24th January 2021

The icy weather has tended to concentrate birds in areas of feeding. One of these is where a crop of crab apples have fallen which has also meant a small pool of water here has remained unfrozen. Standing near it today I saw a couple of Redwing, fluffed up against the cold…

At least half a dozen Fieldfare…

...15 Blackbirds, six Chaffinch, seven Greenfinch and a single Bullfinch.  

The floods around the village are some of the most extensive I have ever seen here…

But they have been surprisingly poor for birds with only a handful of Mallard, three Shelduck and four Mute Swans seen. The latter looking very out of place in the meadow on Back Lane…

Unable to wade through the deep water on the Langlands field path I went the long way round and saw a decent flock of around 60 Yellowhammer…

A total of sixteen hares (incl. 11 together in a small ploughed field)…

And a nice flock of around 300 Lapwing with 50+ Golden Plover mixed in.

As I was walking back with the bright winter sun behind me a female Sparrowhawk chasing along the edge of a shelter belt failed to see me. Fortunately I ducked just in time and it just made contact with the top of my hat. I think the consequences for both bird and human would not have been pleasant if I hadn’t!

I walked along the Swale yesterday but still no sign of cold weather movements on to the river, my first Little Egret of the year, Oystercatcher, two Buzzard, a Grey Wagtail and four Mute Swans (presumably the birds from Langlands) were the only sightings of note .

I did meet Rachel though who I hadn’t seen for ages. We were chatting about birds I’d seen and I encouraged her to wear binoculars when she was out walking. She took my advice and I got an email from her today, she had seen what was undoubtedly a Long-eared Owl  roosting in a riverside tree! Unfortunately by the time I had picked up the message and headed down there was no sign. Sort of cruel given the numbers of times I have walked that stretch of the river(!) but a great sighting nonetheless.

Other sightings since my last post have included Green Sandpiper and Redshank on the river, a spring of 12 Teal near the railway bridge and the good year for Grey Partridge continues with a covey of 23 feeding out in the open (but distant) down Potter Lane.