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

Sunday, 2 April 2023

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 2nd April 2023

Date: 2nd April 2023

Time: from 9:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy, light wind, 8°C to 9°C

I had another excellent visit this morning with 22 bird species recorded including 2 additions to my 2023 site list: Blackcap and Cormorant. This took my site list for 2023 to 35 species.

I accessed the site as usual via the track from Larkins Tyres. From the wooded clearing at the end of the track, 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. I spent some time here and walking around the northern section of the site.

From the watchpoint, I saw a Cormorant flying over heading in an easterly direction, possibly towards the lake at Gloucester Park where I frequently see this species on the lake or perched in the trees on the wooded island.

During my last visit on 15th March 2023, I had an excellent encounter with 3 Common Buzzards and I again saw a presumed pair of birds in exactly the same area as they flew out of the trees at the northern edge of the site. As always, they attracted the attention of the local Carrion Crows who pursued and harassed them.

In this same area, I also saw a calling and singing male Greenfinch and heard at least 2 other calling birds.

My visit had very much a feel of spring at last with records of both Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

I heard a briefly singing male Blackcap from my watchpoint but unfortunately I could not locate the bird. However, this was my first record of this species this year. Last year, I recorded my first Blackcap on 24th March 2022, over a week earlier. However, I have not visited the site since 15th March 2023 so they may have been present prior to my visit this morning.

I recorded my first 2 singing male Chiffchaffs of the year on 20th March 2023 when I had an exercise walk up Church Hill rather than a site visit. However, this morning Chiffchaff song was evident across the site and I saw my first 2 singing males of the year, the first in the wooded area at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and the second in bushes in the south west corner of the site. I also heard at least 5 other singing males.

Finally, I heard a calling Green Woodpecker in the northern section of the site and 2 calling Great Spotted Woodpeckers, the first in the wooded area at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and the second in the south west corner of the site.

Unusually, I had no sightings at all of any mammals on this visit.

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

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Song Thrush