Monday 22 January 2024

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 22nd January 2024

Date: 22nd January 2024

Time: from 9 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate/strong wind, 9°C to 10°C

Due to my trip to Lee Valley Country Park on 17th January 2024 and 2 further visits to Heybridge to see and photograph the Northern Waterthrush on 15th January 2024 and 19th January 2024, this was my first visit to my local patch site for some time.

It was a lovely sunny morning and significantly warmer than the very cold weather with sub-zero temperatures that have been evident for some time now. It was also very windy although the worst of Storm Isha had passed through overnight.

I had a full walk around the site including the northern section of the site, the cemetery and the wooded area in the south of the site on my way home.

It was a typically quiet mid-winter day but I was able to record 2 species to add to my 2024 bird site list: Redwing and Wren.

I also added Grey Squirrel and Reeves’ Muntjac to my 2024 mammal site list.

The main highlights during my visit were the 6 Redwings, 2 very vocal and active Green Woodpeckers, a single Red Fox and a single “barking” but unseen Reeves’ Muntjac, all in the northern section of the site.

I also recorded my first Hazel catkins of the year …. spring is coming!

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


Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Redwing
Blackbird
Green Woodpecker
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull

Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac
Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit ....





























Photo: Grey Squirrel





























Photo: Hazel catkins





























Photo: Hazel catkins

Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):


Birds = 17 (47)
Mammals = 3 (3)
Butterflies = 0 (23)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 0 (12)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 65
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 13
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

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Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

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