It is the deepest darkest depths of winter and the forests may seem gloomy and uninviting, but if you choose your day carefully and venture into them you shall not be disappointed. A calm grey day such as was yesterday can yield a great many wildlife sightings. At Nagshead there were jays a plently, (I saw at least six) and even got right up close to one of these wonderfully coloured birds while it was feeding on the ground and I stood and admired it for a full five minutes!
The trees being bare makes it easy to see our winter residents - familiar all year round favourites such as nutchatches, treecreepers and various tits, as well as wintering species. Yesterday I heard a chattering in the sky and looked up just in time to see a flock of redpoll land on a birch tree. These stayed in the same patch, ocassionally being disturbed and rising up and then landing down on a nearby tree. Whilst this was happening some siskin flew overhead. If you are new to woodland birds this is the perfect time to start watching, because as soon as spring comes and the leaves reappear, things will get far more difficult! Old hand at birdwatching? Then why not try and familiarize yourself with some calls!
However if you do not choose your day carefully and go out on a rainy day like today, you could end up just getting splattered with mud!
Great blog wonderfully written and full of enthusiasm, I came across my first treecreeper at Minsmere the other day, t'were marvellous :)