November Diary 2016 !

30th Nov -  Winter arrived with a vengeance, -2.5 degrees this morning, but the sun was shining, bird sightings getting better, Common Jackdaw, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Jay and a Green Woodpecker seen in the woods, around the glades another Green Woodpecker, two Ring necked Parakeets, Magpie, Great Tit, Blue Tit, star sighting a lovely male Bullfinch, finished off with a small flock of Fieldfares flying towards the orchards. Checked out the alder trees where Siskins were seen last year, nothing yet.

Winters here !

26th Nov - Cold and misty today, Blackbirds continue to be prominent around the woodlands with two Robins looking very cold and miserable. A few Wood Pigeons around the glades, two Collared Doves, several Chaffinch, one Goldfinch, Jackdaw and small flock of Starlings

24th Nov-  A blustery walk this morning at least it was dry and bright, lots of Blackbirds seen this morning especially in the hawthorn trees, Common Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Wood Pigeon seen along the trails, three female Pheasants flushed from the woodland very close to me gave me shock, five Ring necked Parakeets flying over the glades, a Wren disturbed from the hedgerow, two Goldfinch flying over, and finally another cock Pheasant disturbed from the vacant cattle fields, a Robin near the car park serenaded me off.

15th Nov - I made a concerted effort to look for birds today, exchanging my camera for a pair of bins, at Two ponds the Common Jackdaws were in their nesting tree and close by a pair of Mistle Thrushes, as I passed the Honey Bee nest which I watched many a time in the summer, I was surprised to see a few Honey Bees still entering the nest hole.
Further on A Great Tit, Dunnock and Wren made an appearance with a few Blackbirds taking Hawthorn berries, the distant thrushes I saw the other day, which I suspect were Redwings but to distant for a positive identification were nowhere to be seen today, a flock of Starlings flew over the Glades and a single Common Gull, in the plantations a Jay and Magpie were seen and a male Kestrel on the telegraph wires. just two Carrion Crows searching for a meal in the now deserted cattle fields. The usual Wood Pigeons over the woodland and a couple of Robins along the trails.
14 species in all, with nothing spectacular to report.

10th Nov- A brisk walk along the woodland trails did not reveal too many bird sightings of interest, the usual Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon and a lone Jay, Some Ring necked Parakeets could be heard calling from high up in some poplar trees, Robin, Goldfinch Dunnock were also seen today.

The muddy waters of Two Ponds

With the early arrival of the Christmas paraphernalia in the shops, unbelievably October in a few shops around here, it was nice to see a more natural sign in the form of some holly berries along the trails.

6th Nov - After a clear night which allowed hopefully most of the fireworks to be finished with, the car registered an outside temperature of 4.5 degrees celsius, but the sun was still shining, making another lovely autumnal walk. Still not much happening on the birding front with hardly any birds seen this morning. some more nice fungi appearing. and the woodlands looking spectacular.

5th Nov - This old tree stump has a probable girth of 12 to 15 feet, this magnificent fungi specimen has appeared out of nowhere in a very short space of time completely encompassing the tree stump from ground level up to about 24 inches high, not sure what it is at the moment.

3rd Nov - Temperatures have really dropped these last few days, and the first frosts of winter were seen early morning, but the sun still shines which makes for a pleasant autumnal walk.
No winter birds have been seen here in the woodlands at the moment, Robins Wrens and Great Tits have all been seen over the first days of November, a Green Woodpecker has been seen around the edge of the glades, Jackdaws and Carrion Crows seen in the dead Sweet Chestnut each morning,  Jays are becoming a regular sighting now.

Fungi has started to appear around the woodland on the dead wood, this Parasol Mushroom was the first seen this autumn.