Date: 24th May 2021
Time: from 7 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 8°C
to 10°C
I accessed the site via the
track from Larkins Tyres which, having eventually dried up after the winter,
once more resembles a muddy swamp after the heavy rain recently.
However, that rain has also encouraged
even more leaf and plant growth and the whole site is now very green and lush.
After
the success of my last visit on 18th May 2021 when I was
able to record 26 species of birds and 3 species of mammals, it was noticeably quieter
this morning in terms of sightings and I had very few photo opportunities.
Nonetheless, I did have a few highlights: I heard but did not see a singing male Common Whitethroat which was again in the scrub area behind Larkins Tyres, I saw a calling and singing male Greenfinch at the top of one of the trees bordering the church car park and I heard a singing Goldcrest in the south west corner of the site but in a different location to the usual tall conifer tree.
Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were
still evident around the site but in much smaller numbers than recently. I saw 3
singing male Blackcaps and I heard a further 3 singing males. I saw 1 singing male Chiffchaff and
I heard a further 4 singing males.
During my visit, I had a brief view of a Red
Fox crossing the grassy strip running down from the church car park to
St. Nicholas Lane (record photo below). In addition, I heard the single bark of a Red Fox in the eastern section of the cemetery and then briefly saw it at the edge of the
bushes and trees bordering the cemetery. The bark may well have been a warning
to cubs since I heard this on a few occasions last spring when I was watching a
vixen and 4 cubs. Unfortunately, this spring, I have been unable to locate a
natal den or any cubs but in the coming weeks if there are any cubs around the
site I may well see them as they explore further afield.
I also saw 3 Grey Squirrels this morning: 1 running along the fence adjacent to the
track from Larkins Tyres, 1 in a tree bordering the church car park and 1 in
the south west corner of the site.
Species recorded during this visit were as
follows (heard only records in italics):
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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