Date: 26th March 2025
Time: from 7 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 8°C to 10°C
My last few visits to the site have been in very cold temperatures but it was much warmer this morning and this, with the sunshine, made it feel very spring-like.
I have heard singing male Chiffchaffs during each of my last few visits, commencing with the first of the year on 8th March 2025. This species is now well-established across all parts of the site and this morning I recorded 9 singing males (5 seen).
However, I am still waiting for my first record of Blackcap for the year, having already recorded this species at Noak Bridge Nature Reserve on 9th March 2025.
Bird song was very noticeable this morning and, in addition to the male Chiffchaffs, the following were all evident: Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit.
However, winter is still hanging on and remarkably I saw 2 flocks of c.15 and c.25 Redwings flying over the northern section of the site.
Other highlights during my visit were as follows:
Mallard: male seen flying in to the small pond at the northern edge of the site
Chaffinch: female seen perched in bushes in the northern section of the site before flying in to the paddock
Jackdaw: 2 seen flying over the paddock in the northern section of the site
Green Woodpecker: 1 seen foraging on the ground in the clearing at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and other birds heard calling in the northern section of the site and in the Church Hill area
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 seen flying across the eastern section of the cemetery, 1 heard “drumming” in the wooded area adjacent to “Hilly Road” and 1 heard calling in the woodland in the southern section of the site
With regard to mammals, I did not see any Red Foxes during this visit but I did see 2 Reeves’ Muntjacs (1 in the clearing at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres and 1 in the paddock in the northern section of the site) and 2 Grey Squirrels (1 in the northern section of the site and 1 in the western section of the cemetery).
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Chiffchaff
Grey Squirrel
Here are some photos from my visit ….
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Photo: male Chiffchaff
Site totals for 2025 to
date (2024 totals in brackets):
Birds = 35 (49)
Total species list for
the site
Birds = 69
Love nature .... act now
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