Wednesday 1st March 2017

Weather :- Sunny with cloudy spells, with a cold nip in the air.

Woods :- Goldcrest showing really well, 2 nuthatches at their usual spot, not far from mousesweet brook. Greater spotted woodpecker heard drumming and a mistle thrush spotted along with 2 jays.

Canal :- Usual bunch - coots, moorhens, mallard and 3 domestic ducks. Also 5 house sparrows, goldfinches, greenfinch heard and male chaffinch singing. 5 more goldcrest showing quite well.

Raza :- 2 cormorants, 36 coots, low numbers of mallards at only 4, 56 black headed gulls - all moulting into breeding plumage, 4 herring gulls and 5 lesser black backed gulls.

Netheton Hill :- 6 buzzards up over the hill. Female kestrel seen flying and relocated perched in tree, with a male kestrel perched in another tree. Male then started hunting - caught 1 item, before both flying off together. Hope they return. 

Flowers :- Snowdrops, gorse flowering, alder catkins and goat willow catkins budding. Also bracken starting to grow and Herb Robert leaves out.

Alder catkins

Female kestrel

Ivy Tree

Alder pine cones

Robin

Goat willow catkins