A Buck Roe Deer checks to see where I am.
Further into the wood another trio
With most deciding that hiding in the woods would be better than in the open.
I managed to get to the wood for 8:00am and headed off to the River Cole and then back through the wood. Which took a good couple of hours. Main highlights were obviously the Roe Deer and my final total was 13. I also managed my first Rabbit of the year and 4 Squirrels.
Other highlights were the number of finches about especially Goldfinches and Chaffinches with at least 3 Charms of 9, 18 and 20, and over 50 Chaffinches seen. There were also two flocks of Linnets, the biggest being 16 birds. A single finch which was good to see and hear was Lesser Redpoll down by the river.
For most of my walk I seemed to be following a Buzzard. He would take off from the trees as I approached and land a 100 metres or so further on and as I approached he would do the same. After about a mile he flew off.
I think I must have followed this Buzzard all around the wood.
The winter thrushes were a bit disappointing with only 15 Redwing seen and 2 Fieldfare heard. Most of the thrushes were Blackbirds with at least 30 recorded, plus I did find 5 individual Song Thrushes.
There was one very large tit flock which comprised of at least 13 Long-tailed Tits, several Goldcrests, 2 Marsh Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits and Great Tits. One very noisy flock of birds!
Bird Species Recorded: 1 Mallard, 1 Buzzard, 2 Pheasant, 1 Moorhen, 1 Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Stock Dove, 200+ Wood Pigeon, 1 Green Woodpecker, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 3 Robin, 30+ Blackbird, 2 Fieldfare (heard), 15 Redwing, 5 Song Thrush, 15+ Goldcrest, 13+ Long-tailed Tit, 2 Marsh Tit, 2 Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 1 Treecreeper, Wren, 1 Jay, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 50+ Chaffinch, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 22 Linnet, 52+ Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 12+ Bullfinch and 1 Yellowhammer.
Also seen 13 Roe Deer, 4 Grey Squirrel and 1 Rabbit