Wildlife with Hugh

Exploring areas within walking distance of our houses can turn up unexpected finds. These finds will obviously vary depending upon the location and time, and that is all part of the enjoyment and wonder.

While the human population is on lockdown the natural world continues to the beat of its own drum. Appreciating what is in our immediate surroundings is now an even greater boon to anyone with an interest in wildlife.

I don’t tend to keep lists. I do however write up a species list of each type of bird seen and heard during the guided events, which I then send to the attendees. These lists are growing into quite a repository of information and I have looked into the data on the events between May 2019 and February 2020.

In late January, before the wettest February on record, I led an event around the ever interesting and bird-filled Farlington Marshes.

The real cold weather visitors have been thin on the ground this winter. It has been pleasing therefore to see a nice flock of fieldfares at Medmerry recently. On a recent farmland survey we recorded around 140 birds, and during a wetland bird survey a smaller flock was seen. This latter group were most obliging and we enjoyed fantastic views of these attractive thrushes.

It has been a warm winter and numerous days have felt spring-like. A trip to the woods in early February was such a day, full of activity and birdsong. From the off, ravens could be heard. They were somewhere behind the canopy of branches above us. Fortuitously one flew towards us and we watched as it flew just above the treetops in our vicinity. A chaffinch was singing, the first song from this species that I had heard this year. A favourite of many, a treecreeper, gave a brief view as it characteristically landed at the base of a large tree and worked its way up the ivy-covered trunk.  

In what had been an already excellent winter for snipe on the farmland within RSPB Medmerry, it was amazing to see yet another increase in their totals on the last survey. Jack snipe tied their previous high with 6 individuals recorded, but common snipe were up to an impressive 167.