The final couple of weeks this month have been particular dark, dank, wet and windy and with little inspiration as the year ends. I though a general wrap up of the last month was appropriate.
I visited Selsey on the 7th and the 18th, neither spectacular but always worthwhile with a large movement of Kittiwakes on the 7th plus a Slavonian Grebe, with only a few duck moving on the 18th and both visits producing Great Northern Divers and a few Red-throated Divers.
I went to Iping Common on the 16th in very murky conditions to try and find a Little Bunting. After a couple of hours of no sign it suddenly showed itself for a few minutes at the top of a birch tree. There were 4+ Woodlarks in song which was a surprise plus a flock of c100 Redwing.
Around the house and garden, it often becomes quieter over xmas and that has proved the case. In early December there was a large flock of Siskin and Goldfinch, perhaps numbering 200 birds all feeding in the Alders. Redwing are scarcer now all the berries are stripped but one or two are still around. A Grey Wagtail is often seen and a couple of Pied Wagtails visited when the weather was cold and frosty mid-month. A surprise Kingfisher briefly visited the pond on the 14th (as it has done in the last couple of years) and the first Winter Brambling has appeared with 8 Chaffinches but is not a daily visitor at the moment.
We end the year as ever with optimism about 2022, but still without concrete plans due to the ongoing covid concerns. We have been lucky and have remained covid free as a family and hope those less fortunate can find hope in the year to come. Happy New Year.
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| Different colour variation in a Pheasant at home |
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| Little Bunting |
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