Nature Fact

Buzzards, usually seen wheeling and soaring over the Reserve, gained an early reputation for laziness although patient waiting is part of their efficient hunting strategy. They are not agile and rely mainly on a silent approach to catch their varied prey.

Nature Notes January 2013

January was a mild month on the whole with spells of sunshine, wind and heavy rain.. However, the third week brought heavy snowfall before turning mild once more by the month end.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Magpies, Jays, Carrion Crows, Buzzard, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Black-headed Gulls, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long tailed Tits, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Wrens, Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Dunnocks, Siskins, Goldcrests.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Fox.
Plants in Flower:   Gorse.

No unusual sightings were reported during January.

Many birds took to neighbouring gardens in search of food during the harsh snowy week.

Nature Fact

Mistle Thrushes are always more thinly distributed and seem to require much larger territories than that of the Song Thrush.  Large mature gardens and parklands are typical habitats for them.  In the breeding season you may find them in woodlands and even conifer plantations as long as there are grassy areas nearby for spring feeding.  They feed on worms and insects, often in the centre of fields, but fruit is an important part of the diet, particularly mistletoe berries, hence its name.

Nature Notes December

December, although mild for the time of year, brought strong winds and very heavy rainfall.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:  Magpies, Jays, Carrion Crows, Wood Pigeon, Stock Doves, Heron, Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Black-headed Gulls, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Wrens,Goldcrests, Nuthatches, Stonechat, Siskins.
Mammals:  Grey Squirrels.
Plants in flower:  Gorse.

Due to the inclement weather, there was not a great deal to view. The only evident movement was that of the resident birds in the quest for daily food.
A welcome sighting of a Stonechat was seen north of the boardwalk. Recordings of Stonechats have been few and far between on site during the past year.

YEAR 2012
Nature sightings were down, a disappointing year.  Numbers of Silver Studded Blue butterflies, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Reptile species, Fungi, Mammals and wild flowers were all showing low numbers.
A total of 24 out of 38 mixed bird specie nesting boxes provided homes for nesting birds on site last Spring/Summer.