Nature Notes – November 2019

The first redwings and fieldfares arrived this week and can be seen feeding on haws and rowan berries. If you have a rowan tree in your garden it may well be ‘guarded’ by a pair of mistle thrushes and they will chase off other birds attempting to feed. As daylight becomes shorter, feeding birds is important to their winter survival. It will also attract a wide variety of birds, including greater spotted woodpecker, nuthatch and long tailed tits. With all this avian activity at your feeders you will inevitably attract sparrow hawks similar to the one shown below, photographed by Margaret Ward in her garden.

Recent sightings include a flock of around 200 pink footed geese heading south, presumably to East Anglia, three stoats and a roe deer hind with two well grown fawns near Fence Dyke lane.