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

Sunday 12 March 2023

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 12th March 2023

Date: 12th March 2023

Time: from 8:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 8°C to 10°C

As on my visit yesterday to my other local patch site at Noak Bridge Nature Reserve, there are now a few signs of spring.

In addition to the emerging Blackthorn, bird song was very evident, particularly singing Robins, Great Tits and Blue Tits but also a few Wrens and singles of Song Thrush and Dunnock.

As I arrived at the entrance to the access track by Larkins Tyres, I heard an excitably calling Great Spotted Woodpecker in the wooded area to the south of the track and beyond the school playing field. I continued to hear this and presumably the same bird “drumming” on a regular basis whilst in this area and in the eastern section of the cemetery. I heard a very loud “drumming” Great Spotted Woodpecker in the eastern section of the cemetery and eventually saw this bird.

I also heard a distantly calling Green Woodpecker from the entrance to the access track by Larkins Tyres.

From this location, I also heard a briefly calling Chaffinch and a distantly calling Greenfinch.

I spent 2 sessions from the watchpoint overlooking the field, scrub, hedges and trees in the north of the site and this proved to be very productive with the following species recorded: Common Buzzard (a distantly “mewing” bird and later 2 birds seen together), Goldcrest (1 calling bird in the surrounding wooded area), Greenfinch (a fly over calling male), Jay (4 seen together foraging for some time on the edge of the field), Chiffchaff (a possible distantly and briefly calling bird), Redwing (a group of c.10 thrushes were probably this species)

With regard to mammals, I saw and photographed a Red Fox in the central section of the cemetery. I saw 2 additional Red Foxes from the watchpoint overlooking the north of the site. One of these I photographed and sadly it appears to have been recently blinded in one eye.

I also saw 2 Grey Squirrels in the wooded area adjacent to the access track from Larkins Tyres.

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

Chiffchaff (possible)

Goldcrest

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Redwing (possible)

Song Thrush

Blackbird