First Breeding Bird Survey of 2024

Yesterday was my first Breeding Bird Survey for 2024 in Hardwick Woods on a cool misty but relatively bright morning starting at the required half hour after sunrise (yes I waited till the clocks went forward!). This Dunnock typifies the 'soft' light conditions. The wood is currently closed to the public and will be for the foreseeable future - this is to protect the habitat. Even with the closure people have been tramping through especially off the main tracks which are knee deep in mud in places - this is resulting in damage to the environment.  The spring flowers are mostly in bloom with the bluebells just starting. Most of images were taken looking into the wood from the Bridleway; The Oxlips were through the fence in the new enclosure which I helped coppice this year - the plants are thriving in the open canopy and away from munching deer.

Destruction of Local Wildlife Habitats

It took me several days before I could do my 'daily' walk around the footpath in Toft that goes along the Mill Lane Drift down the side of the allotments and back along the stream into Toft Wood as I had heard the large machinery at work earlier and feared for the worst. 

We no longer have a stream - just a V-shaped deep drainage ditch and the Badgers and hedgerow birds (including Whitethroats, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds) have lost a valuable breeding habitat. 

Birthday Walk at Paxton

The pits at Paxton were more or less frozen over for our Third Thursday walk at Paxton so all the waterfowl were pushed into the small open areas. Lots of Fieldfare, Wren, Tree Creeper, Green Woodpecker, Single Lapwing, Several Herons and Cormorants completed the walk.

Our Red Kites and Winter Visitors

 We have a resident pair of Kites that fly around the house and are often seen in the local trees . This morning, the light was beautiful as they flew and then rested warming themselves in the early sunlight. There are also large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfare together with Starlings (probably immigrants) feeding on the abundant berries.

Flight Shots at Hunstanton

 I spent some time on Saturday at Hunstanton trying to get flight shots of the various birds there especially the Fulmars. The light level was low with the cloudy conditions so high ISO and difficult to get high enough shutterspeeds  but it did allow detail in the whites and certainl;y gave the camera a task to pick up the birds against backgrounds