Report 20-28 February 2022

The White Poplars are in full bloom, a full two weeks earlier that they would have been twenty years ago, when I first began keeping track of such things. This also happened in winter 2006-7, which back then was considered to be extraordinarily mild. Now, these early blooms are increasingly frequent, to the point where we have come to expect it: another sign of the changing times. The Chaffinches, Bramblings, Siskins, and tits are all taking advantage of this bounty and are happily feasting, causing the flowers to literally rain down from the trees. After a few months of silence, the Tawny Owl has resumed singing. In fact, a pair is present, and was duetting. The only new arrival for the week was the Little Ringed Plover.

Great Tits are present all year round, and their numbers remain about the same, whether or not all individuals are actually resident. By and large, however, they migrate very little, unlike their close relative the Blue Tit, which instead becomes more common in winter, sometimes with extraordinary influxes.