Date: 15th March 2023
Time: from 8:15 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 2°C to 5°C
I had an excellent visit this morning: 23 bird species recorded (including Mallard added to my 2023 site list and 3 Common Buzzards) plus up to 6 Red Foxes.
I accessed the site as usual via the track from Larkins Tyres. At the start of the track, I saw c.20 Redwings flying through the scrub area behind Larkins Tyres. At the end of the track in the wooded clearing I saw a Green Woodpecker.
From the wooded clearing, I took the short walk through the trees to the fence, my regular watchpoint overlooking the field, scrub, hedges and trees in the north of the site. For the rest of my visit, I spent time here and walking around this area.
From the watchpoint, I heard and then saw a singing male Goldcrest in the surrounding wooded area plus I heard another calling Green Woodpecker and a calling and briefly “drumming” Great Spotted Woodpecker.
After some time at this location, I climbed over the fence and walked across the field to one of the small ponds where I was surprised to see a pair of Mallards. This is a species that I have recorded at the site on a few occasions but always as a fly-over sighting. This was a new site record for me for 2023, taking the total to 33 bird species. I expected the Mallards to immediately fly off when they saw me but they remained on the pond enabling me to get several photos.
I eventually returned back to the watchpoint by the fence. From here, I had my first sighting of a single Common Buzzard which I was able to watch for several minutes being harassed by a Carrion Crow.
Photo: Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow
Photo: Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow
Photo: Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow
Photo: Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow
Photo: Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard eventually disappeared from view but after around 10 minutes I saw it, or another bird, very distantly at the very far side of the field. This bird landed in a tree and was quickly joined by another. Through my binoculars it appeared that they were at a nest but it was too distant to confirm this.
Photo: heavily cropped shot of 2 Common Buzzards at a presumed nest
I therefore climbed over the fence again and walked back across the field.
The 2 Common Buzzards had flown from the tree but there did indeed appear to be a nest. Whether this was a new nest or an old one from last year, and possibly that of a Carrion Crow or Magpie, was unclear. However, I will definitely be watching this area with some interest over the coming weeks.
Photo: tree with presumed nest (top centre left)
I quickly spotted the 2 Common Buzzards soaring and I deduced that they were presumably a pair judging by the size difference and their regular interaction. After some time, a third Common Buzzard appeared and began soaring in close proximity to the other 2 birds. I was able to watch all 3 Common Buzzards for around 15 minutes.
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzard
Finally with regard to birds, song was again very evident, particularly singing Robins, Great Tits and Blue Tits but also a few Wrens and Dunnocks. However, I also heard a singing male Blackbird, my second record of a singing bird this spring.
With regard to mammals, I had 6 sightings of Red Foxes. Although there may have been some duplication, I did see at least 3 different animals.
My first sighting of a Red Fox was from the track from Larkins Tyres although the view was partially obscured by the dense vegetation. I had 4 further sightings whilst I walked around the field and the area of scrub, hedges and trees in the north of the site and I was able to photograph one of these animals.
As I returned home, I had my final Red Fox sighting with a single animal running across the scrub area behind Larkins Tyres.
As on my last visit, 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):
Site totals for 2023 to date (2022 totals in brackets):
Total species list for the site:
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