Friday, 12 March 2021

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 12th March 2021

Date: 12th March 2021

Time: from 8:30 a.m.

Weather: dry/light rain, cloudy, moderate/strong wind, 6°C to 7°C

It was a very short visit this morning since the bright start rapidly deteriorated in to grey cloud and light rain.

However, there was a very significant highlight during my visit: my first Chiffchaff anywhere for 2021.

The Chiffchaff is definitely, in my mind, a harbinger of spring with its characteristic onomatopoeic song which is usually heard from mid-March as summering birds arrive in the UK or when the small number of wintering birds begin singing.

I heard a singing male Chiffchaff in the wooded area between the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and the eastern end of the cemetery. Unfortunately, although I heard it several times, it only sang briefly and I was unable to locate it. Therefore at the moment I have just a “heard only” record for 2021. That will inevitably change over the coming weeks since I generally see several Chiffchaffs during spring and early summer visits to the site.

After hearing my first singing Blackcap on my visit on 26th February 2021, I have now recorded both of the common summer visiting warblers at the site this year.

The only other highlight of my very short visit which was curtailed by the rain was the close view of 2 very noisy Green Woodpeckers in the eastern section of the cemetery and a more distant view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying through the western section of the cemetery.  

With regard to mammals, I saw just a single Grey Squirrel in the wooded area adjacent to the track from Larkins Tyres.

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

Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin 
Dunnock
Wren
Blackbird
Goldfinch
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

Site totals to date (2021 totals in brackets):

Birds = 51  (33)
Mammals = 6  (3)
Butterflies = 21  (0)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7  (0)
Reptiles = 1  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature


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