It Doesn't Get Any Warmer

I was due to feed on Rawcliffe Moss again today so me and 'her indoors' slid our way to the feeding station. There was still 15 cm of snow and it was still freezing cold! A few flocks of Pink-footed Geese were moving around this morning, presumably trying to find somewhere suitable to feed. In all we had 403 made up of different groups.

'Her indoors' ready to face the elements

As we set off down the track only two Yellowhammers were at the Pheasant feeder. As usual I scattered some seed from the feeder around the base of it to make it easier for the birds to feed. In fact as we walked towards the feeding station it was obvious that there were few birds around. Only thirty Tree Sparrows and four Chaffinch were feeding on what was left of the feed. Half a dozen apples and two buckets of seed were put down and we set off for a walk round.


As we walked along the '97' hedge we had seven Roe Deer in the adjacent field including a buck with antlers in velvet. Later on we would see the same group of deer crossing the track to feed in a stubble field. We had a walk through the L Wood but it was very quiet except for a few Wrens feeding at the base of mossy trees trying to find invertebrates. They will certainly be a species that will suffer in this cold weather.

Dodgy digi-binned Roe Deer

On the way to the plantation we had five Grey Partridges either in the field before the plantation or in the plantation itself. The plantation looked very much like the Taiga in winter and probably held less birds! As we came out of the plantation at the north end we had a Buzzard fly out of the fir wood continually harassed, as always, by a small squadron of Corvids.

The Taiga or the plantation!

Looking towards Rough Holme Farm we picked up a Barn Owl hunting over some frozen pasture. They must find it tough in these conditions. The walk back along the track to the car didn't reveal much more other than a Kestrel and 65 Lapwings heading west towards the coast.

Tomorrow I will be hopefully colour ringing some Coot with some lads from the 'group' so I'll let you know how we get on.