Thursday, 24 March 2022

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 24th March 2022

Date: 24th March 2022

Time: from 7 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/misty, frosty, light wind, 4°C to 6°C

I had another 7 a.m. start to my visit this morning and the weather was definitely a mix of winter and spring. It was cold compared to the very warm daytime temperatures in recent days with ground frost still evident in shaded areas and a battle between the early morning mist and the rising sun.

Whilst I had a very short visit, there were some notable sightings.

Firstly, I added another 2 species to my 2022 list for the site, taking the total to 35. I had my first record of Blackcap for the year anywhere in the UK, a singing male at the extreme western end of the cemetery. I also added Pied Wagtail to my 2022 site list, a bird seen flying over near the church.

Following my first 2 spring Chiffchaffs on my last visit on 14th March 2022, there was a notable increase this morning with 3 singing males seen plus 2 others heard at various locations around the site.

With regard to other birds, I saw both the finches that I only record very occasionally at the site: a singing male Greenfinch in the trees along the access track from Larkins Tyres, a calling but unseen Chaffinch in the same area and a pair of Chaffinches in a tree bordering the church car park.

Other notable records included a distantly calling Green Woodpecker beyond the cemetery and a “drumming” Great Spotted Woodpecker in the wooded area in the south of the site plus 2 Jackdaws flying over the cemetery.

With regard to mammals, I saw a Red Fox emerge from the hedge bordering the western section of the cemetery. As it spotted me, it turned round and disappeared back in to the hedge.

I saw a single Grey Squirrel in trees in the south west corner of the site and as I had almost reached home I saw a Reeves’ Muntjac quietly browsing along the grassy strip from the wooded area down to the flats where I live.

This was my first sighting of Reeves’ Muntjac since 17th January 2022 and the first time that I had seen all 3 of these mammal species on a single visit for many months.

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

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Dunnock
Wren
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Pied Wagtail
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Jackdaw
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull

Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac
Grey Squirrel

Site totals to date (2022 totals in brackets):

Birds = 56  (35)
Mammals = 6  (3)
Butterflies = 21  (0)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7  (0)
Reptiles = 1  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

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