Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 9th September 2025

Date: 9th September 2025

Time: from 7:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 12°C to 17°C

Following the sightings of Red Foxes in the same general area in the northern section of the site on my 2 previous visits on 5th September 2025 and 8th September 2025, I decided to specifically target this species this morning.

I baited a suitable location with dog food and dog biscuits and then settled down to wait sitting on my Walkstool and covered by my bag hide.

It was a long wait!

Finally, after about an hour, I had a brief view of a quickly running Red Fox which eventually reappeared some distance away. However, my view was obstructed by long grass and the directional light was all wrong.

Photo: Red Fox

The Red Fox eventually started walking towards me and it was evidently curious as to what my shape in the bag hide was. A staring match ensued!

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

The Red Fox then walked off and disappeared from view for a short time before emerging close by and providing the photo opportunity that I was seeking.

Photo: Red Fox

After a short period, the Red Fox reappeared, disappeared and then reappeared again running towards the area where I had originally seen it arrive from.

Photo: Red Fox

My largely “sit and wait” time in the northern section of the site also proved to be very productive for birds.

I added another species to my 2025 site list taking the total to 46 species: Ring-necked Parakeet (c.10 flew over heading in a northerly direction)

Other highlights included the following:

Common Buzzard: 1 heard “mewing” and then seen soaring for several minutes

Sparrowhawk: 2 females seen flying low and very fast and interacting aggressively plus a male and female seen soaring together

Chiffchaff: 1 heard calling but unseen

Blackcap: 2 heard alarm calling but unseen

Green Woodpecker: 1 calling bird seen flying over

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 calling bird seen flying over

With regard to mammals, and in addition to the Red Fox that I photographed, I had a brief view of a Reeve’s Muntjac in the same area.

After an exceptionally good spring and summer for butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies, both the numbers and diversity of species have significantly decreased. However, during this visit, I did record singles of Emperor Dragonfly, Common Darter and Large White.

The abundance of autumn fruits and nuts, including blackberries, sloes, hips, haws, acorns and horse chestnut "conkers", is still very apparent.

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

Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Blue Tit 

Great Tit 

Long-tailed Tit

Robin 

Wren

Dunnock 

Blackbird 

Common Buzzard

Sparrowhawk

Ring-necked Parakeet

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Woodpigeon 

Jay 

Magpie 

Carrion Crow 

Jackdaw

Herring Gull 

Red Fox

Reeves Muntjac

Emperor Dragonfly

Common Darter

Large White

Here are some other photos from my visit:

Photo: Sparrowhawks

Photo: Sparrowhawks

Photo: Sparrowhawks

Photo: Common Buzzard

Photo: Common Buzzard

Photo: Common Buzzard

Photo: Large White

Photo: Common Darter

Site totals for 2025 to date (2024 totals in brackets):  

Birds = 46 (49)

Mammals = 4 (3)

Butterflies = 23 (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) 

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 69

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

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Record from my flat - Common Buzzard

I had yet another record of Common Buzzard from my flat today, possibly the same bird on two separate occasions.

At 11 a.m. I saw a Common Buzzard soaring very distantly over the woodland beyond the houses opposite my flat. It eventually flew off slowly in a southerly direction but re-appeared again from behind my flat at 11:25 a.m. heading north.

This sighting from my flat follows three previous sightings in July and four in August 2025.

There has been a significant and welcome increase in sightings recently following a scarcity during the first half of the year.

Sightings of Common Buzzard have been much lower in the last few years after a peak of activity during 2022. However, 2025 is already an improvement on 2024.

Summary of Common Buzzard records during the last 5 years:

2021: 11 dates involving 13 birds

2022: 26 dates involving 38 birds

2023: 8 dates involving 8 birds

2024: 3 dates involving 3 birds

2025: 11 dates involving 16 birds

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Record from my flat - hirundines

Whist observing this morning's Common Buzzard (see here), I also noticed two small groups of at least five hirundines each flying through (heading south as expected at this time of year), definitely including Swallows but also possibly an odd House Martin.

