Birdsong

This time of year is a curious mix of the winter and the (very) early spring. During the day I watched siskins, very much a winter bird, feeding on the nyger seed in the garden and in the evening listened to the sound of singing chaffinch, yellowhammer and dunnock as I walked up Heath Road with Henry.

Earlier a red kite flew into the Heath Road paddock, settling in the large ash on the eastern side, before being seen off by a posee of three magpies and one jackdaw - it must be a hard life being a large, very noticeable raptor!

Yesterday as the hunt came down Heath Road, I noticed two woodcock flying out of Oxey Wood, obviously flushed by the hounds on their way through. These too are very much winter birds, migrating from colder climes in central and eastern Europe to spend the winter months with us, before heading home. Sadly our own breeding population at Castor Hanglands seems to have disappeared about three years ago, so we only see these wonderful birds in the winter now.