Settling down to winter


Another visit to Priest Hill, and, Cattle Egret apart, there seems to be a familiarity about the bird life present. With such a benign winter it is little wonder that there isn't much moving, and no surprise that what is present is staying put. I gave all of the meadows a good grilling, with the smallest of them pictured above. Simply put, the area is largely open grassland, liberally sprinkled with low bushes and shrubs. Small copses populate the edges which are further bordered by playing fields, horse paddocks and light residential. The sky, I'm pleased to say, is BIG.

The 'notable' wintering population numbers: Skylark (6), Meadow Pipit (10), Stonechat (2-3), Blackbird (30), Song Thrush (10), Fieldfare and Redwing (small numbers but even in a mild winter this varies from visit to visit), Linnet (40), Goldfinch (15), Greenfinch (6), Reed Bunting (3+). I still harbour hopes of a lurking Dartford Warbler with the chats - I haven't given up yet...

Comments

Gibster said…
Used to get the odd Dartford overwintering in nearby Warren Farm. Definitely gotta be on the cards soon. And that shrike, obviously.
16 December 2016 at 16:38
Steve Gale said…
If that shrike turns up, you'll be the first to know Seth.
16 December 2016 at 16:49
Gibster said…
Likewise when I get my patch White-billed Diver and Ivory Gull...they've both been here before!
18 December 2016 at 11:45
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goldfinches and Lavender

Image
We have three medium-sized Lavender bushes in our back garden. Throughout the summer the flowers (which last for several months) are a magnet for insects and give off a most restful aroma. As tempting as it is to cut the dead stems in the autumn, we always leave them, as we know that during the late winter we will get visitors to feed on the seed heads... This video was taken from the kitchen window this morning. We will normally see one or two birds over a few days, but have had up to 14 at once. We never tire of watching them. Lavender is a wonderful plant to have in the garden, with year round natural history benefits. So what are you waiting for? They are readily available at a garden centre close to you right now! There is an historic association with Lavender in this part of northern Surrey and south London. Lavender fields have been harvested for many years, with one particular field close to Woodmansterne being very popular with day trippers. A significant proportion o
Read more

Time to reflect

I normally come up with the title for a post after I have written it. If I'm feeling creative it will be some sort of play on words, or if I'm not then an all-encompassing word or two will do. As for this particular post, and with a few things to discuss, I've written the title first, inspired by having just read a feature about musicians who have used the title of an album as the starting point for their creative exercise. Here goes... Firstly, blogs - yes, this very medium that I am writing in and you are reading from. - what content they derive, the reason that the content exists and what the writer should (or should not) expect from any reader that visits the blog. This was brought into sharp focus by a series of posts to be found here, at Jono Lethbridge's excellent 'Wansted Birder'.   His blogging output has recently included detailed and entertaining reports on his recent overseas trips which have received a bit of flak from certain quarters. None of us b
Read more

To tell it like it is, or not...

Image
I am grateful to Gavin Haig (Not Quite Scilly) who drew my attention to an opinion piece, penned by Matt Phelps, which appeared in the November issue of 'Birdwatch' magazine, entitled 'Positive Approach', which I have now read. In it, he suggests that there is too much negativity being posted on social media regarding the state of our birding world, which is then acting as a deterrent towards a younger generation in adopting conservation and wildlife study. He also suggests that a lot of this negativity is being generated by older birders, and that these old timers keep banging on about the 'good old days' which isn't helpful in encouraging the youth to pick up a pair of binoculars and get out into the field. Does he have a point? Now, I am undeniably an older birder, and I am also guilty of having posted, blogged, written and spoken about the slump in bird and invertebrate numbers. I also like nothing better than to revisit my notebooks and share in the hi
Read more