Winter continues, with a few signs of Spring

One of the old riverbank Oaks as the sky clears - February 20th

Monday 20th February 2017 started overcast and gloomy but the cloud cover broke eventually to give a fine sunny day with a slight breeze. The river was quite low but fast flowing, still carrying a fair amount of mud from far upstream. The landscape was looking even more wintery than last month with the greys and browns of grasses and stalks brightened here and there by a profusion of Hazel catkins - Lamb's-tails. It's the best time of the year to note the presence of Hazel trees amongst the other hedgerow species - and here Hazels are numerous along the river and do very well. The old oaks are now covered in leaf buds and on the ground beneath the branches, the damp earth has been well dug by birds foraging under the leaf-mould. The bright green of Cow-parsley is showing but hardly more than last month although short shoots of Wild Garlic (Ransoms) are now appearing amongst the tree roots.

Wild Garlic - Ransoms - just appearing on the sunny river bank.

Here and there small clumps of Snowdrops can be found close to the water's edge on the steep banks amongst fallen leaves:

The riverside was today full of song, birds taking the opportunity to advertise their presence as soon as conditions were favourable, as if knowing that the following days may well be stormy when they will need to hide again under the banks.  

As soon as the sun appeared, house sparrows (c70) began to sing in bramble patches and hedges and on the river banks, working their way along amongst the low branches. Good numbers, easily seen in the bare landscape.

Robins were numerous too (26), most singing strongly from prominent perches. Blue tits (36) were active everywhere, some clearly prospecting for nest sites. For the first time this year, wrens (20) were singing loudly, their song mixing with house sparrow song along the banks - a rather strange combination of sounds, providing a background to the superior robin song. Goldfinches (8) were gathered in a thicket singing, adding to the chorus, whilst 5 linnets flew over in a close group. A new song for the spring - Chaffinches (4) were heard singing at intervals and a dunnock sang a more complex song (3 total).

Great tits (18) were singing too - each having its own unique call, seen mostly amongst the river bank Willow catkins and Hazel catkins.

A look into the conifers revealed two goldcrests fast-foraging on the sunlit aspect of the trees, moving upwards branch by branch.

I heard long-tailed tits across the river, on the opposite bank, but at first none could be seen then one flew out of a dense tangle of brambles on the slope of the bank, up to an old Blackthorn, its branches covered in lichen. The bird collected a beakful of the lichen and disappeared again into the brambles. A second bird flew out to collect more nest material - clearly nest-building was well underway probably triggered by the longer days and warmer weather. Even if it snows, the area they have chosen will remain warm being under dense vegetation where the brambles still retain most of last-year's leaves.

Elsewhere more long-tailed tits were seen foraging (8 total) but in twos and threes rather than in large family groups.

Along the river woodpigeons (23) and collared doves (2) were also nest-building or just sitting, as they do, watching from high branches. Carrion crows (15) and magpies (12) seemed to be having disputes over nest-sites or territory in general whilst jackdaws (6) flew over, calling loudly. Rooks (4) also flew over. Starlings (33) remained rather inactive, most whistling amongst the ivy whilst down on the short grass field about 50 black-headed gulls gathered to forage, most still in winter plumage but a few showing patchy dark brown plumage extending over their heads. They almost filled the field for the first time this winter - formerly there had been only one or two present. Herring gulls were seen flying over in groups (35 total) but none dared to join the smaller gulls on the field.

Blackbirds (40) were seen mostly foraging on the ground under trees or on grass whilst others were active amongst the thickets searching out the last remaining shrivelled berries and rose hips. Numbers of these blackbirds will probably be leaving this country soon, having been winter migrants seeking the warmth of the British Isles. Song-thrushes (6) were busy foraging under hedgerows and on the grass, they are now singing strongly at times although today only one was heard singing.

