DAVID'S NATURE BLOG

14 FEBRUARY 2026 – SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK (SCP).

I was getting stale! I hadn’t been out for a walk for well over a week, largely down to the weather …………it has rained virtually every day for the past two weeks, with little in the way of meaningful sunshine. Consequently, everywhere has been saturated and is now incredibly muddy, and quite slippery and dangerous for us oldies who use a stick (or, in my case a Nordic pole) for support.

So, SCP seemed the logical choice, as place I could avoid the worst of the muddy conditions; and anyway, it was a good place to try and see target birds I hadn’t yet seen locally thus far this year – namely Rook and Nuthatch, which I knew occur there. So, in bright sunlight, with a cold north-westerly, I set my course, passing through Thorley Wedge on the way, which was largely bird-free.

Amazingly, I got both my target species within a few minutes of arriving on the northern outskirts, of the park, so I plodded on, in the hope that one or two more might come my way.

I could see that the reedbed had been cut back of late, leaving some open areas north of the walkway, which might suit birds like the Water Rail, which I knew resident there, although usually they would feed around dusk or very early in the morning, so not always accommodating, to the casual observer. But for the moment, just Mallards; Black-headed Gulls (including a ringed gull); Moorhens and a lone Coot were utilising the space. Some families were feeding the ducks and gulls, so I avoided them.

I hadn’t intended to walk around the lake as it was obvious that, apart from the species already mentioned, there were very few birds around - although there were several Blackbirds and Robins (male Robins were singing heartily, and were very confiding, allowing some decent close-up photography); and anyway, most of the footpaths were exceptionally muddy, so I wanted to avoid those. Consequently, I turned back in the attempt to get to St. James’ Church via the road - which of course was virtually free of mud, except for some puddles, and of course, road traffic.

I had another brief view of the Nuthatch (in the same woodland location); a probable Treecreeper (although I didn’t count it as the view was awful) and a pair of Stock Doves perched high in a Beech - I believe they are first I’ve ever seen at this location, although they are not at all a common bird locally.

On the way to St. James’ Church, I saw several Jackdaws, most of them paired up, looking quite charming, perched together quietly in the trees, and a Magpie, busy making a nest.

St. James’ Church was a quiet place to sit and rest for a while and take in the lovely array of snowdrops growing amongst the gravestones, but the hoped-for Mistle Thrush eluded me, only a Song Thrush and some Robins and Blue Tits were seen here. Behind the church, the open farmland had already been planted with root crops (these looked like turnips) and I had hoped to hear the tinkling songs of Skylarks, but the air was strangely silent in that regard. At that point I made my way back home, with no views of the usual Red Kites I’d seen on recent visits.