Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 11th December 2020

Date: 11th December 2020

Time: from 10:00 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy, light wind, 9°C

I had a rather quick visit to the site this morning which was cut short by the vision of a huge approaching band of black rain cloud in the distance where east London is clearly visible on a clear day.

I accessed the site as usual via the track from Larkins Tyres and immediately saw a Grey Squirrel. I saw a further 5 individual Grey Squirrels in various parts of the cemetery, another in the trees immediately behind the church and finally another in the trees adjacent to the flats when I arrived home. A total of 8 Grey Squirrels this morning.

With regard to birds, I had a distant view of a Green Woodpecker perched in the trees as I entered the eastern section of the cemetery. However, shortly afterwards, I then almost trod on another as it did its best impression of a sit tight and wait to be flushed Common Snipe or Woodcock! I am not sure who was most surprised, the bird or me. I also had a distant view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker in its distinctive bounding flight as it flew over the bottom of Church Hill.

As I made my way home through the wooded area, I saw a single Goldcrest amongst a roving and foraging small flock of Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits.

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

Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon
Herring Gull
 
Grey Squirrel

Site totals to date:

Birds = 50
Mammals = 6
Butterflies = 21
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

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