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First visit of 2022
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My first visit of the new year had three aims. Firstly, to view the 5 new English Oak trees kindly donated to the Wildlife Trust as replacements for the Ashes, which have sadly succumbed to Ash Die-Back disease. These had been planted on New Year's Eve and will hopefully thrive and enhance the Reserve for many, many years to come. Secondly, to mark some Blackthorn with white stickers so our volunteers on Saturday know which ones to remove. Blackthorn spreads by suckers and over the years has marched into the paths narrowing them considerably. This is starting to be a problem for the mower, so we are cutting them back in places ahead of the new grass cutting season. Unfortunately I ran out of tape and had to finish the job later after lunch. Thirdly, to record the wildlife seen on the reserve. Here is what I saw during the morning and afternoon visits:
Birds:
Morning:
SC209694 I flushed a Jack Snipe which had been sitting very close to the path; male Blackbird; solitary Redwing sitting in a willow; Wren; female Blackbird; female Chaffinch; Water Rail heard from reed bed but not seen.
SC208694 Robin; Great Tit;
SC208695 Robin; Song Thrush;
SC209695 Chaffinch;
Afternoon:
SC210694 2 x female Blackbird; Robin; female Chaffinch
SC209694 male Blackbird; Great Tit; female Blackbird; female Chaffinch; Wren
SC208694 3 x Blackbirds together in gorse bush; Great Tit; Robin;
SC209693 5 x Redwing together in tree. Flew off over the road.
Other:
SC209694 More Readlead Roundhead fungi in path, some now very large.
SC210694 and SC209694 Stinking Iris with bright red berries.
SC208694 Domestic cat.
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the reserve seemed awash with Blackbirds
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they were finding invertebrates
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just a record shot of one of the 5 Redwings ( against a dazzling sun)
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a glimpse of a Robin in the willows
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and another in the Meadow area
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distant view of a Wren
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| there is a Chaffinch just behind it |
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wildlife beware!
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one of 5 new English Oaks donated to the Reserve
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colourful fungi
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and colourful berries
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impossible to work on the new boardwalk while the area is flooded
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debris on the bridge shows stream has been flowing over it
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a very wet meadow
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the morning sun came out for all of 5 minutes
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| but mostly the weather was like this, with a cold wind. |
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the afternoon was more sunny
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the low angle made silhouettes of the trees
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by mid afternoon the light was fading fast
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Surby, where I live, still in sunshine - time to head home!
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An enjoyable first visit of the year.
Please click on photos to enlarge them
