Date: 8th October 2022
Time: from 7:30 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 9°C
My last visit to the site on 3rd October 2022 started extremely slowly with very few sightings although it did eventually result in some notable records.
It was most certainly not a slow start this morning.
Immediately after closing the door to my block of flats, I saw a Red Fox walking up the path towards me. Unfortunately, when it spotted me, it rapidly turned round and ran off down the road.
I accessed the site, as I usually do, via the track that starts near Larkins Tyres. As I first looked down the track, I saw a Reeve’s Muntjac right at the very end before it carries on in to the wooded area. That is not unusual in itself since I have often seen Reeves’ Muntjacs either along or crossing this track.
What was unusual was that this adult female Reeves’ Muntjac was joined by a very small fawn. This is the first time that I have seen a young Reeves’ Muntjac at the site or indeed anywhere else.
Unlike other deer species, the Reeves Muntjac is capable of breeding throughout the year and they are not restricted to a narrow rutting period.
After a 7 month gestation period between 1 and 3 fawns are born although twins are most common. After delivering and cleaning off their fawns, females leave them in thick vegetation and feed elsewhere. The mother will return regularly to suckle and care for her fawns.
When fawns are old enough to flee predators on their own, they will accompany her as she feeds. Fawns are weaned at 3 to 4 months of age and, shortly before the mother is due to give birth again, she evicts her previous young from her territory.
With regard to other mammal sightings, I had another brief sighting of a Red Fox in the western section of the cemetery and 4 Grey Squirrels, 2 in the trees adjacent to the access track from Larkins Tyres and 2 in the wooded area at the eastern end of the cemetery.
It was very quiet in respect of birds but I did see 4 calling Jackdaws as they flew over the central section of the cemetery and I heard a distant calling Great Spotted Woodpecker beyond the western section of the cemetery and the church car park.
Whilst I see Carrion Crows and Magpies on almost every visit to the site and Jays on a reasonably regular basis, I have only recorded Jackdaws on a single previous occasion on 23rd February 2022.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records
in italics):
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Woodpigeon
Photo: Woodpigeon
Site totals to date (2022 totals in brackets):
💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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