SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas

Date: 22nd October 2020

Time: from 8:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 11°C to 13°C

50 bird species!

During my visit on 9th October 2020, I thought I had recorded my 50th bird species for the site. However, it turned out that my excitement over “a rather dull, brown, boring Pheasant” was misplaced since I had previously seen this species at the site.

Therefore my site list for bird species has remained stuck on 49 since I added Garden Warbler on my visit on 4th August 2020.

Today, I eventually recorded my 50th bird species although it was not the much hoped for rare autumn migrant Yellow-browed Warbler.

The 50th bird species was …. drum roll 😀 …. a fly-over briefly calling Pied Wagtail which I actually failed to see! Someone once said “they all count” …. I think that may have been me 😀.

Anyway, somewhat surprisingly after many years visiting St. Nicholas Church and the surrounding areas, I have finally recorded a Pied Wagtail. This quickly follows recording my first Pied Wagtail at Noak Bridge Nature Reserve on 13th October 2020. However, this was another fly-over briefly calling bird. I frequently see Pied Wagtails foraging for food around the car park at Pipps Hill when I go shopping at nearby Asda but they are elusive at my 2 local patch sites 😀. Why is that?

Photo: Pied Wagtail at Dulnain Bridge, Highland

With regard to birds, there were several other highlights.

After seeing my first Redwings of the autumn/winter on my last visit on 15th October 2020, I heard, but did not see, a few more of these birds this morning.

I saw 3 Goldcrests, 1 along the track from the access to the site from Larkins Tyres (where at least 2 others were calling) and 2 together in the south west area of the site bordered by St. Nicholas Lane and Pound Lane.

When I arrived in the eastern section of the cemetery, I immediately saw a Sparrowhawk being pursued by a Carrion Crow and when I re-visited the same area later, I saw another or the same bird gliding through.

I was able to watch and photograph a Green Woodpecker feeding on the ground in the western section of the cemetery for several minutes and I heard a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker in the northern area of the site on my walk back home.

Corvid activity was again noticeable this morning including several acorn-gathering Jays but also some very active Carrion Crows and Magpies around the church, some of the Carrion Crows evidently enjoying the moderate wind today.

With regard to mammals, I had 2 very brief sightings of Red Foxes this morning, the first walking along the edge of the central section of the cemetery before disappearing in to the hedge and the second in the area immediately behind the church which also disappeared quickly when it spotted me.

I also briefly saw a Reeves’ Muntjac at the eastern end of the cemetery before it too disappeared in to the wooded area.

I saw 3 Grey Squirrels this morning: 2 together along the track from the access to the site from Larkins Tyres and 1 in the cemetery. Unlike the Red Foxes and Reeves’ Muntjac, I was able to get 2 photos although they are blurry images due to the low light level amongst the trees.

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

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldcrest
Pied Wagtail
Robin
Redwing
Blackbird
Sparrowhawk
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull

Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac
Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit: