Wildlife Diary January 2025

The year began with a mean temperature of 7.8°C and rain. The 2^nd was dry with a beautiful sunny morning and frost in the shade, the mean temperature dropped to 2.8°C.. Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock and Great Tits were loud in song. Nuthatch calling near Field Shelter in Kiln Close. There were 4 Bullfinch in the North Park Hedge. The cattle appear to prefer grazing the top of the Main Field. Three small bird nestboxes were erected, two replacement and one new. A Barn Owl was seen in Kiln Close at about 4:30pm as it was becoming dimpsy. By the 3^rd the mean temperature had dropped again to 0.8°C. There were 4 Yellowhammer, 7 Goldfinch, a couple of Chaffinch, Dunnock and one Wren in the crop, with a Sparrowhawk flying over. There was a Stonechat in the hedge between Kiln Close and Top Field.

On the 6^th a male Cirl Bunting (first site record) was seen in Pennsland Lane hedge with female Reed Bunting. They were sunning themselves then flew into the crop. There were also 2 Yellowhammer and 3 Goldfinch in crop and 8 Meadow Pipit around the cattle. A female Stonechat was seen on the slopes of the Main Field and there was a flock of 7 Bullfinch feeding on Hawthorn buds in North Park. We recorded  9 Mistle Thrush along the east side of Top Field and 12 Blackbird around Forde Orchard with Greenfinch and Fieldfare. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew out of Kiln Close hedge.

There were 5 Greenfinch, 6 Bullfinch and 8 Chaffinch all busy in Kiln Close Hedge on the 7^th  as well as House Sparrows and Blue and Great Tits. A Rabbit was seen at the top gate into Corner wood. A Pair of Stock Dove were on the roof of the North Park pole-box, and Stonechats in Kiln Close, and in the Main Field near the solar panels and on and beside the crop.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 8^th, it began to snow here on frozen ground and there was a Herring Gull sitting on the tall telegraph pole in Kiln Close as the snow came down. By the 9^th there was snow and ice hanging on the wire of the electric fence around the crop. This caused several of the posts to snap and the fence was down in several places, however there was no obvious signs of the cattle or goats going into the crop. New posts were put in where needed and others stood back up and snow and ice was knocked off wires. There were 5 Greenfinch in top of Ash tree in the Pennsland Lane hedge, and a Buzzard flushed from the base of hedge in North Park. At lunchtime Chaffinch, Dunnock, Song thrush, Fieldfare and Linet were all seen in the bird food crop.

The Docks in the old bird food crop are popular with Bullfinch and 7 were counted on the 10^th. A juvenile Buzzard was flushed from the base of hedge in North Park, in exactly the same place as the previous day, it was presumed hunting for invertebrates. A Goldcrest was restlessly foraging near Apprentice Path bridge, A Grey Heron flushed down the river towards the ponds. There were 10 Blackbirds and 2 Fieldfare on the ground in orchard.

Alfred, the goat, escaped on the morning of the 11^th and was found on the porch of the Meeting Room. He obliging went back onto the LLP where he met up with the other goats, however we haven’t yet discovered how he got out. At 15:45 we had great views of a Fox making its way down the Main Field past the Pole-box into the roadside hedge. It was the first one we’ve seen in daylight for some time.

A Stoat was spotted passing downstream on the apprentice Path, before darting upstream and across the path on the 13^th and on the 14^th a Grey Heron was seen near the stream between the ponds. Harry and volunteer Steve finished clearing the bramble encroachment from the fence line around the rewilding area in North Park. There was a Fox seen in the crop and a pair of Stock Dove on the North Park pole-box. There was an amazing full moon on the 13th.

Six Bullfinch were seen feeding on the Docks in NW corner of the Main Field on the 16th. A Song Thrush was spotted in the crop, and a Kestrel was hunting overhead.