Since January a warming of the Arctic Stratosphere has taken place, and the resulting so-called Beast from the East was about to be untethered and set to head west towards the British Isles.
Friday 16th February 2018 was a fine sunny day after a typically (for this winter) frosty start.
All along the river, birds were active, preparing for spring but also preparing for severe weather, instinctively aware, unlike most humans, of the need to continue foraging for, collecting and caching food. The signs were there - early morning frosts on clear sunny days, alternating with cold windy weather with sleet, or mild but wild days. On the 13th and 14th the weather suddenly turned mild, very wet and windy, then in another sudden change turned cold and frosty again.
Willow catkins burst out from the top branches of the Salix,
shining silver in the sun agains a clear blue sky.
16th February 2018
More than 50 birds were counted at the start of the survey, just whilst standing still on the riverside, looking around.
The ground was muddy from recent rain but frozen hard in places. The total count for blackbirds along the riverside was 36, with most foraging where the ground was muddy, on the river banks or under hedgerows. They were accompanied by song thrushes (8). Low down on a sheltered sunny bank, a preening bird had been bathing and remained there, perfectly camouflaged in the dry fallen leaves - a song thrush. Dunnocks (5) were singing today, emerging at times for under the bushes, into the bright sunlight - and wrens - quite scarce on the previous survey - had emerged too into the sun to sing (24) but also to forage in amongst the dry twigs and tall grasses or amongst dense ivy. They need to maintain their body weight to survive the cold nights and coming days.They will have special roosting places where they can perch tightly packed together for warmth.
House sparrows were singing loudly too,(about 80) some were bathing and drying off in the sun but most were foraging in hedges, dry banks, bramble and bracken patches. They will also spend the nights and cold windy days in dense undergrowth, crowded together often singing in chorus throughout the foulest weather. Robins (34) were singing strongly too, in their individual territories, being constantly on the alert for invaders of the same species. Hollies are prized as territories not just because of berries which have probably already been consumed but because of the prime shelter they provide - dense, evergreen and prickly, with the undersides of the strong leaves harbouring many tiny insects and spiders. Another important feature of evergreens such as Holly and Ivy is that the ground around their root systems will remain unfrozen for much longer than surrounding ground under deciduous plants. Most birds will find food under the evergreens, together with other wild life.
The morning sun on the frozen pond alongside the river. It will spring back to life as soon as a thaw set in, with frogs and tadpoles, then much later with dragonflies.
A green woodpecker flew across, shining in the sun. It will be looking for unfrozen earth which holds insect life, still easy for now, until it snows. Nearby a nuthatch could be head calling loudly, with another answering in the distance. Further along the river, two more (total 4) were seen and heard protesting on the appearance of a magpie. The nuthatches are usually surrounded by foraging blue tits (about 45 today) and great tits (28) which fly through their territories in roaming flocks, gleaning what they can, prising lichen away from branches to eat the insects found underneath, much as the nuthatches do when food is scarce.Two coal tits were seen, which move fast in stashing away surplus food, unobserved.
Goldfinches are very much at home here and don't seem to need to forage continuously - like the house sparrows they can find shelter, and today a group were singing together in a dense blackthorn thicket whilst another group flew across to the dry grasses to feed on seed heads (20). A small bird which never seems to stop feeding but sings as it moves around, is the goldcrest - today three were seen crossing from a bare tree over the river to a conifer where they remained, fast-foraging. The densely bunched conifer needles will provide good shelter from the cold wind and driving snow when it arrives. Three bullfinches were seen, one on a bare hawthorn in the sun and another (f) on a Guelder Rose trying out the juicy red berries, left until last. Another male was calling from behind a thicket.
Another fruit-lover, a blackcap, an over-wintering female (warbler) which has been seen quite often this winter, was warming up in the sun,
The starlings (58) were, like the house sparrows, singing or whistling in the sun and foraging in good numbers today, keeping together as a small flock, whilst wood pigeons (60) were scattered all along, in trees and on the unfrozen grass with some bathing in the river. A loud flapping and splashing sound came from a part of the river with steep banks, on a sharp bend - this was a mallard pair which frequent the area. Just one pair of collared doves were seen amongst Ivy again, where birds are still feeding on a never-ending supply of Ivy berries. Black-headed gulls (27) were arriving in twos and threes, landing on the playing-field grass to forage.
Three rooks flew across above the trees with a single vocal jackdaw and two herring gulls. Carrion crows were the most numerous corvids (11), very active today, calling and scavenging. In the distance, a common buzzard flew down, disappearing amongst the oaks.
Lastly the master of all it surveys - the sparrowhawk, flying quite high over the river, looking directly down at me, circling slowly, the sun lighting up its translucent wing-feathers.
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