Potteric Car Nature Reserve

This Crow was having a great time throwing leaves up into the air, presumably hunting food among the leaves, and watched by a Robin. Great to see Roe Deer close as most birds/animals were at a distance. Other cameos to give the feel of the area. 

Winter Bird Survey Paxton

Great to meet up with everyone for the start of the monthly surveys at Paxton Pits. This month our survey was of the birds - we recorded 53 species with a few winter visitors among them - Golden Eye (large flocks on Island Pit}, Goosander pair and Redwings. Best sighting (and a long way off) group of Green Sandpipers.

New Year's Day at Paxton Pits

The New Year's Day Birdwatch at Paxton recorded 43 species which is about our usual for January. The Coots are definitely setting up their territories and so glad I was under the flight path of the cormorant! I also recorded any flowers in bloom - total of seven species. Very poor light in the afternoon when these were taken

Toft Garden Wildlife

While pruning the conifer hedge, I found this old Goldcrest nest - a beautiful small cup completely lined with feathers and one very small (old) egg. The other images show what flowers are out at the moment, a couple of birds already setting up territories and the only insect (other than honey bees) active (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Toft Birds

I took Phil's Olympus camera for a walk today as my Fuji is quite hard to manage with a very stiff painful forefinger. Quite a bit of territorial behaviour getting going among the birds yet the trees by the old railway had a flock of more than 150 Redwings still here before departing north. Although it was quite cold there were obviously large numbers of gnats in the air by the stream.