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

Date: 30th March 2021

Time: from 7 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 5°C to 15°C

This was my second successive 7 a.m. start and I spent nearly 5 hours at the site on a beautiful sunny morning. It was chilly to begin with but temperatures had reached 15°C by the time that I made my way home.

I had my best site visit this year so far in terms of the species list recorded …. 28 bird species, 3 mammal species and 4 butterfly species ….and there were many highlights.

I accessed the site as usual via the track from Larkins Tyres where fortunately the wet and muddy swamp is starting to dry out. On reaching the clearing, I took the short track through the woodland to the fencing that provides a watchpoint to scan the field and the trees, hedges and scrub bordering it.

I had 3 separate stints at the watchpoint during my visit and the majority of my notable sightings were from here, including 2 new additions to my site list for the year, bringing the total to 37 bird species: 5 Cormorants and 1 Little Egret. Both species were flying over in an easterly direction and these were only my second records for each at the site.

Other notable sightings from the watchpoint included a single soaring Common Buzzard and a single displaying Sparrowhawk (clearly the warming temperature was working its magic), 2 fly-over Black-headed Gulls, 10 fly-over Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 4 fly-over Mallards.

I heard my first singing male Blackcap on 26th February 2021 and saw my first on 25th March 2021. I heard my first singing male Chiffchaff on 22nd March 2021 and again saw my first on 25th March 2021.

This morning it was quite evident that the summer warbler festival has now well and truly begun. I saw 3 singing male Chiffchaffs and 4 singing male Blackcaps (plus a single red-headed female). I saw both species at various locations around the site and heard several other unseen singing males. Chiffchaff song in particular seemed to be an almost continuous soundtrack to my visit.

I saw both woodpecker species this morning. There was a very vocal and conspicuous Green Woodpecker in the eastern and central section of the cemetery and I saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the very top of the church spire. I also heard calling Green Woodpeckers on several occasions from various points around the site.

There were 2 other miscellaneous highlights with regard to birds: a calling/singing male Greenfinch which I heard from the western section of the cemetery but failed to see and 2 Greylag Geese flying over the area south of the church.

With regard to mammals, I saw 3 Red Foxes, the first crossing the grassy strip heading south from the church car park down to St. Nicholas Lane and then 2 separate individuals from the watchpoint (the first emerging briefly from the hedge immediately opposite before turning back and a clearly lactating vixen which slowly crossed the field from right to left before disappearing in to the hedge).

I also saw 2 Reeves’ Muntjac: 1 from the watchpoint when I first arrived and then 1 crossing the grassy strip heading south from the church car park down to St. Nicholas Lane.

During this visit, I saw 2 Grey Squirrels: 1 from the watchpoint and 1 in the eastern section of the cemetery.

After recording my first Peacock and first Comma of the year during my visit on 22nd March 2021, I saw a further 3 Peacocks and a single Comma this morning. In addition, I saw my first Brimstone and first Small White of the year bringing the site list total for the year to 4 butterfly species.

There are still masses of daffodils in the cemetery, there has been an increase in primroses and horse chestnut buds are now emerging.

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

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Song Thrush