This blog will be about my sightings of birds, insects, trees and the natural world in general. Most of my travels will be around the village where I live on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

Jan. 6th 2009. Very cold, ground frozen.
On entering a large patch of mature oak trees nearby today, about 50 redwing, that had been searching through the leaf litter, flew up. They were followed by a handful of blackbirds which are of course not so nervous. The usual residents were all about, too. A few robins, hedge sparrows and wrens all trying to find sustenance amongst the leaves. Up in the trees longtailed tits were calling as well as blue and great tits.
Along the road I pass a small orchard. The apples have all been left to fall. What a feast for the birds! Today there were about 30 blackbirds feeding on the fallen fruit together with a handful of fieldfares. They are pretty nervous and mostly fly into the trees while the blackbirds take little or no notice. A few chaffinches and robins are helping themselves as well.
Not many woodpigeons about today but a pair of collared doves went shooting up from a garden as I passed. A lonely lapwing flew towards the Forest, heading in an unusual direction.
A gathering of goldfinches and greenfinches in the hedge at the bottom of my garden flew off noisily over the adjacent field. A pair of magpies were as usual much in evidence.
A few crows and jackdaws flying over and that was about it for today.