January's Local Sightings.

The garden has been busy with the usual sightings, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch have been regular visitors throughout the month as have the usual Blue, Great and Coal Tits. Both male & female Great-spotted Woodpeckers are regular along with Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird and the occasional visit from a small flock of Long-tailed Tits. 2 Goldcrests are regular visitors to the trees outside the cottage and their high pitched contact calls are heard long before they show themselves, a single Green Woodpecker has been feeding around the orchard on a regular basis and a single female Bullfinch was in the orchard on the 3rd with Goldfinch & Greenfinch. Chaffinch numbers are averaging about 12 which is far fewer than previous years when numbers have reached 25+, Goldfinch and Greenfinch numbers are certainly down with only 2 or 3 birds of each species visiting on occasions. Both Mistle & Song Thrush have been occasional visitors to the fields next to our cottage along with what seems to be the last of the Redwing, Male & female Sparrowhawk have been seen in the garden attempting to pluck some unsuspecting victim from the feeders and they seem to be passing through almost daily at the moment, at least 3 Buzzards are around most days and Red Kite numbers seem to building up again with at least 14 being seen over the fields between Skirmett & Frieth on one occasion at the end of the month, many of them seem to be displaying already. A male & female Kestrel have become common visitors since December and are often perched on the telegraph poles scanning the fields for prey. Both Black-headed & Common Gulls have been feeding in the nearby fields throughout January along with good numbers of Rook, Carrion Crow & Jackdaw. Plenty of Magpies about with a single count of 17 being seen in the adjacent fields, a single Jay also seen in the orchard.

Marsh Tit.

Tawny Owls are calling from dusk and long into the early hours with one again calling from the top of the cottage, most sightings come from the nearby country lanes with one faithful bird being seen along Shogmoor Lane regularly. Our resident Little Owls are still laying low with only a handful of sightings through January, most of which are on sunny days when the pair are out sunning themselves. Another pair are still regular sightings at a farm shed at the top of Shogmoor Lane and can be seen most nights perched on the shed roof.

A small covey of Red-legged Partridges were seen passing through the garden early in January but other than that there has been few sightings, The male Pheasant is still coming into the garden before dusk and using the seed feeders!.
No sign of any Siskin or Brambling around the garden but at Chisbridge Lane the Brambling flock of at least 25 birds remained faithful to the cereal crops in the fields next to the double gates, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch & Greenfinch make up the numbers in this flock of 50 or so Finches & Buntings. They can be viewed from here.

Deer numbers have massed into the hundreds and can be seen from the roadside near the Old Luxters Farm Brewery in Hambleden as they graze in the fields, a Stoat was again seen as it ran through the vegetable patch towards the end of January.

Fallow Deer Stag Filmed In The Garden In October.