Paul Matson's Birding Blog: Monday 18th January

A week ago you could barely see out for the continuous low mist, the few days following there was a lot of rain and thankfully yesterday and today have been fairly dry days before the rain starts again tonight. Today is known as Blue Monday, officially the most depressing day of the year ! and whilst I'm not in a position to argue strongly against this notion as it currently feels like the most difficult time of Winter, I do think there has to be a glimmer of hope and optimism as the length of daylight tries desperately to extend each morning. I'm not sure it would officially count as bleak mid-winter but I wouldn't disagree if some insisted it was, with lockdown continuing, and high levels of covid cases stretching everyone's will to the limits, both freewill and goodwill.

Having slightly compounded my position by picking up an ear infection so I currently can't hear out of my right ear !, I nevertheless have managed 2 decent walks from the house in the last week.

On Friday I walked towards Lower House Farm, then returned a different route, going South through Fernhurst to the small Sewage Plant at the bottom of the village and across the main road returning up the lane (about 9 kms in total). Firstly there were at least 5 Brambling with around 40 Chaffinches in the track up to Tanyards cottage, but nothing in the adjacent Kale crop, it wasn't until I approached Lower House Farm itself that I could see the large Linnet flock in a field right at the back of the buildings and not close at all to the footpath but there still must have been at least 350+ Linnets. Also 2 Yellowhammer and the same of Meadow Pipit and 2 Mistle Thrush, which seem to be fairly visible at the moment. I thought the change of route may have produced different species, but it was quiet. I thought the sewage plant may be harbouring a wintering Chiffchaff as they so often do, but nothing at all was visible through the fence. A group of c20 Rooks , 5 Bullfinch and 8 Siskin were the only birds I saw on the walk back.

Yesterday I walked to the Furnace Pond. Still in hope that I will see a Goshawk, but despite hearing the panic of Crows and a scatter of Pigeons I was in woodland with no view so if there was a Goshawk about I didn't see it. The remainder of the walk was very quiet with the Teal and Mandarin being visible at the back of the pond with a single Mallard and a pair of Moorhen and 2 Grey Heron. Elsewhere a single Fieldfare was seen at the top of the lane, 15-20 Redwing were clustered around Ivy berries and 4 or 5 Mistle Thrush were seen with one very vocally singing in full flow. This walk is about 8kms, depending on exactly which route I take but both walks have exceptionally muddy footpaths at the moment so a lot of concentration on where you put your feet in order to keep upright takes some of the focus away from finding birds (although there aren't many !).

There's actually been more bird activity at home. I have most of the feeders and food on the ground near to the Chicken pen next to the hedge as it gives some shelter for the birds although it is around 25m from the house so the views are not as good. I then have a bird table closer with a smaller nut and seed feeder and a couple of old logs on the patio I scatter food onto. Close to these logs is a small hole at the edge of the flowerbed which is occupied by what I think is a Bank Vole, who occasionally pops out to take some food from behind the logs.

The finch numbers seem to have increased slightly over the last week and currently 25+ Chaffinches are feeding on scattered seed and with them 2 Brambling, 5 Greenfinch, 15+ Goldfinch, feeding on a mixture of the Nijer seed and sunflower hearts, only 2 Siskin using the feeders currently although I would this number to increase and an occasional Bullfinch sighting. The female Blackcap continues to visit and today a male appeared as well and at least one Pied Wagtail continues to try and dominate below the feeder near the patio.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers have started drumming and have a drumming branch close to the chicken pen, I think there are 3 different birds that visit a nut feeder and a Green Woodpecker seems to drop onto the lawn when the rain is at its heaviest.

Larger birds also visit, with 3 Pheasant, up to 20 Starling, 10 Jackdaws, 2 Magpie several Woodpigeon and 8 Stock Doves. Raptors do seem a little thin on the ground at the moment with hardly a sighting of the commonest local bird of prey the Buzzard, but the highlight was a Peregrine that drifted over yesterday and also a Red Kite a Sparrowhawk and the pair of local Ravens.