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

Date: 3rd April 2022

Time: from 7 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, -1°C to 4°C

I remarked that my last visit on 31st March 2022 was exceptionally cold after several days of very warm early spring weather a week or so prior to this. This morning was exactly the same but even colder with an extensive ground frost.

However, the beautiful sunny morning delivered my best visit of the year in terms of the number of species recorded: 23 bird species and 3 mammal species.

In fact, it was exceptionally good for mammals. Whilst I regularly see Red Fox, Reeves’ Muntjac and Grey Squirrel on my visits, it is rare to record all 3 species on a single visit, let alone the number of sightings that I had this morning: 5 Red Foxes, 4 Reeves’ Muntjac and 2 Grey Squirrels. With regard to the Red Foxes and Reeve’s Muntjacs, there may have been a duplication in some records.

Red Fox sightings began almost immediately when I saw a single animal run through the clearing in the wooded area at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and in to the hedge. I anticipated that it might emerge in to the field at the north of the site and therefore moved to my usual watchpoint overlooking this area. Nothing. I therefore decided to resume my walk and again saw a Red Fox, quite possibly the same animal, run through the clearing.

As I entered the cemetery and walked up to the central section, I saw another Red Fox basking in the not very warm sunshine beneath a tree. Although clearly aware of my presence, it did not bolt for cover and remained for several minutes allowing me to take some photos.

After walking round the rest of the cemetery and the south west corner of the site, I returned to the watchpoint overlooking the field. I immediately spotted a Red Fox sat out in the open which was quickly joined by another which adopted a submissive posture. It was fairly obvious from the size difference that it was a vixen that had joined the dog and that they were known to each other, possibly a mated pair. After a few minutes of interaction, they both left the area but trotted off in different directions to eventually disappear from view in to the boundary hedges and scrub. Again, I managed to get some photos.

On my way home, I had a final look from the watchpoint and spotted the ears of a Red Fox poking up from the grass at the edge of the hedge on the far side of the field. It was not moving and was clearly another animal enjoying the sunshine. It eventually stood up and I was able to get some photos.

My records of Reeves’ Muntjac usually involve a single animal or occasionally 2 animals so the 4 records this morning was remarkable. I saw the first in the wooded area at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and another very close to me at the edge of the field in the north of the site. I saw the other 2 animals crossing the grassy strip running down from the church car park down to St. Nicholas Lane and crossing the other grassy strip running down from the top of Church Hill to St. Nicholas Lane.

I saw 2 Grey Squirrels during my visit, both in the wooded area at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres.

With regard to birds, I saw 2 singing male Chiffchaffs and heard at least 4 others plus I heard 4 singing male Blackcaps although failed to see any of them.

Other notable records included a single Sparrowhawk flying through the south of the site very close to St. Nicholas Lane, a singing male Goldcrest in the large conifer in the south west corner of the site, a single Greenfinch flying over the field in the north of the site and 2 perched males in trees in the south west corner of the site, 3 calling Jackdaws flying over the cemetery, a regularly calling but unseen Green Woodpecker in the wooded area adjacent to the track from Larkins Tyres and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees at the top of Church Hill.

In addition, there seemed to be an abundance of noisy Carrion Crows this morning with c.20 in the trees around the church with much competition as to which pair could achieve the highest vantage point at the top of the church spire.