Date: 14th March 2026
Time: from 8 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 3°C to 7°C
It was a beautiful sunny morning for my visit, albeit much colder than recently with remnants of ground frost in shaded areas.
The main purpose of my visit was to try and see and photograph Red Foxes. This proved to be very successful.
As I arrived at my location in the northern section of the site, I had a very brief view of a Red Fox at the back of the main pond.
After
laying out my “buffet” of chicken carcass remains, gravy and other food, I sat
down to wait to see if my offering would be welcomed. I waited …. and waited ….
and waited .... until I realised that I was being closely watched by a Red
Fox from way over the other side from where I was sat, presumably the same
animal that I had originally seen.
This
Red Fox finally decided that the wafting smell of my “buffet” was too
hard to ignore and it came closer and closer enabling me to get several photos.
I finally left the area when the Red Fox had disappeared into the hedge
but, as I looked back, it had again emerged to feed.
I recorded 22 species of birds during my visit this morning including 4 additions to my 2026 site list: Common Buzzard, Stock Dove, Canada Goose, Pied Wagtail
The record of Canada Goose was my first since 2021.
The notable bird records during my visit were as follows ….
Common
Buzzard:
single bird seen very distantly towards the church but later a presumed pair seen soaring together and interacting over the northern section of the site
Stock Dove: a presumed pair seen in the tall trees in the far north-west corner of the northern section of the site
Canada Goose: 2 birds seen flying high over the northern section of the site in an easterly direction
Pied Wagtail: 1 heard calling but unseen flying over the northern section of the site
Chiffchaff: 1 singing male seen and another singing male heard, both in the northern section of the site
Chaffinch: female seen and 2 other birds heard calling in the northern section of the site
Green Woodpecker: loudly calling bird heard in the wooded area at the eastern end of the cemetery and another loudly calling bird heard in the tall trees in the far north-west corner of the northern section of the site
Great Spotted Woodpecker: male initially heard distantly “drumming” and 1 seen, both in the northern section of the site
Jackdaw: 2 presumed pairs seen flying separately over the northern section of the site
My
Merlin app claimed to have picked up Blackcap, Meadow Pipit, Siskin
and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker during my visit, none of which I heard or saw. Blackcap
was very likely given that I have already recorded this species this
spring and I have previously recorded Meadow Pipit flying over the site.
However, Siskin and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker are both extremely
unlikely records.
With regard to mammals other than Red Fox, I had a very brief view of a Reeves’ Muntjac behind the pond and I saw a single Grey Squirrel in the woodland adjacent to the access track from Larkins Tyres and another in the tall trees at the far end of the northern section of the site
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Here are some other photos from my visit ….
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Robin
Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets):
Total species list for the site
Love nature .... act now
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