Around Home in early January

 I write a few words for our monthly village magazine “The Hill” in the Nature News section noting what is see on my local walks round the village. I sometimes have my camera with me, when it’s light enough! I try and get photos of what I see on these walks. So here is the article I wrote in mid January 2025 for the February edition.

What a start to 2025 it’s certainly been interesting, not in the least the weather, I think we have had every kind of weather, from snow to sunshine (if only a little) plus a few beautiful sunrise/sunsets for measure. Just when I thought wildlife would be lying low it’s been an active time. The birds are singing through the day from dawn.

Frosty Stour

I enjoy the rhythm of the day from my early morning walks before dawn to later in the day. I’m still enjoying hearing and seeing the Rooks come off the roost, the gentle voices of all the small birds and as Tilly pointed out one morning a shadowy Fox crossing the meadow as a dark silhouette. The Moorhen is often, startled as I walk through the Spinney by the Stour, I do try to be as quiet as possible! Often the Swans are on the bank with Mallard Ducks, probably they have stayed there all night. There is also the sound of a Heron on his early morning patrol along the river. One morning when the floods were up two Snipe flew from the edge of the water when it was a frozen, I hadn’t seen them for a while very shy birds, but their flight gives them away. To get through some mud in the bottom field I had to put my torch on and to my and his surprise a tiny little Field Mouse was looking at me, we both left each other to get on with our day!

As the day progresses there is still much to see, the Roe Deer grazing in the field behind my house and sometimes tucked under the hedge just relaxing or sheltering from the cold winds. One day mid-morning a Fox passed by our back fence that was a real surprise. A few more birds in the garden now feeding off all the ‘dead’ plants I left for them, also rummaging in the undergrowth for grubs etc!

Roe Buck
Roe Buck

I’m seeing Red Kites and Buzzards overhead regularly, usually on my afternoon walk, occasionally the Kites are in pairs and of course the Crows are soon worrying them. The Greater Spotted Woodpeckers tapping away close to home and one afternoon two females were fighting in the oak trees towards Legal Lane. Also, in the Oak trees I saw a slight movement on branch and there was a Treecreeper, I just managed to see him before he dodged around the back of the branch, as they do!

Buzzard
Red Kite
Lesser Black backed Gull

Greater Spotted Woodpecker, female

One day when the floods had subsided, I took a walk to Netmead field it was still very damp, but the path was OK. As always there was some interesting sightings as soon as I went into the field, numerous Reed Buntings, mainly females in the hedgerow and I didn’t realise until I got home and looked at my photos Yellowhammers. I recorded Song Thrush, Goldfinches Fieldfares as well with a 21 total of different species in Netmead and as I walked back home.

Reed Bunting, female

A real treat in the last couple of days is as I end my morning walk there has been a Song Thrush singing in the hedgerow, beautiful!

Song Thrush

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