December - although it's warm enough to be October.
A very rare fine day today, Friday 4th December 2015, after a series of windy, dark, damp days and torrential rain last night.
Last month had been the most overcast November on record - about time for a glimpse of the sun.
The morning started clear and bright , cooler than usual but no frost - and the ground very wet after the overnight rain.
The most noticeable feature was the amount of singing along the river, as if birds had all suddenly woken up after a very very long night lasting days..
Blackthorn thickets were the loudest with birds crowding in to sample the sloes, some now drying out and wrinkled - but maybe tasting better than the younger berries. The other most popular fruits were the wild rose hips.
The redwings had arrived in force, ahead of the fieldfares which yesterday were trailing behind, still visible in large numbers down in the lower Arun valley at Pulborough.
An Oak on the bank of the Arun, windswept but still clinging on to golden leaves.
Although cooler now, the morning was still warm for this time of the year with the ground thick with fallen leaves fast turning into a rich compost allowing easy access to invertebrates for ground-feeding birds - a slight kick to move the leaves and a feast is revealed.
Robins (23) were singing in many parts of the riverside, some answering each other from across the river. Four dunnocks were seen silently foraging under the dead stalks of nettles on the bank and amongst the leaf litter. Starlings were quite numerous today - a good sign - (70), about 15 whistling and singing in a Blackthorn thicket, well hidden but very audible and other small gatherings could be heard and seen in many places where there was plenty of cover - hollies and ivy.
It was very reassuring to find so many house sparrows (more than 150) in several colonies in hedgerows and bramble thickets. Never 'early' birds, perhaps the unaccustomed sunlight had woken them up when it hit their roosts and started them off, singing and preening. Once fully awake, they will, however, happily sing in rain, provided they have some cover from the worst of the weather.
Woodpigeons (28) were scattered in the trees along the banks - once suitable branches were found where they could sit in the sun, most dozed off - until disturbed by a squirrel or jay. Collared doves are now not as numerous as they were here a few years ago - and today only two were seen, a pair sitting close together on a branch, preening each other. Three noisy jays were heard first and then seen - and on the field and grass, 14 carrion crows were foraging, whilst 6 magpies, almost as noisy as the jays, were restlessly flying and chasing amongst the trees. The carrion crows were accompanied by small numbers of rooks, about 5 and 2 jackdaws were seen flying across.
Herring gulls were enjoying the clear sky (38), most flying high south towards the coast and the smaller black-headed gulls (35) were, as usual in winter, feeding amongst the short grass or flying around low above the field when disturbed, ready to land again as soon as possible.
Still looking up, scanning the unusually cloudless sky, I saw a lonely cormorant making its way south, following the river course - and then below, looking down onto the bank a sparrowhawk was seen dashing low along the river. Further upstream a single moorhen was walking along the bank next to the path, unconcerned. An old tree with branches overhanging the water had obviously just been chosen as a good place to nest in the spring - a great spotted woodpecker had been at work making a largish hole in the trunk. The woodpecker was probably watching me - but I didn't see it.
Three nuthatches were heard and seen in different territories along the river - they establish nesting holes early on and spend the winter guarding and refurbishing their old nest holes but the great-spotted woodpecker usually chooses to create or use a different one each year.
It was very noticeable, with the low sun warming the trees, that large numbers of insects were active on and around the tree bark, mostly small flies and occasionally a solitary bee. A treecreeper was seen foraging briefly before it disappeared, taking advantage of the abundant insects.
Back to the singing - Song thrushes (11) were singing strongly today - they have been singing since last month, mostly early and late in the day - but it was remarkable how they had to compete with so many other singing birds today. Massed goldfinches were singing together in a large Blackthorn thicket (about 55) together with numbers of singing starlings, robin, a song thrush (loudest voice). Two greenfinches were eating rose hips, about six chaffinches were present - and a mistle thrush was perched in the sun.
There were good views of several redwing moving through the same Blackthorn eating sloes, 15 in total today.
Even more remarkable was the duration of the chorus - the occupants of the thicket were singing for over two hours, most of them on the sunlit southern side.
In addition to the 'static' chorus, large numbers of blue tits and great tits were visiting the same thicket, part of several roaming flocks seen in different locations along the river. A total of 120 blue tits and 53 great tits were counted - and 4 coal tits with an independent large, silent family group of 17 long-tailed tits in the willows.
