Mike's Natural Musings: A First Session at the Woodyard Hide

Saturday, 16 January 2016

A First Session at the Woodyard Hide

It was a good weather forecast this morning so I decided to have a first session at the woodyard feeding station. As I parked up on the frost yard, I could see that there was plenty of activity on the feeders. It wasn't long before I was set up and settled in the hide. As last year, blackbirds were plentiful and I suspect that they are the culprits who have been laying waste to the fat blocks. There were at least three robins vying for feeding space and chasing rivals off and blue and great tits were active. Dunnock and chaffinches were coming in but tended to feed on the ground rather than go onto the perches I have set up. Most noticeable were the dozen or so green and goldfinches which were favouring the sunflower hearts over the niger seed and making a great deal of noise as they squabbled for position. An odd woodpigeon came down and at one time a large flock of collared doves were feeding on the floor of the plantation. Hazel catkins were in their prime and the lichen on the log piles was colourful in the sum.

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