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.
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):
Here are some photos from my
visit:
Photo: male Common Whitethroat
Photo: male Common Whitethroat
Photo: male Common Whitethroat
Photo: Blue Tit
Photo: Carrion Crow
Site totals to date (2021 totals in brackets):
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