Seasonal Wild Flowers 2 – Hazel Catkin

As winter moves out you will find that the Catkin are easy to see on the trees.  The chances are they will be either Alder or Hazel.

Great to watch, as they swell and flower, adding colour to the drab winter woodlands and parks and showing us that spring is on its way

East Anglia Year Count: 97

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 97. Month bird count: 56.

Photo: Hazel Catkin (Corylus)

Suffolk – Combs Wood – 20th February 2011

Watch out for: Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Treecreeper

More woodland habitat this weekend, with a trip to one of Suffolk’s oldest woods.  It was very wet and dull but we did manage to see a few of our target species flitting around in one quiet corner.

A good mixed flock containing Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tit, Willow Tit plus Great & Blue.  Then, a bit adrift from the flock, a pair of Treecreepers, a single Goldcrest & Wren.  Finally, when walking out, a Greater-spotted Woodpecker flew out and over to an adjacent copse.

East Anglia Year Count: 97

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 97. Month bird count: 56.

Photo: Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Norfolk – Thetford Forest– 6th February 2011

Watch out for: Crossbill, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldcrest, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Hawfinch & Brambling

Going into this area is a must during the winter months as it is the easiest place to see a variety of woodland birds.

We drove in from Thetford town and turning left off the A134 went down toward Santon Downham.  Passing a couple of birders just off the road scoping some trees, it turned out they were on a small flock of Crossbills, in particular two bright red males.

Further down the road we turned in to the picnic site at Santon hoping for Brambling (they were here is big numbers last year), alas no such luck.  So it was off to Lynford arboretum.

A quick look at the water on the old gravel pits produced only a Great-crested Grebe and some great Snowdrops on the woods edge.  Walking back up and into the arboretum and I had good views of a Nuthatch close to the path and further on by the river Siskin & Redpoll.  No sign of any Hawfinch.  Lastly we went into pines and soon found Goldcrest.  Not the best birding days but great to see the snowdrops out.  

East Anglia Year Count: 93

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 93. Month bird count: 45.

Photo: Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

Target Birds No 3: Redpoll & Siskin

In winter, small passerines tend to “mix flock” and it is very common to see Redpolls and Siskins feeding together along with various Tits.

Their most popular quarry is Alder, as in the winter these bare tree have last year’s mature female catkins hanging for birds to feed off. Last weekend we were at Lynford arboretum, which has a large population of Alders along the river bank that divides the arboretum from the paddock. We walked it one way and saw nothing, then walking back we noticed movement in one tree, it was several Blue Tits feeding.

We didn’t have to wait for long before another ten or so small birds arrived. Against the overcast sky identification can be tricky, but you soon get to spot the Siskin and if you keep tracking the birds jumping from branch to branch with a bit of luck you’ll see the red spot on the forehead of a Redpoll, nine times out of ten these will be Lesser, but with a bit more observation and some sunlight you may be lucky enough to get a Mealy or and Arctic.

East Anglia Year Count: 93

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 93. Month bird count: 45.

Photo: Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret); Siskin (Carduelis spinus)

Seasonal Wild Flowers 1 – Snowdrops

I can’t claim this was the first weekend these gems were available to see, as we have not been out for a couple of weekends, but they certainly were pushing through in Thetford Forest when we were about on Sunday.

A very uplifting sight, I hope you agree.  A big thank you to Guy Edwards and his book “100 ways to take better nature and wildlife photographs“ for some help and inspiration with the techniques to photograph them.

East Anglia Year Count: 93

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 93. Month bird count: 45.

Photo: Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

Garden and Park Report – January

I think it’s worth mentioning how many species you can pick up either in your local park or around your garden.  To date in our garden things have been quite quiet since the snow went, we have regular Robins (two), Blackbirds (five) Dunnocks (Two), Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wood Pigeons, Collard Doves, occasional Long-tailed Tits passing through, and a visiting Wren at least once a week and Starlings.

If I walk out, either from home or work to the Park I can add Mistle and Song Thrush, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Siskin and just today Pied Wagtail, feeding around some horses with three Redwings.

East Anglia Year Count: 86

Life bird count: 399. Year bird count: 86. Month bird count: 18.

Photo: Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)