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Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 8th September 2025

Date: 8th September 2025

Time: from 8 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 13°C to 16°C

I had another visit to the site this morning but only to the northern section.

I added another species to my 2025 site list taking the total to 46 species: Pied Wagtail (1 heard calling as it flew over but unfortunately unseen)

The highlights with regard to birds during my visit were as follows:

Common Whitethroat: 1 again seen foraging for berries in bushes near the pond (presumably the same bird as on my last visit)

Chiffchaff: 1 singing male (strange!) in the area adjacent to the paddock and 1 seen in bushes near the pond

Green Woodpecker: 1 calling bird seen flying over

Sparrowhawk: 1 seen flying high over

Tits: as on my last 2 visits, there was an abundance of roving Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits

With regard to mammals, I saw a Red Fox as soon as I entered the northern section of the site but it quickly ran off. I saw what I believe was the same individual not long after in the area adjacent to the paddock. I then saw 2 more Red Foxes together in the central area before they eventually moved off to the wooded area at the northern boundary. Later I heard loud Red Fox vocalisation from this area on several occasions.

After an exceptionally good spring and summer for butterflies, both the numbers and diversity of species have significantly decreased. During this visit, I managed just a single record, a Small Copper in the main field.

The abundance of autumn fruits and nuts, including blackberries, sloes, hips, haws, acorns and horse chestnut "conkers", is still very apparent.

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

Common Whitethroat

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Blackbird

Sparrowhawk

Green Woodpecker

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Red Fox

Small Copper

Here are some other photos from my visit:

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Foxes

Photo: Common Whitethroat

Photo: Common Whitethroat

Photo: Long-tailed Tit

Photo: Long-tailed Tit

Photo: Small Copper

Site totals for 2025 to date (2024 totals in brackets):  

Birds = 46 (49)

Mammals = 4 (3)

Butterflies = 23 (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) 

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 69

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

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Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 5th September 2025

Date: 5th September 2025

Time: from 8:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 13°C to 16°C

My first visit to the site during September had a distinctly autumnal feel.

The highlights with regard to birds during my visit around the whole site were as follows:

Common Whitethroat: 1 seen foraging for berries in the northern section of the site (a very fresh looking bird and presumably a juvenile)

Chiffchaff: at least 2 seen in the northern section of the site (possibly more present)

Blackcap: male and female seen in the northern section of the site (possibly more present)

Green Woodpecker: 1 seen in the northern section of the site and 1 seen in the central section of the cemetery

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 heard calling in the northern section of the site and 1 seen in the wooded area in the southern section of the site

Tits: again there was an abundance of roving Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits

With regard to mammals, this was the first visit for a long time where I recorded all 3 resident species:

Red Fox: 1 seen in the northern section of the site which eventually settled to enjoy the sunshine on a heap of grass cuttings (a presumed cub from this year)

Reeves’ Muntjac: 3 seen in the northern section of the site

Grey Squirrel: 1 seen in the wooded area in the southern section of the site

After an exceptionally good spring and summer for butterflies, both the numbers and diversity of species have significantly decreased. However, during this visit, I still managed to record the following:

Wall: 1 seen in the central section of the cemetery and 3 seen on or around the walls of the church

Common Blue: a very worn male seen in the northern section of the site

Small Copper: 1 seen in the central section of the cemetery

The abundance of autumn fruits and nuts, including blackberries, sloes, hips, haws, acorns and horse chestnut "conkers", is still very apparent.

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

Common Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Blackbird

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Red Fox

Reeves' Muntjac

Grey Squirrel

Wall

Common Blue

Small Copper

Here are some other photos from my visit:

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Wall

Photo: Wall

Photo: Wall

Photo: Wall

Photo: Common Blue

Site totals for 2025 to date (2024 totals in brackets):  

Birds = 44 (49)

Mammals = 4 (3)

Butterflies = 23 (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) 

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 69

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 14

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world

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

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature