Sunday, 21 April 2024

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 21st April 2024

Date: 21st April 2024 

Time: from 8 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 6°C to 9°C

Following my last visit on 18th April 2024, I had another visit to the northern section of the site, again primarily with the intention of watching and photographing Red Foxes

As I on my last visit, I walked to the location where I have previously seen Red Foxes and scattered some dog food and dog biscuits. I retreated but before I had even covered myself with my bag hide, a Red Fox appeared although I only managed to get an obscured head shot. It failed to emerge entirely and walk the short distance to where the food was. Eventually, it turned and moved back in to the hedge.

Photo: Red Fox

After covering myself with my bag hide, I waited in hope that the Red Fox might return. After around 30 minutes, I spotted 2 Red Foxes racing towards me from the direction of the main pond and they then proceeded to chase each other around in very close proximity to me. Eventually, one of them ran off whilst the other just sat down and watched it disappear. At this point, I managed to get one of my best photos of a Red Fox for a long time. After a few minutes, this Red Fox walked off and also disappeared from view.

Photo: Red Fox

After only my second site record of a singing male Willow Warbler on my last visit on 18th April 2024, I was hoping that it would still be present. What I presume was the same bird was still present but had relocated to the area of bushes surrounding the main pond. It sang sporadically but I failed to see it.

Again, I recorded both Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps during my visit: I heard 3 singing male Chiffchaffs and heard 2 calling birds plus I saw 1 singing male Blackcap and a non-singing male and heard 5 other singing males.

I saw a single male Mallard fly over and later 2 males and a female which flew a circuit and then landed on the main pond.

Photo: male Mallard





























Photo: male and female Mallard

There was again a single Moorhen on the small pond.

The cold temperature meant that I again failed to record any butterfly species.

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

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Mallard
Moorhen
Herring Gull

Red Fox

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

Birds = 35 (47)

Mammals = 3 (3)
Butterflies = 3 (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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