A Dark December - Full of Life

 This is a brief report on the month of December 2021 with reports of notable species only.

December was indeed a dark month with overcast weather dominating and very few clear days, however there was much activity along the river.

The first winer migrant Blackcap (male) appeared on 3rd December, eating berries remaining in places where other birds had given up trying to reach them. This is on time - the first winter Blackcaps in 2020 having been seen first on 6th December and on 9th December in 2018 although not seen in December 2019.

The first Redwing (5) were seen along the river bank thickets on 4th December, being watched by a local Sparrowhawk.

Many Goldfinches flying together and a calling Green Woodpecker were seen on 13th December and on 14th there were some fine views of a Little Egret along the river watching for fish. The local Sparrowhawk was on its observation tree and two Mistle Thrushes were singing loudly from trees upstream.

On 16th December approximately 80 Black-Headed Gulls were evenly spaced on the playing field  together with a small close group of about 30 Starlings. The Sparrowhawk and Mistle thrushes (2) were seen again.

Always a joyful sign, the first singing Songthrushes were heard this winter on 17th after a silent autumn.

A Little Egret was seen again on a bend in the river on 19th and the Song Thrushes continued their singing. One of the two Little Egrets was seen just downstream 'paddling' on the river bed on the Arun where it is quite shallow on 22nd, a frosty morning. More Song Thrushes were singing too.

Where mature Oaks lose their leaves in winter, young Oaks keep their brown leaves all winter and then lose them in spring when they are replaced with fresh green leaves. This is a good example of a 'self-sown' oak already several years old, retaining it's leaves. The acorn had probably been part of a cache stored by a squirrel or Jay, close to a mature oak.