December 31st 2021 was the warmest New Year's Eve, with a SSW breeze, cloudy with intermittent drizzle. It was easy to choose a typically dark and mild day to do a survey for December, probably the dullest since 1956. Comparing the weather with the previous survey, for November 2021, it was about 10 degrees C warmer but bird numbers and activities show the advance of winter rather than the comparative temperatures.
The birdsong was very loud with most birds defending chosen territories. Signs of spring were already showing with Hazel trees full of catkins. There were plenty of midges and other insects - good news for birds, with new leaf buds on fruit trees and many others. If the weather turns cold the buds will grow very slowly. Berries were scarce compared to 2020 and those left were very small leaving the birds no choice of insects or berries - it will have to be insects, rather than rose hips and sloes.
Hazel catkins on a fine day. Catkins were merging into the misty drizzle on 31st however.
Perhaps the only fruits available were the now mature Ivy berries which had grown ripe slowly in shady areas, now at last ready to be plucked by larger birds:
Growing amongst mature ivy leaves the ripe berries can be found from ground level to the highest branches that are strong enough to support the weight of several Woodpigeons.
The loudest bird song today came from Robins (47) almost all very visible, perched where their song and appearance became unmissable, echoing along the banks. They had been singing since well before dawn.
Blackbirds (18) were very active, chasing and calling but with no developed song yet. It was very good to see and hear Song Thrushes now - all singing - not yet giving full songs but seemingly answering each other (6). Blue ts (58) were also very active closely following each other amongst the bare branches, collecting insects, not in large roaming flocks but in small groups. Great ts were chasing and preening mostly in separate areas lower down in thickets in a variety of locations (more than 20).
Two Dunnocks were visible in brambles at the side of the path. Three or more Long-tailed ts were calling softly from a thicket. Wrens were not numerous yet, with only four seen in different places making short flights and even shorter songs. Three Goldcrests were active in a conifer, tiny fast movements giving them away in the dark shadows. Six Goldfinches were seen in a group on the top-most branches of an old Oak adjacent to another Oak where nine Starlings were perched together all facing south whilst more were perching on other tree tops - usually a sign that they will all take off to form a larger group and pick up more on their flight (25 total), destination unknown. They took no notice of a single Nuthatch dashing away from the Oak, calling.
The river bank and meanders, forming a very important habitat for many wildlife species in every season of the year.
There were about the same number of House Sparrows in various locations as there were last month (November) - not unusual as they are quite static in their habits (64) but it was good to hear a large group singing together in amongst the brambles, with others preening in the new hedge after bathing in the river shallows. This was just as there was a glimmer of light from the sun, before dark clouds moved across again. A total of 25 Woodpigeons were seen in various places with five on the new playing field. They were vastly outnumbered by Herring Gulls (more then 100) which had moved in and split up to check various locations, with most flying around the School. Black- headed Gulls (5) were present in the area too, leaving one of their flock on sentinel duty perched on one of the goalposts of the playing field. More will join it to forage on the grass when all is quiet. They very rarely mix with the noisy Herring Gulls. Three Magpies were in a tree, one shouting at a Carrion Crow which was perched on an oak. (total 4) whilst two Jackdaws called to each other in flight. A Common Buzzard was seen perched on an old Oak surveying the ground near groundworks - then the star of the day appeared in a tree over the river. A bright male Kestrel. It suddenly dropped down from its perch onto the river bank and then flew up and away, followed closely by a Carrion Crow. The Kestrel had probably caught a small mammal such as a Bank Vole, hence the chasing Crow. Raptors are doing well during the mild weather, with many small mammals still active and quite visible to birds perched on high branches watching for the slightest movement of grasses, earth and leaves on calm days or in sheltered hollows.
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