High calls alerted me to goldcrests active in the lower branches of the conifers (4) and several wrens were seen, some heard singing short songs in various locations under the tangle of nettle and bramble stalks on the banks - 8 in total but only a few were singing.
Three fieldfare were seen on ivy (berries) and flying across between berry-laden bushes, but redwing have suddenly become more numerous here, together with large numbers of visiting blackbirds - today 42 in total were seen but none singing but all concentrating on the berries and fruits along the banks.
A memorable day, with unexpected numbers of birds and unexpected song.
Robins (23) were singing in many parts of the riverside, some answering each other from across the river. Four dunnocks were seen silently foraging under the dead stalks of nettles on the bank and amongst the leaf litter. Starlings were quite numerous today - a good sign - (70), about 15 whistling and singing in a Blackthorn thicket, well hidden but very audible and other small gatherings could be heard and seen in many places where there was plenty of cover - hollies and ivy.
It was very reassuring to find so many house sparrows (more than 150) in several colonies in hedgerows and bramble thickets. Never 'early' birds, perhaps the unaccustomed sunlight had woken them up when it hit their roosts and started them off, singing and preening. Once fully awake, they will, however, happily sing in rain, provided they have some cover from the worst of the weather.
Woodpigeons (28) were scattered in the trees along the banks - once suitable branches were found where they could sit in the sun, most dozed off - until disturbed by a squirrel or jay. Collared doves are now not as numerous as they were here a few years ago - and today only two were seen, a pair sitting close together on a branch, preening each other. Three noisy jays were heard first and then seen - and on the field and grass, 14 carrion crows were foraging, whilst 6 magpies, almost as noisy as the jays, were restlessly flying and chasing amongst the trees. The carrion crows were accompanied by small numbers of rooks, about 5 and 2 jackdaws were seen flying across.
Herring gulls were enjoying the clear sky (38), most flying high south towards the coast and the smaller black-headed gulls (35) were, as usual in winter, feeding amongst the short grass or flying around low above the field when disturbed, ready to land again as soon as possible.
Still looking up, scanning the unusually cloudless sky, I saw a lonely cormorant making its way south, following the river course - and then below, looking down onto the bank a sparrowhawk was seen dashing low along the river. Further upstream a single moorhen was walking along the bank next to the path, unconcerned. An old tree with branches overhanging the water had obviously just been chosen as a good place to nest in the spring - a great spotted woodpecker had been at work making a largish hole in the trunk. The woodpecker was probably watching me - but I didn't see it.
Three nuthatches were heard and seen in different territories along the river - they establish nesting holes early on and spend the winter guarding and refurbishing their old nest holes but the great-spotted woodpecker usually chooses to create or use a different one each year.
It was very noticeable, with the low sun warming the trees, that large numbers of insects were active on and around the tree bark, mostly small flies and occasionally a solitary bee. A treecreeper was seen foraging briefly before it disappeared, taking advantage of the abundant insects.
Back to the singing - Song thrushes (11) were singing strongly today - they have been singing since last month, mostly early and late in the day - but it was remarkable how they had to compete with so many other singing birds today. Massed goldfinches were singing together in a large Blackthorn thicket (about 55) together with numbers of singing starlings, robin, a song thrush (loudest voice). Two greenfinches were eating rose hips, about six chaffinches were present - and a mistle thrush was perched in the sun.
There were good views of several redwing moving through the same Blackthorn eating sloes, 15 in total today.
Even more remarkable was the duration of the chorus - the occupants of the thicket were singing for over two hours, most of them on the sunlit southern side.
In addition to the 'static' chorus, large numbers of blue tits and great tits were visiting the same thicket, part of several roaming flocks seen in different locations along the river. A total of 120 blue tits and 53 great tits were counted - and 4 coal tits with an independent large, silent family group of 17 long-tailed tits in the willows.
High calls alerted me to goldcrests active in the lower branches of the conifers (4) and several wrens were seen, some heard singing short songs in various locations under the tangle of nettle and bramble stalks on the banks - 8 in total but only a few were singing.
Three fieldfare were seen on ivy (berries) and flying across between berry-laden bushes, but redwing have suddenly become more numerous here, together with large numbers of visiting blackbirds - today 42 in total were seen but none singing but all concentrating on the berries and fruits along the banks.
A memorable day, with unexpected numbers of birds and unexpected song.
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