Old oaks are still colouring the landscape
December 1st - very dark, overcast all day, cold but no wind. A quick look on the Riverside here, all was still with hazel and oak leaves slowly falling one by one, with the distinct smell of early winter on the banks - of damp fallen leaves and vegetation.
Quiet, yes, but song thrushes were taking full advantage of this, with loud song echoing along the river. At least four singing within about half a mile, each trying to out-sing each other, and now easily seen, taking up prominent perches on base branches, showing perfect plumage. Prospective mates chasing. One singing then another arrives on the same tree and both fly off. In the background of dense Hawthorn and Blackthorn thicket a small group of Redwing could be glimpsed whilst several Fieldfare flew across the sky.
Robins could not match the song thrushes and most remained quiet but numerous, now easily visible, now moving across paths into the undergrowth. Quiet blackbirds were numerous too, with males chasing each other. One female was observed reaching out to pick the last remaining Hawthorn berries (haws) from the tips of twigs, using the fine curved hook at the end of her beak to grab the berry and with a quick flick swallow it. Sometimes a berry would be dropped - food for a small bird or mammal.
In the air over the riverside thicket - flying low - a LITTLE EGRET, neck curved back and feet trailing, with white plumage.
How good to see it! I thought perhaps it was just out on a recce up along the river from the south as they usually decide to visit this area later in the winter when conditions become worse near the coast - and sightings have always meant that bad weather was on its way - usually ice and snow!
As if that wasn't good enough - after walking a short distance south, a white form was just visible down on the river, hidden by overhanging hazel branches. Suddenly it flew up and I could see that it was a second Little Egret. They are usually silent and even though brilliant white, are often elusive.
This sighting early in the winter may mean that they are a pair, possibly prospecting for a nest site, as they breed early in the year, like grey herons. Maybe they will share the heronry at Warnham with the grey herons although they have not been known to breed this far north of the coastal areas which they inhabit.
Maybe, however, their appearance is just a sign that snow is on its way....
Other birds active were pied wagtails, magpies removing moss from a roof (to get at insects hiding underneath), and a very good view of a silent green woodpecker flying low over the grass. Like many birds they have been quite silent recently. A nuthatch was heard calling whilst a jay bounced around from branch to branch in an oak. Dunnocks are more easily seen now, one was seen quite close up on a tree. Chaffinches, house sparrows and a 'charm' of eight goldfinches flew across and the usual dense thicket was full of singing, mainly starlings. Numbers were seen flying over and black-headed gulls too. Blue and great tits always present were very active foraging in small groups from tree to tree and squirrels were bounding along the grass, pausing to survey, then up into the old oaks in search of the remaining acorns.
Not only the sight of the little egrets but the high activity levels of all the creatures on the riverside predict bad weather to come - they all know when it's time to concentrate on food, eating and storing for future winter weather.
In the air over the riverside thicket - flying low - a LITTLE EGRET, neck curved back and feet trailing, with white plumage.
How good to see it! I thought perhaps it was just out on a recce up along the river from the south as they usually decide to visit this area later in the winter when conditions become worse near the coast - and sightings have always meant that bad weather was on its way - usually ice and snow!
As if that wasn't good enough - after walking a short distance south, a white form was just visible down on the river, hidden by overhanging hazel branches. Suddenly it flew up and I could see that it was a second Little Egret. They are usually silent and even though brilliant white, are often elusive.
This sighting early in the winter may mean that they are a pair, possibly prospecting for a nest site, as they breed early in the year, like grey herons. Maybe they will share the heronry at Warnham with the grey herons although they have not been known to breed this far north of the coastal areas which they inhabit.
Maybe, however, their appearance is just a sign that snow is on its way....
Other birds active were pied wagtails, magpies removing moss from a roof (to get at insects hiding underneath), and a very good view of a silent green woodpecker flying low over the grass. Like many birds they have been quite silent recently. A nuthatch was heard calling whilst a jay bounced around from branch to branch in an oak. Dunnocks are more easily seen now, one was seen quite close up on a tree. Chaffinches, house sparrows and a 'charm' of eight goldfinches flew across and the usual dense thicket was full of singing, mainly starlings. Numbers were seen flying over and black-headed gulls too. Blue and great tits always present were very active foraging in small groups from tree to tree and squirrels were bounding along the grass, pausing to survey, then up into the old oaks in search of the remaining acorns.
Not only the sight of the little egrets but the high activity levels of all the creatures on the riverside predict bad weather to come - they all know when it's time to concentrate on food, eating and storing for future winter weather.
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