December was a month of two halves weather wise. The first half mild and damp,the second half cold and freezing with snow,heavy frost, fog and freezing rain in fact anything that winter could throw at us. Over the festive period,daytime temperatures often failed to get over freezing point.
The cold snap meant more birds visiting the bird feeders with large flocks of Chaffinches and House Sparrows being the most dominant species. Great, Blue and Coal Tit numbers increased too.The cold snap may have brought its bonuses,but there were negatives too. The local Goldcrests were decimated just as they were in the cold snap of January and February.
Birding highlights locally for the month were an impressive Merlin which passed over the house on the 1st. This was the fifth record here of this snappy little falcon.
2 Common Gulls flew over the house on the 6th. A Peregrine swooped low over a local field on the 17th causing panic amongst a flock of Woodpigeons.
The cold snap which began in earnest on the 20th, produced 4 Whooper Swans and small flocks of wandering Lapwings. These delightful plovers have decreased steadily over the years. Flocks of over 20 birds are rare. The 24th produced 2 unseasonal Skylarks, normally seen here in small numbers on early spring and autumn passage. Christmas day saw Snipes buzzing about the area. One bird passed very low over the garden. More Snipe were seen on the 27th and 28th.
On the 31st a pleasing flock of 34 Greylag Geese flew over before dusk, an atmospheric end to the birding year here in Killymarley. My last bird of the year and of the decade was a Robin still feeding around the edge of the house well into dusk.
In all 72 species were recorded in this area in 2009.
Happy New Year.