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

Date: 18th May 2021

Time: from 5:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 10°C

After several days of grey and cloudy weather or sunny periods with heavy rain showers, it was nice to at last have a 4.5 hours visit to the site with continuous sunshine.

This was my first visit since 7th May 2021 and it was very noticeable that the oak, beech and horse chestnut trees are now finally in full leaf with the horse chestnut trees showing their characteristic flower spike “candles”. In addition, there has been a major emergence of cow parsley with these white-flowered plants evident across much of the site and alongside the paths on Church Hill.

I was able to record 26 species of birds this morning and I had several highlights, the majority related to our summer migrant visitors.

Firstly, as I was returning home via Larkins Tyres, I saw my first Swallow of the year for the site fly through the adjacent field and scrub area.

Secondly, Swifts were very evident from the top of Church Hill at various times during my visit and I saw groups of 5, 2, 2, 3 and 4 although there is a distinct possibility of some double-counting. Most were silent but one of the groups included some “screaming” birds.

Thirdly, during my visit on 7th May 2021, I saw 2 singing male Common Whitethroats, one of which was in the scrub either side of the track by Larkins Tyres. One of my first records this morning was again a singing male Common Whitethroat in exactly the same area and therefore it is possibly the same bird. I was able to photograph this bird. When I returned via this area, it was still singing but further away in the scrub behind Larkins Tyres.

Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were still very evident although the increase in leaf cover of the bushes, hedges and trees makes seeing them far more difficult. However, I saw 3 singing male Blackcaps (including a very showy individual that enabled me to get some photos) and I heard a further 11 birds (either singing males or alarm calling males/females). I saw 2 singing male Chiffchaffs and I heard a further 3 singing males.

Other notable bird records included 2 calling but unseen Green Woodpeckers (1 in the western section of the cemetery and 1 at the top of Church Hill), a single Goldcrest and possibly another calling bird in the usual large conifer tree in the south west corner of the site, a distantly calling but unseen male Greenfinch in the north of the site beyond the cemetery, an adult Starling with a juvenile flying past the church and an unusually silent single Canada Goose (they can be quiet!) flying through at the southern edge of the site.

During my visit, I saw a Red Fox cross Church Hill whilst sat at the church and around 15 minutes later I saw another or the same individual carrying a food item cross the church car park and then reappear in the central section of the cemetery.

I had an excellent view of a single Reeves’ Muntjac from the viewpoint overlooking the field, scrub, bushes and trees at the north of the site. It emerged from the bushes and walked slowly out in to the open field, enabling me to get some photos. However, it then spotted me and ran back in to cover but continued to “bark” for several minutes.

I also saw 8 Grey Squirrels this morning: 2 separate individuals near Larkins Tyres (one of them climbing a telegraph pole), 2 together in a tree just off the church car park,1 negotiating telegraph wires by the church and 3 together in the south west corner of the site (including a small juvenile). This proved to be one of my most successful visits for photographing this species.

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

Swallow

Swift

Common Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock