Sunday 9th.November 2008

Spent a couple of hours this morning at Spring Park Woods , just above the pond on the City of London managed site . Two winters ago , I put a few Dormouse boxes in the woodland , at the request of the Keeper , and have monitored them whilst recording Butterflies and Dragon/Damselflies there during the season . A couple of the boxes were used as roosts by birds , probably Tits , but no evidence of Dormice was found . So this morning I took them down and relocated them in a different area , which wasn't suitable last times because it had been coppiced , but now that coppice is of a size to support Dormice , if they are present . Only time will tell .

I ran into the Keeper whilst I was there and discussed the management work being carried out on the pond . Marestail , two large Water Lillies and Reed Sweetgrass are strangling the pond , and work has started to remove much of all three . With the Blanket Weed growth , the water surface was sometimes not seen this year . Of course , removing the vegetation also removes some of the larvae which live amongst the roots and detritus on the bottom , but they are leaving the removed vegetation on the side , hoping that the larvae will return to the water . Lets hope so , as they had a bad enough time this Summer without this upheaval , but I understand that something has to be done to keep growth in check , especially as the pond is spring fed from further up in the woods .

I had a walk around the wood , but , apart from a couple of feeding Tit flocks , Corvids , Wood Pigeons and a single Mistle Thrush , it was very quiet .

On my way back to the car , the ground was carpeted with Autumn colour , mostly Sycamore with a sprinkling of Norway Maple .

I looked back across the playing fields at the woods and wondered if the Autumn tints would still be there after the forecast stong winds .Before I reached the car , the first spots were on the wind , and by the time I got to the car , it was raining quite hard .

After lunch , Carol and I did the same walk I did yesterday . Not much had changed , apart from fewer Winter Thrushes in the Holly tree , but a bit further along , my first Meadow Pipit of the Winter on the site . In other years , I have had good numbers on the phone wires across the bridleway . In the field with the grazing sheep , a large flock of Starlings had joined the Corvids .

Along the lane below the horse field , a young Grey Squirrel was sat on top of a fence post , seemingly oblivious to our presence , even when I approached with the camera , it didn't move .

When we got home , I took my coffee and watched the feeders for a while . The Chaffinches are up to a maximum of 25 , Goldfinches 5 , Greenfinches 4 . Whilst watching , a female Great Spotted Woodpecker fed for some time , and I couldn't resist the shot of the female Brambling with the Coal Tit . Blue and Great Tit , Dunnock , Wren , Collared Dove , Wood Pigeon and Jackdaw all put in an appearance .

Answers to last night's birds :-

Bird 9. Sheep Stare or Chepster ----- Starling

Bird 10 . Field Lark or Our Lady's Hen ----Skylark

Tonight's birds :-

Bird 11 . Tittling or Gowk

Bird 12 . Tom Pudding or Arsfoot