A traditional winter's day here? Not quite, but almost cold enough, the survey for Sunday 31st January 2021 was made on an unexceptional day. Just above freezing all day, reasonably bright with light cloud cover and a light Easterly breeze. The ground was very muddy, the river itself muddy and fast-running about a meter below the tops of banks. It was very easy now to pick out the Hazel trees amongst all the other species lining the riverside by the catkins. Crab apples were now ripe and attracting many blackbirds. Dried up blackberries offered seed heads to the smaller birds where brambles produced only small dry fruits during the hot summer. Bright Rose hips remained mostly untouched.There was very little new growth visible, just small patches of cow parsley and the green shoots of Wild Garlic in places. A Mistle thrush dominated the bird song high in the tree canopy whilst great.ts were singing their varied songs too.
Young song thrushes were concentrating on foraging in the muddy grass and undergrowth, silent, in groups, perhaps last year's young keeping together whilst adults concentrated on their spring songs.
A blue sky for a few minutes.
Robins were the first birds heard on the riverside (21) and the first birds seen at dawn and the last seen at dusk.Wood piigeons were easily seen too but far less active on the branches (44). Resident and migrant blackbirds were seen in large numbers (34) compared with summer birds, feasting on remaining sloes and crab apples to which crowds were attracted. The most numerous birds as usual were the house sparrows,(more than 100) some taking seeds from the dry brambles and others waiting for the sun to appear on the hedges, jostling for the best positions.
Singing wrens (14) were seen in various places low down along the banks - like robins they are fierce individuals and do not seek safety in colonies. Large numbers of Blue ts (80) and Great ts (34) were active everywhere, the Blue ts having found that willow catkins were appearing on the bare branches.
Nine Dunnock were seen in scrub and on paths, sometimes together with house sparrows, but most were singing today. Goldfinches (50 approx.) were more visible;e today, foraging in thickets and undergrowth where they could be heard singing together, remaining partially under cover. A single greenfinch was heard - these usually move around foraging in groups but there are never enough to form groups now. A female bullfinch was seen and a male heard nearby - they remain elusive even during winter. A single goldcrest was seen in a conifer. In the air, a group of starlings (14) were seen flying towards their Ivy roost and there were eight magpies foraging on a new field in the distance , sixteen herring gulls flew across and two black-headed gulls arrived on the playing field not far from the territory of a pair of carrion crows. Seven other carrion crows were seen elsewhere (total 9). An unidentified flying goose was seen and heard and a sparrow hawk flew down from the tree canopy.
A great spotted woodpecker was seen high in an ash tree and a green woodpecker was heard calling from the wild filed.
Jays attempts to hide most of the time but give themselves away when they fly. Two were seen in flight, probably a pair. Four nuthatches were calling loudly in different locations - they will become silent as soon as they nest unless under threat.
Six redwing were seen to fly across into a thicket then up again whilst a single Mistle thrush gave a loud burst of song at the top of a tall tree, then its continuing song could be heard over a wide field.
The song thrushes were the stars today with 17 seen and most heard singing with others snatching the last sloes off the blackthorn or foraging in the mud.
