Multiple skeins of geese (someone will have recognised them by their calls but not me, sorry) flew south over the reserve this morning, and at 12.15 four buzzards were circling and calling over the allotments and no doubt making sure the Wednesday Work Group left on time and locked the gates properly.
A total of 14 snipe were flushed by the team on Monday. All from Big Meadow and all common (it is a bit too early for the jack snipe).
Yesterday afternoon there was a short break from the rain around 2.30 p.m. The arable field had 20 greylag geese and 50-plus herring gulls. And the area in the SW tip of the arable field next to Pony Wood had around 45 house martins and 3-4 swallows all flying low and gorging on the flying insects. In addition, there were about 40 goldfinch feeding on the thistle seeds.
This male blackcap was in the Pony Wood extension yesterday evening.
Saw a Roe buck in Flora Field on the evening of 13 July 2021. He was foraging amongst a weedy line in the barley field and was visible from the bench area next to the one at Harries View. Nice set of antlers. Seemed to be on his own.
First, a song thrush singing in the Orchard.
In Pony Wood these two young magpies were waiting for an adult to feed them.
This juvenile lapwing was by the Flora middle pond both in the morning and again in the evening yesterday.
This oystercatcher flew in for a wash and brush-up and a drink in the evening last night.
This female sparrowhawk was in the ash tree on the Fauna path on Wednesday afternoon.
This nuthatch was in a lime tree in Pony Wood yesterday. I may not be very observant, but this is the first time I have seen, let alone photographed, a nuthatch in the Fairfield Nature Reserve.
Look out for Dan’s winter bird count and Rob Zlock’s diptera survey on the website. Now follow the link to the surveys directly from the home page.
This great spotted woodpecker was hopping around the branches in Pony Wood collecting insects.
This hare was in Flora Field.
This song thrush was shuttling between the ponds in Flora Field and its nest in the hedge at the eastern edge of the field.
The new ponds in Flora Field are proving very good for observing birds which have included swallows, house martins, house sparrows, thrushes, meadow pipits, grey and pied wagtails as well as oystercatchers, ducks and geese.