A sudden call from a buzzard amongst some old oaks caused me to look up into the branches but it was not visible although the calls persisted. Looking up into the clear blue sky a few minutes later it was seen flying up and circling higher - towards a second buzzard flying over the river, heading south. They glided leisurely around each other, flying off in the distance together (2).

Not long after they had left, a smaller raptor, a kestrel, appeared, circling over the river course, making slow progress north.

A welcome sound shattered the quiet of the riverside - a green woodpecker  gave several loud yaffles from the wild field - its traditional territory- and later along the furthest stretch of the river another green woodpecker was yaffling - also from it's own territory (2 total). Did this mean it was going to rain? The answer was yes, but not until the following day. The day became more cloudy, with a cool breeze however - and later, further upstream, a silent great-spotted woodpecker was seen on a tree trunk but no drumming was heard.  It was also good to hear a nuthatch calling in an old oak, in its traditional territory.

Down on the river itself, a moorhen walked carefully along the edge of the river, foraging amongst the twigs and roots.

The star of the day was encountered on a very quiet bend in the river, with islands, a sheltered place. I had turned to look back and saw a fine Little Egret slowly moving its feet along in the shallow water

between a small island and the steep bank. It continued foraging for a while before flying up into one of the overhanging trees.

Another star of the day, also a 'water bird' was a smart Grey Wagtail flying along the river, very low over the surface of the fast flowing water.

Catkins on a riverbank Sallow branch

No butterflies were seen today, but a very large dark-coated Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris was seen flying along the river bank.

February Buds, Brambles and a Butterfly

After several days of continuously dark and overcast weather, yesterday 13th February 2017 was a fine frostless sunny day - all day - with a cool easterly wind starting to dry the muddy earth.

A good day perhaps to look for signs of spring along the riverbanks.

Looking up at the old oaks, the reddish tinge of new leaf buds was a good sign. 

Close up - an oak twig on a branch extending across the river held some strong buds -

they will grow slowly - it will be many weeks before they unfold.

Close by, a complete contrast, fine fragile twigs of a willow, leaf buds barely visible - but this may come into leaf well before the oaks.

On the river bank, the arching stems of brambles, red in the sun amongst dry grasses, superb habitat for many creatures, as yet untouched by high water as the river has not yet topped its banks this winter.

 I expected most birds to be hunkered down out of the wind despite the warmer air temperature but

 sheltered places along the river held foraging birds.

Great tits could be heard singing, or rather calling, whilst the most numerous birds seen today were blue tits, very active in searching for insects under layers of lichen along old branches in the sun. Blackbirds were also numerous, most foraging on grass, others 'sunning' in branches, with outstretched wings. All were silent. Three song thrushes were also seen foraging and looking down onto a bend in the river, quite sheltered and secluded, a mistle thrush was bathing, perched on a shallow twig island in the river.

A group of goldfinches were singing in a thicket nearby, then suddenly stopped but did not move. Walking around the next bend in the river I saw a bird suddenly shoot upwards out of the thicket. It flew across the river and soared over, circling first them moving off out of sight. It was a sparrowhawk which had probably been lurking in the river thicket.

 There was no movement of song for some while after the sparrowhawk left - but further along, a chaffinch was calling, a few starlings were seen and two carrion crows, two jackdaws, several magpies and woodpigeons were seen in flight and on fence posts. Two wrens were heard singing and about ten robins were protecting their territories choosing to sing from low, sheltered hedgerows or thickets. Two dunnocks were seen chasing across the path.

Two black-headed gulls were foraging on the short grass field in the company of a much larger herring gull. In the distance a buzzard could be seen circling into the strong wind and back in the shelter of the old oaks, a nuthatch was heard calling. Hearing numerous house sparrows singing from the steep river bank -

their favourite sheltered bathing area amongst the dense vegetation - I looked across an saw a Red Admiral butterfly flying strongly over the dry grass stalks in the sun.

These birds and the butterfly were just seen in passing by -

 A Full Survey for February will follow later this month