Report from 1 to 3 February 2023

The temperature excursion was very noticeable these last few days: frost in the mornings, but by the afternoon butterflies were on the wing – Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) as usual – and honeybees were collecting nectar from hazel blooms, the only flowers available in January. Great Tits are singing enthusiastically, and so are the Starlings, although the latter mostly produce tuneless screeching. Many birds can sense the coming spring and are starting to move: compared to a couple of weeks ago, at least half the waterfowl have left. We are not seeing any Kingfishers, either, but for a different reason, I think. At this point in the winter, it better to play it safe and avoid the possibility of the water freezing over. Ultimately this did not happen, but it was a wise choice nonetheless .
Many regular songbirds were also missing. The Goldcrests are still around, but the Firecrests have disappeared. There do not seem to be any Bramblings in the small flocks of Chaffinches that have stayed put. The Siskins, on the other hand, still abound. They are not very showy, and on top of that, they are often silent. They gather in flocks up high in the trees, especially their favourites, the alders.