Saturday, 1 March 2025

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 1st March 2025

Date: 1st March 2025

Time: from 8:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 1°C to 3°C

Winter definitely returned for my visit this morning with temperatures only just above 0°C and with an evident ground frost.

I had another excellent visit, albeit not quite as exciting as my last on 23rd February 2025 when I saw 2 Hawfinches!

Nonetheless, I did add 3 species to my site list for 2025: Greenfinch (1 heard flying over the church), Goldfinch (4 seen flying high over the northern section of the site) and Collared Dove (2 seen flying over the paddock in the northern section of the site).

Woodpeckers were very evident during my visit including 2 Green Woodpeckers with loud and persistently calling birds in the northern section of the site and in the woodland adjacent to Hilly Road and 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers with male seen “drumming” at the top of the church spire and 2 others heard calling in the woodland in the southern section of the site and distantly from the access track from Larkins Tyres.

In addition, I had exceptionally close views of a singing male Goldcrest in the woodland in the southern section of the site which I was able to photograph.

I did not hear or see any Hawfinches again but the Merlin app did pick this species up in the northern section of the site so maybe there are some birds still in the area.

With regard to mammals, my visit proved to be one of the best for some time for photographing a Red Fox. As on recent visits, I initially saw a distant Red Fox at the far side of the paddock in the northern section of the site. However, it gradually moved nearer and came within 20 feet of me before casually walking away. I saw what I presumed was the same Red Fox later which I was able to watch and photograph. However, I saw my first Red Fox crossing the road by Larkins Tyres which, sadly, was a badly limping individual.

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

Goldcrest

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jackdaw
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Collared Dove
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull

Red Fox

Here are some photos from my visit ….
















Photo: Red Fox
















Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

















Photo: Red Fox
















Photo: Red Fox

Photo: Red Fox

















Photo: Red Fox






























Photo: Goldcrest





























Photo: Goldcrest





























Photo: Goldcrest




























Photo: Robin




























Photo: Blue Tit




























Photo: Great Tit




























Photo: Great Spotted Woodpecker




























Photo: Great Spotted Woodpecker





























































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

Birds = 28 (49)

Mammals = 3 (3)
Butterflies = 0 (17)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 0 (11)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0)

Total species list for the site

Birds = 69

Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

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