Wednesday 26th January 2011 - local walk

I had a day off work today so I decided to spend it wandering around the local pocket park in Finedon to see what is about. I parked the car near the cricket field and started making my way along the road towards the church. Already Robins, Wrens and Blackbirds were singing away in the trees around the old fairground field. Magpies were flying around the cricket field and Chaffinch's were whizzing around people front gardens. The church had loads more Robins in its grounds along with Collared Dove's in the Yew trees and a very vocal Great Tit. A grey squirrel ran across the church yard as I approached, while a Wren was ticking away in the bushes near the gate. As I walked down to Stocks Hill and then up Bell Hill Jackdaws were flying around overhead, it seems that every year more and more Jackdaws appear. I had a conversation with my Nan a couple of years ago and it turns out this whole area used to be known as Crow End years ago but the name has since stopped being use. Into the Grove and then the drizzle started to come down, but this didn't seem to stop a solitary Skylark which rose up and sang up in the air for at least 10 minutes before giving up. The hedgerow to the left of the path had about 10 Long Tailed Tits and 8 Chaffinch. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker could be heard calling across the Grove field and then could be seen flying from tree to tree before settling high up and then drumming away. It was a male I can assume it was drumming for a mate, but it did put on a show as its head blurred backwards and forwards. Continuing on towards the Holly's and the large hedges to the right were full of Great and Blue Tits, and the Long Tailed Tit flock seemed to be keeping up with me as they made their way along it too. A Red Kite could then be heard to call behind me, and a quick glance backwards had one flying slowly over the field I had just walked across. The Holly's themselves were equally full of Tits and Chaffinches with a Squirrel jumping from tree to tree. From here I walked along the brook towards the Pocket Park, the whole area being completely full of Woodpigeon. In fact then they all took off the sky almost darkened with their numbers. 13 Fieldfare could be seen heading across the field towards Harrowden Lane. A walk around the Pocket Park provided more of the same, loads of Tits Robins and Blackbirds, so I walked along to the Cally Banks. The area of the Cally's where it reaches the steps to get to the higher level was absolutely teeming with Tits, so much so the whole canopy above seemd to be moving constantly. I kept loosing count of Long Tailed Tits but there must have been 20-30 at least with lots of Chaffinch and Blue and Great Tits too. A Treecreeper was making it's way up a tree trunk infront of me and then another one shot in to see it off. Both Treecreepers in the end showed really well on different trees, obvioulsy not too content with each others company. Another Red Kite was seen near to Holly Walk and 2 Goldcrest in the Yew Trees was a welcome sight after all the harsh weather last year. A walk across the field towards the road produced 2 Greenfinch ( all I have seen of these all day ) and a Green Woodpeckers which I inadvertently flushed. This pretty much concludes my visit around the area, nice to see al the Tits doing well, not so nice to have only seen 2 Greenfinch though......from what I have seen locally things are looking very dire for this species and to think that only a few years ago they were considered to be a bully of the bird tables and almost a pest in some gardens as other birds could never get a look in while they were around, and yet now it's a highlight of a day to lay eyes on one.