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

Friday, 7 May 2021

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 7th May 2021

Date: 7th May 2021

Time: from 6:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 4°C to 6°C

This was my first day time visit to the site since 27th April 2021 although I did have an International Dawn Chorus Day visit on 2nd May 2021.

After the rainy and windy days recently, it was a lovely sunny morning although it was still cold.

It was a bit of a “slow burn” at the beginning of my visit with few birds to be seen or heard.

However, it eventually picked up and I had 2 particular highlights …..

Firstly, I had my first record of the year for the site of Swift with 2 birds seen flying overhead close to St. Nicholas Church. Unfortunately, both birds were silent so I have yet to hear the typical “screaming” that is such a characteristic, but sadly rapidly declining, sound of summer.

Secondly, after seeing my first ever Common Whitethroat for the site on my dawn chorus visit on 27th April 2021, I saw what I presume was the same bird this morning. I initially heard a singing male Common Whitethroat in the same area of bushes in the central section of the cemetery. It proved difficult to see for some time but then it finally revealed itself since it began commuting to and fro from the bushes in the cemetery to the area of scrub immediately beyond the northern edge of the cemetery. I also managed to photograph this particular bird.

Remarkably, as I was walking home along the track towards Larkin Tyres, I heard another singing male Common Whitethroat in the scrub area just the other side of the fence. I did have a momentary glimpse of a bird flying across the track to the other side and then the song resumed there so I assume that this was my second record of Common Whitethroat of the morning.

I mentioned that few birds were to be seen or heard for much of my visit and this was reflected in the reduced number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs that I recorded. I saw only 1 singing male Blackcap and I heard a further 6 birds (either singing males or alarm calling males/females). I failed to see a single Chiffchaff and I heard only 2 briefly singing males.

Other notable bird records included a Green Woodpecker flying across the central section of the cemetery and another heard calling in the vicinity of the church, a briefly calling Great Spotted Woodpecker close to my watchpoint at the northern edge of the site and 2 fly-over calling Greylag Geese heading over the church car park in an easterly direction.

During my visit, I saw what was probably the same Red Fox on 4 separate occasions in a half hour period, 3 times crossing the road towards the bottom of Church Hill and finally at the bottom of the grassy strip that runs down from the church car park towards St. Nicholas Lane. On this last occasion, it was clearly carrying a food item. Here are a few record photos:

The grassy strip also provided a close view of a single Reeves’ Muntjac as it slowly walked from one area of scrub and bushes to another. Again, here is a rather blurry record shot ....

I also saw 2 Grey Squirrels this morning, both together in the bushes bordering the church car park and engaged in boisterous interaction of some kind.

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

Swift

Common Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird