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1. Jews Ear fungus
Crow


8th January
Overcast, but mild today. In the park I have seen several families of Crows,
abundant Robins (at least 25), and 5 pairs of Blue tits. The Wood pidgeons have
begun calling to each other, in the build up to Spring. Alexander plants are growing
again prolifically on the banks. I heard and saw a lot of Great tits today, that
familiar type pumping repeated call. I noticed over the winter the Great tits have
quite a repertoire of different calls, but nearer the Spring they begin the 'tea-char,
tea-char' calls to each other. The blackbirds are tossing fallen leaves about with their
beaks in search of worms and beatles. In the meadow are families af chattering
magpies and a flock of twittering Goldfinches in the trees at the edge. I heard
a pair of Song thrushes calling with their varied repeated and very loud calls
unmistakeable as they sing far up in the tall trees. Several families of Grey squirrels
are foraging for nuts and seeds amongst the trees on the ground. So much bird song
today as the weather is mild and Spring-like. Dunnocks hopping around in
undergrowth near the peanut feeder in the Dell. Bright green heart-shaped leaves of
Butterbur which is beginning to flower now, the pale pink flowers looking like sweets
covered in dessicated coconut, as do the similar flowers of Winter Heliotrope. A cut
down and sectional trunk of a dead Fan palm was covered in 'fur' the same
orange/brown as that of an orangutan. The stream pouring under Trip-Trap bridge
in the Dell was bubbling gently, flowing into the top pond. In the woods of Rowdens
edge path I found Jews Ear fungus, like brown monks hoods, on a cut trunk of
laural. It is an edible fungus, best used in soups and stews. Found all year round,
mostly on the living or dead wood of Elder and other trees.
15th January
The wind had died down after yesterday's mad gale force winds from storm
Brendan. In the park abundant Robins, and a lot of pairs of Blue tits. I also
heard Dunnocks singing their Spring songs again, or calling with one short note
followed by two short notes together. Their song is so sweet and cheerful, evolving the
promise of Spring.
A commotion in a tall Sycamore at the edge of the park, by the boundary of
Cliffden's grounds, showed 10 Magpies attempting to remove a pair of very
stubborn crows from the tree. Obviously a territorial dispute, but the crows ignored
the noisy magpies, which eventually dispersed in ones and twos. I was happy to spot
a pair of Bullfinches in trees by Overdell Path. Near the peanut feeder above pond
no.3 , I saw a pair of Robins, a family of Great tits, and a group of 6 Dunnocks. I
heard the snorring whistles of a Bullfinch and the little stuttering calls of Long-
tailed tits. I also heard the 'shwee' call of a male Greenfinch. The daffodils all along
the edge of the neat garden of Rowdens House are actually in flower, their sunny
bonnets nodding in the breeze. These are always first to flower as they are planted
next to the sunny wall which keeps the bulbs nice and warm.
27th January
I took part in the RSPB Garden Birdwatch today. I did mine in the park as I
have only a little garden, and with two cats next door, I don't get birds in it often.
I went to the park quite late at around 4pm. Teignmouth had a sudden hail storm
earlier and there were piled up areas of hailstones in the park. I was glad for dry
weather and saw so many birds, which made me think 4pm is the best time of day
for bird watching in the winter apart from early in the morning. I saw so many
Blackbirds. They were everywhere, in pairs, alone, or in groups competing for the
loudest 'pinking' calls (these were all males) . In all I counted 27 throughout the
park. So many Robins too. I counted 25 of these. Other birds seen or heard were
Wood pidgeons, Magpies, Crows, a family of Jays, a male Pheasaant, Great tits, a
lot of Blue tits, a couple of pairs of Coal tits, a couple of pairs of Long Tailed tits.
I saw two Bullfinches together, and then a male in his finery; black hood, sunset
reddish pink underside, grey back, black wing tips and tail, bright white patch under
the tail. A very handsome fellow.
At the top of the park, near the top meadow I saw a Great Spotted woodpecker
flying over head towards the top of a tree. He made a 'chip' noise as he flew. I got a
look at him in the tree through my binoculars. Then he was joined by a female and
their juvenile youngster that hatched last summer. Great to see all three of them.
I heard a raucous family of Jays in the woods, but couldn't see them. At the very top
of the park, as the light was beginning to fade I saw a group of noisy male
Blackbirds, some chasing others away, or using sound to dominate. Amongst all the
Blackbirds other birds had arrived to listen to their chorus; a pair of Chaffinches
(seen rarily in the park), a pair of Long Tailed tits, and a Blue tit. Going down the
edge of the park by a hedgerow, I heard the sharp 'tack'of a male Blackcap and I
watched a Song thrush as it sang it's clear, loud phrases of repeated notes. A Wren
rattled in the undergrowth. Dunnocks sang their pretty warbling song as dusk
approached. The last birds to be heard are always the Robin and the Blackbird,
just as they are often the first.
Catherine Locke
attribution Jerzy Strzelecki / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)