Bird Watching in the Churchyard

CHURCHYARD BIRD WATCH 2016

The bird watch in the churchyard has continued over the last year. Trish and I have tried to keep to the first Saturday of each month but other commitments have meant that from time to time we have had to change either our day or week.

As usual my friend Peter came to help us with the nest boxes. As usual the birds that had used them were great tits. The first time he came we were a little too early and there was nothing in the nest boxes. Next time there were three nest boxes in use and when we came back next time a fourth nest box was taken. The earlier chicks were ringed at the end of May and had fledged by the time we ringed the last chicks a fortnight later. In all we ringed twenty great tits but there are probably only about half of those still living as there is a high mortality rate in the early days.

We expected the work being done on the trees in the churchyard to have an adverse effect on the birds. Much to our surprise we found there were just as many birds if not more.  We concluded that the birds took no notice of the workmen and found the more open areas of the churchyard much more to their liking and have continued to visit us during the following months.

We still see the same old characters within the churchyard but there have been a couple of new sightings, siskin and raven, plus some not nationally rare birds but rare for us to see in the  churchyard eg redwing, tree creeper and nuthatch.

In the churchyard there are places where we almost always see birds but it is amazing some months as you can see a group of birds in a tree that has not been notable for bird life previously. There are some poplar trees on the right hand side of the churchyard and one month these were alive with birds but before and since there has been nothing in them.  There is a tree in one of the gardens in the cul-de-sac bit of Dunston Lane which kept us busy for quite a while in December as there was a wren, tree creeper, blue tits and a blackbird all in its branches all at the same time.

We are now looking forward to 2017 to see what that brings us as nothing can be certain. We have a good idea of what we may see but the hope of something unusual or new is always there.

Christine Wieloch

St John’s Churchyard Wildlife 2016

Key */X = present and observed or heard

2016

Species seen in or from the churchyard

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Blackcap

*

Black-headed Gull

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Blackbird

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Blue Tit

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Bullfinch

Buzzard

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

x

Chaffinch

*

*

*

*

*

*

Chiffchaff

Coal Tit

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Collared Dove

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Cormorant

Dunnock

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Grey Heron

Goldcrest

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Goldfinch

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

**

Great Spotted Woodpecker

*

Great Tit

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Greenfinch

*

*

*

*

*

*

House Martin

*

*

*

*

*

House Sparrow

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Jackdaw

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Long Tailed Tit

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Magpie

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Mallard

Mistle Thrush

*

*

*

*

Mute Swan

*

Nuthatch

*

Peregrine Falcon

Pied Wagtail

Raven

*

Redwing

*

*

*

Robin

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Rook

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Siskin

x

x

Song Thrush

*

*

*

*

Sparrowhawk

*

*

*

Starling

*

*

*

*

*

Swallow

*

Swift

*

*

*

*

Tree Creeper

*

*

*

*

Willow Warbler

Waxwing

Whooper Swan

x

Woodpigeon

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Wren

*

*

*

*

*

*

Mammals

2016

Species

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Unknown Bat

Domestic Cat

*

*

*

*

*

Grey Squirrel

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Red Fox

*

Pet Dog

*

*

*

Mouse

*

*

*

*

Butterflies and other Flying Insects

2016

Species

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Speckled Wood

*

*

*

*

*

Holly Blue

*

*

*

Small White

*

*

*

*

*

Comma

Peacock

Large White

*

*

*

*

Small Tortoiseshell

*

*

Gatekeeper

Red Admiral

Wasps’ nest seen in August