I've set myself a lock-down target of a daily walk and seeing how many species I can see in the local area. Given the time of year it won't be high and many of the fields and woods are already very quiet. It didn't start off quite to plan because of fog !. It lingered , so I delayed my start away from the house until around 9.30am, and it gradually lifted only to descend again around 11.30, later clearing to a very still and sunny afternoon.
I walked from the house and to the south, through the muddy woods to the Furnace pond, largely retracing my steps. Thee has been a significant amount of forestry works in the pine plantations near the furnace pond with a vast area cleared, I'm guessing at least 100 acres. It looks a complete mess, but it may be interesting in Spring if it is left like that.
The days' total was 35 bird Species seen, 3 more heard, 4 mammals (Red Fox, Roe Deer, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit) and a very late Red Admiral.
Several groups of Redwing were encountered being typically furtive and trying to stay hidden either foraging in the leaf litter or going for the remaining Holly berries. A single Mistle Thrush was seen at home before I left. A small Siskin flock, 3 Lesser Redpoll and several Bullfinch were finch highlights. I purposely went to the Furnace Pond to see if any wildfowl had dropped in. At first glance it looked picturesque but completely empty. There were 4 Cormorants in a tree and in the watery tangle of trees at the back of the pond at least 8 Mandarin, a Teal, Moorhen, Grey Wagtail and I heard a Kingfisher call, but was in the tangle looking for the Mandarin so didn't see the bird but it is a good record for here.
There was little else of note, I heard a Buzzard but it was somewhere above the fog, and was my only sniff of any raptor all day.
I had a row of sunflowers in the veggie patch at home performing well in the Summer, which I've left to seed, the seedheads are now being favoured by a pair of Marsh Tits, who are much preferring taking the full seeds from the plant rather than the hearts in the birdfeeder. Greenfinch and Great Tit have also been seen doing this. Yesterday there was a Firecrest in the garden, not seen today, but one often lingers in the gully so will hope it makes the lock-down list.
 |
It wasn't surprising my list was small - couldn't see much.
|
 |
| Furnace Pond - Little to see, it was all hiding under the trees at the back. |
 |
Vast area of clearance behind the furnace pond, maybe good for Woodlarks and tree pipits in Spring.
|
 |
| The Sunflower heads I've left to seed |
 |
Marsh Tit
|
 |
| Marsh Tit, eyeing up the seeds. |
 |
Marsh Tit
|
 |
| Marsh Tit |
 |
Firecrest
|
 |
| Firecrest |
 |
Firecrest
|
 |
Bullfinch
|
 |
Some puffball-type fungi at home
|
 |
Dinner-plate size Fungi
|
No comments:
Post a Comment