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

Date: 22nd February 2021

Time: from 9 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy, light wind, 8°C to 10°C

This was my first visit since 9th February 2021 during the extremely cold, icy and snowy weather.

This morning was significantly warmer although not especially spring-like given the dull cloudy weather. However, it was pleasing to see a widespread emergence of daffodils and a few crocuses and snowdrops around the cemetery.

With regard to birds, I was able to add Greenfinch to my year site list with 2 individuals seen, the first flying over the field and the trees, hedges and scrub at the north of the site and the second perched briefly at the top of one of the tall trees in the south west corner of the site bordering Pound Lane. This a species that I only hear or see very occasionally so 2 birds during a single visit was welcome.

Woodpecker activity was very noticeable this morning as it was on my recent visits to other sites …. see here. February and March are characterised by much calling and “drumming” as the breeding season approaches. During my visit, I saw both Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker.

As I crossed the St. Nicholas Church car park, I had a very brief glimpse of a bird moving towards the church spire in a noticeably undulating flight. I guessed that it may have been a Great Spotted Woodpecker so I walked up towards the church. As I did so, I heard the distinctive “drumming” of a Great Spotted Woodpecker but could not see it as it was evidently on the other side of the church spire. I therefore moved round to the other side and there was a male Great Spotted Woodpecker high up on the church spire. As I watched it, it was joined by a female Great Spotted Woodpecker and I managed to get a few record photos of both. Why use any of the trees in the local area when you can choose the top of a church spire, the church itself located at the top of a hill?

As I arrived on site via the track from Larkins Tyres, I heard a very distant calling Green Woodpecker. I then heard a much louder calling bird in the area of woodland between the clearing and the Laindon Park School playing field. There was also another calling bird seemingly moving around in close proximity to the church. An initially frustrating experience of just hearing regularly calling Green Woodpeckers everywhere was eventually ended when I saw one fly across the western section of the cemetery.

After the abundance of Redwings a few weeks ago, when I saw c.20 to c.30 feeding on the berry bushes in the cemetery and smaller numbers elsewhere around the site, I managed to see just a single bird this morning perched at the top of a tree at the northern edge of the cemetery.

Bird song continues to increase as spring approaches and I heard Song Thrush, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Great Tit and Blue Tit.

With regard to mammals, I saw a Reeves’ Muntjac in the wooded area between the clearing and the eastern end of the cemetery albeit a brief view of its rear end and white tail as it disappeared quickly from view.

I also saw 2 Grey Squirrels in the wooded area at the eastern end of the cemetery but I had no sightings of Red Fox.

Finally, the Badgers seem to have excavated another new entrance/exit to their sett, quite close to new hole that I discovered a few weeks ago.

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

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Wren

Redwing

Song Thrush

Blackbird