The end then of another birding year, I managed 104 species in the village (around about average) picking up a couple of late additions with Redshank and a surprise Ruff on the river, a Little Owl at Swalefields and a Woodcock on Langland.
No new birds added to the parish list this year but I
personally saw three species for the first time in the village, the Long-eared
Owl(s) back in September, at least one
pair of Avocets in June…
And, best of all, Hawfinch. As well as the bird with
Redwings see in early November I picked up another in the fog on 28th
December. This bird looked to be feeding on Hawthorn buds…
Like buses, thirty years with no sign and then two together!
Some surprising omissions, no Hobby, Cuckoo or Sedge Warbler
and no Red-legged Partridge, they definitely seem to have died out in the village.
On the up side Little Owls seem to have staged some sort of recovery and many
more sightings of Grey Partridge this year. The other species that seems to
have markedly changed status is Pinkfooted Geese, they were less than annual in
recent years but now are pretty much regular passage migrants with many more winter
sightings too.
Here’s to a bird-filled 2025!
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