Winter Frosts to end November

The last three days of November became steadily colder with wildlife activity increasing and more visible. On Monday 28th it was again very cold, with a NE wind to dry the earth - but no visible frost.

Another Winter first - the sound of a song thrush singing from the old oaks - it's been a long time since we've heard them. A mistle thrush was seen too, flying across the river, and nearby a great-spotted woodpecker also flew across. A robin pair appeared too, later, well after most birds had gone to roost, continuing their courtship in the dusk, displaying. 

The sun just touching the frost carpet of fallen oak leaves. The frost remained the whole day 

in shady places

Tuesday 29th November was another fine day, this time with a ground frost, the mud was frozen too.

Birds were restless, most finding the first treetop branches to catch the sun, as there was no chilling wind. A great-spotted woodpecker was seen busy foraging in an old ash tree alongside the Arun, well away from the one seen yesterday - they keep to their own territories much of the time. Two jays were not far away, probably searching out a squirrel's cache of acorns - as there are now none left on most of the oaks and very few left lying amongst the fallen leaves. A grey heron sailed over the river watching for still-damp locations along the riverside.

Dunnocks were very visible today, perching on bare branches in the sun, none signing but one was calling. Robins, numerous blue and great tits, blackbirds and wrens were seen in passing.

On the 30th - the last day of November - it seemed that a traditional winter was approaching, with another frost heralding a fine sunny and calm day. It was interesting to note how the remaining oak leaves were falling very slowly, turning or spiralling straight down. The whole riverside was quiet but full of activity.

A moorhen was sitting on a sunny mud bank but soon plunged into the river and further upstream two more were seen paddling together in the sun, juveniles. A nuthatch was calling whilst several blackbirds were foraging amongst Dog Rose hips and Hawthorn berries - but selecting Ivy berries in preference to the others.

Towards dusk a blackcap was seen foraging then flying off into the dense Hawthorn to roost. 

What will December bring? It seems that we have already had more frosty mornings this autumn than we had in the whole of last winter! 

Winter Blackcaps are back, brought by the cold north-east wind

Today 27th November 2016 - a fine view of a kingfisher flying low over the Arun towards the bridge and zipping under it, disappearing upstream. It's all changing now that the frosts have started.

The first sighting of a smart female blackcap foraging and flying across into the Hawthorn hedge.

The summer blackcaps have long-since gone south and there have been no sightings of blackcaps until today. 

Some Robin pairs have been seen foraging together rather than fighting or guarding their own territories - does this mean an early spring? 

The 'scrape' after heavy rain, November 2016

Chasing the Last Leaves of November

Today, 25th November 2016 was the first day for a long while when the weather was stable, with clear skies and a persistent cold NE wind. Previously heavy rain had alternated with sun, in quick succession,  rainbows appearing and disappearing. Storm Angus at the weekend had provided much-needed rainfall, the worst of the storm gales concentrated along the coast. A marked increase in bird activity was observed, with limited daylight and heavy rain, foraging time has been reduced and intensified after a very slow and mild autumn.

The river level had dropped over a meter but was still flowing very fast although the river banks showed scarcely any sign of the river having been almost at flood level.

See below for the full record for 25th November 2016:

25th November 2016

One of the old oaks along the river, losing it's remaining leaves fast in the cold NE wind.

Amongst the leaves, goldcrests were busy foraging, well camouflaged and moving constantly, like the leaves.

Perhaps not an ideal day for recording, with most wildlife finding shelter but needing to forage as well.

All along the river a multi-tiered choice of berries in thickets attracted hungry birds - extending from the surface of the river low overhanging the banks up to the tops of the Hawthorn and Blackthorn thickets.

Single leaves drifting down were distracting and bare old nests were now cradling bunches of fallen leaves.

Robins (16) were mostly singing loudly but others were sitting on spindle bushes they had claimed - their brilliant colour shining in the low sun - sufficient to advertise their presence without the need for song.

Woodpigeons were quite numerous today (46) with six feeding on the grass, the rest taking up their own spaces on high branches, sitting motionless in the sun, rounded agains the cold wind.

Wrens as usual were busy low down on the banks (10) only two singing. Overhead eight herring gulls flew across and only seven black-headed gulls were seen, six circling over the playing field with just one brave enough to land -it did not settle to feeding however but looked around warily. Three rooks appeared, flying across the river and five jackdaws disappeared noisily into distant trees. Carrion crows were far more numerous than usual, with a total of 26 individuals seen alone or in small groups mostly around the drainage basin scrape. Three were competing with very loud 'cawing' in the top of an oak, disturbing a couple of magpies which flew out. Seven were seen in all.  Maybe the cause of the crows anger was a single jay seen in the same tree or maybe not…

Chaffinches were not yet calling but three were seen high up.

It was good to see a flock of about 50 starlings flying over with more singing amongst the ivy (about 60 in all)

The first birds to be seen and heard this morning were colonies of house sparrows tucked inside hedges. As the sun rose to touch their shelters they moved about more and sought out suitable riverbank thickets on which to sunbathe in the shelter of the high riverbanks, singing (60). Goldfinches were keeping to sheltered thickets (16) where blue tits (50) moved swiftly through from branch to branch foraging, finding plenty of insects hidden amongst hazel twigs and lichen-covered oak bark. Great tits (29) were now calling in full voice from branches or foraging low amongst roots on the banks and three dunnocks were seen in different places. Tall Poplars were bending in the wind whilst a family group of seven long-tailed tits moved quickly through the leafless willows, crossing the gaps between the trees one by one. Nearby a silent treecreeper flew across onto the trunk of an old oak, its white front briefly shining in the low sun. 

Blackbird numbers (47) have suddenly increased along the river, most of them probably from distant and much colder lands and attracted to this region by the abundance of fruits and berries, the muddy banks and 'beaches' along the river and the softness of the rich unfrozen earth. Trying to single out our 'resident' blackbirds is difficult but the migrant females seem to be well camouflaged, very brown, the colour of wet fallen leaves. Other migrants were three fieldfare seen flying across and five redwing singing softly in the the shelter of a Blackthorn thicket where they remained to finish off the sloes.

Songthrushes (4) were seen along hedge bases and river undergrowth, seen but silent - but it was good to hear the calls of a bullfinch close by whilst two others were seen flying over a pond surrounded by Guelder rose shrubs full of berries (3). A nuthatch was heard calling nearby and two great-spotted woodpeckers followed each other into an old Ash tree. Down on the river a single male mallard paddled towards the scrape and on hearing calls and looking up I found two goldcrests foraging in a riverbank hawthorn and further along two more foraging low down in a sunlit oak (four in all) 

Three linnets were were seen amongst the dock on the embankment - still plenty of seeds left there, whilst four pied wagtails flew singing over the roofs to the field, followed by two meadow pipits.

A blackbird suddenly called out in alarm - it was a fast sparrowhawk hunting just over the hedgerow.