Events are conspiring to keep me at home this week, but I had the opportunity to get out today and probably wasted it on another visit to the river Alne.
I parked by the Henley Hotel and followed the river up stream to Danzey Green, with a diversion in the Botley Mill area. The habitat didn't look particularly enticing, being almost entirely made up of sheep-grazed pasture, but the river itself was at least bordered by a strip of messy woodland. It is also starting to look like a river.
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| The view from the bridge near Botley Mill |
As for riverine species, my only success was a Grey Wagtail which was singing for maybe the first time this year.
Other "notables" were Mistle Thrush, Siskin (three), and singing Treecreepers (two). The phrase grasping at straws may be appropriate here.
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| Mistle Thrush |
Having spent much of last month walking along the Upper Arrow, and then just north of Redditch, it was almost refreshing to find myself looking at a Pheasant near Danzey Green. They are very much associated with places where they are released (i.e. not Redditch), and I also suspect that bird flu has put a stop to some of the shoots releasing Pheasants this winter so the population may have dwindled (temporarily no doubt).
As for the onset of spring, well I did see a single Lesser Celandine in bloom, and also quite a few Snowdrops.
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