Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 30th December 2025

Date: 30th December 2025

Time: from 9:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 3°C to 5°C

This was definitely my last visit of the year and my main objectives were to see and photograph Red Foxes …. I failed!

Despite placing a carefully prepared post-Christmas breakfast buffet (roast chicken remains, gravy, dog food and dog biscuits) at a location where I have previously seen Red Foxes and sitting under my bag hide for 2 hours, my favourite UK mammal refused to put in an appearance.

I did hear 2 Reeves’ Muntjacs continually “barking” in very close proximity to where I sat and I had a very brief view of one.

Given the lack of Red Foxes, I resigned myself to long-distance corvid photography!

Photo: Jay

Photo: Carrion Crow

Photo: Magpies

Photo: Magpies

My only notable bird records during another quiet visit were as follows ….

Redwing: a few briefly heard calling in the northern section of the site but none seen

Chaffinch: 1 seen again in the northern section of the site

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 or possibly 2 seen in trees in the northern section of the site

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

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Wren

Redwing

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Chaffinch

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Jay

Jackdaw

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Reeves’ Muntjac

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

Birds = 50 (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 = 70

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

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 27th December 2025

Date: 27th December 2025

Time: from 8:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light/moderate wind, 3°C to 5°C

It was again very quiet for what will probably be my last visit of the year this morning but I still managed some notable records:

Redwing: 1 briefly heard calling in the northern section of the site but otherwise surprisingly absent

Chaffinch: male and female seen together in the northern section of the site

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 2 seen together flying high into the northern section of the site and then landing in the top of the tall trees

Goldcrest: 1, possibly 2, heard calling in the wooded area in the southern section of the site

I also saw 3 Grey Squirrels, 1 in the wooded area adjacent to the access track from Larkins Tyres, 1 in the eastern section of the cemetery and 1 in the wooded area in the southern section of the site.

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

Goldcrest

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Redwing

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Chaffinch

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Jay

Jackdaw

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

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

Birds = 50 (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 = 70

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

While they make noise, the public makes sense

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

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 19th December 2025

Date: 19th December 2025

Time: from 9:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 9°C

I had a generally quiet visit this morning but I still managed some notable sightings:

Redwing: 1 seen in the northern section of the site but several others heard calling

Chaffinch: single male associating with a flock of c.15 Goldfinches in the northern section of the site

Starling: at least 50 flying over the northern section of the site

Pied Wagtail: 1 heard calling in the northern section of the site

Jackdaw: 2 seen flying over the northern section of the site

Collared Dove: 3 seen flying into the wooded area adjacent to the access track from Larkins Tyres

I also saw 4 Grey Squirrels, 3 in the eastern section of the cemetery and another in the wooded area in the southern section of the site.

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

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Redwing

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Starling

Pied Wagtail

Jay

Jackdaw

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Collared Dove

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel

Here are some photos from my visit ....

Photo: Collared Dove

Photo: Collared Dove

Photo: Redwing

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

Birds = 50 (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 = 70

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

Record from St. Nicholas Church area

This morning at 11:30 a.m. I was walking home along St. Nicholas Lane when I heard calling Ring-necked Parakeets. I quickly spotted 3 birds flying towards me from the direction of St. Nicholas Church and down Hilly Road.

This was my second record of 2025 after seeing c.10 birds during my visit on 9th September 2025.

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

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 10th December 2025

Date: 10th December 2025

Time: from 10:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 10°C to 13°C

This was my first visit to the site since 8th November 2025 due to other commitments and a trip away to Northern Ireland.

I had a brief visit to the northern section of the site this morning. It was generally quiet with only 15 species recorded but I still managed some notable sightings:

Redwing: at least 20 and possibly many more with small groups seeing flying through

Chaffinch: single female

Starling: at least 50 in various small groups

The Merlin app on my phone also picked up Bullfinch and Firecrest. I have recorded both these species very rarely at the site before so neither of them would be totally unexpected. However, I neither heard of saw them at the time of the Merlin records.

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

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Robin

Dunnock

Redwing

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Starling

Jay

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Herring Gull

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

Birds = 50 (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 = 70

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