saw a Badger walking up through the church graveyard gravestones. It stopped briefly and then continued along the path past the main church door before it ambled off in to the darkness.

I was hoping that the Badger would have emerged where I had left the food and therefore allow more extended views. Unfortunately it didn’t but I bet that food was eaten at some point during the night given the acute sense of smell that a Badger has.

Since, I saw tonight’s Badger in the same area and follow the same route as on my previous visit, I think I will try another baiting and watching location next time. It is just a question of learning habits and behaviour to be rewarded!

At 10:05 p.m. I saw a Red Fox cub appear at the lit edge of the church car park before it continued walking and off in to the darkness.

The final encounter with Red Foxes was I think the eyeshine of at least a single animal caught in the light of my torch at the bottom of the grassy strip.

With regard to birds, I heard a Song Thrush singing from the top of Church Hill and a Robin briefly alarm calling. Unlike on my last 2 evening visits, I neither heard nor saw any groups of “screaming” Swifts flying overhead. My last 2 morning visits have also failed to produce any sightings so it appears that these short-staying summer visitors have now left the area.

It was largely a cloudless night and, apart from a large half Moon, both Saturn and particularly Jupiter showed well in close conjunction.

Again, unlike my 2 previous evening visits, I failed to see any Pipistrelles hunting for moths and other insects attracted to the street lights along Church Hill. 

On my return home, I noticed a small Red Fox (possibly a small vixen or cub) emerge between Laindon Park School and the flats in Basildon Road. I stood still and it stood still. As I slowly walked on, it did the same moving between the parked cars in the parking area of the flats. Each time I stopped, it also stopped and it seemed to very confident, to the extent of being “tame”, in my presence. It allowed an approach of just 5 to 6 feet, in stark contrast to the Red Foxes at my usual watching locations around St. Nicholas Church which generally run off at the slightest sight of a human being. It occurred to me that either it was “tame” through being fed or maybe it had defective vision.

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

Badger

Red Fox

Song Thrush

Robin

Site totals to date

Birds = 48

Mammals = 4

Butterflies = 20

Dragonflies and damselflies = 6
Reptiles = 1

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