• A total of 1008 birds were seen, only slightly down on 2022.
• The greatest number reported once again were Goldfinch with 159 (15.8%).
• Followed by House sparrow with 126 (12.5%) and then Blackbird with 109 (10.9%).
• Interestingly, 93% reported seeing a blackbird and 77% mentioned a robin, perhaps two of our most common and much loved garden birds.
• Greenfinch numbers sadly seem to suggest that we may be following the national trend with numbers down from 33 last year to just 18 reported this year.

• Lovely reports received of nesting successes for dunnocks, robins and blackbirds reported by Roberta, Lauraine & Tony, Annie, Laura, Andrea & Mark and by Bill.
• Noisy chimney nesting jackdaws with three fledged young (Laura).
• Nest box successes for house sparrows; and successes and loses for a pair of great tits where 4 youngsters eventually fledged out of 8 hatched eggs; and blue tit parents raised two chicks from the 4 eggs that were laid. Uneven feeding by parents and lack of caterpillars, whose liquid content is absolutely essential to chicks, can often be the cause of such loss. Thanks to Penny & Peter, Sandy and to Tom for their reporting.
• Village starlings seem to have done okay too with gangs of naive and noisy fledglings seen hoovering up fat balls. (Mark and also Ella)
• Late returning swallows have been quick to repair last year's nests and raise their young with some already on their second brood. Although in one case a swallow's first nesting attempt was predated and the young it would seem lost. (Flic and Adine)
• Elsewhere, Lauraine & Tony and also Mike have all spotted a Muntjac within the village; Ann has seen cavorting hares in the parish; Helen has shared seeing a migrant painted lady butterfly; Sue, Heather and others have enjoyed seeing great spotted woodpeckers on feeders; views of a stunning male bull finch recorded by Gi; but all balanced sadly by Glennys' newly fledged beautiful long tailed tit fatality. But, as we know, such sad loses are all part of nature.

STOP PRESS - But at last, a cuckoo heard from the village.
If you would like to report local sightings to Nature Box please email Bob Topp at bob.topp@btinternet.com

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Willersey Birds 2020
What follows is a record of the birds seen in and close to the village: a snapshot recorded over the past three years between 2018-2020. Well over 40 contributors across the village via emails, phone calls and casual conversations have helped capture this picture. So, some low level citizen science in action.

Whilst we are right to be concerned about once familiar losses to the immediate area of such birds as the cuckoo, lapwing, turtle dove and spotted flycatcher, and declining birds numbers and wildlife generally, there is good new too, with a wide range of Willersey bird sightings reported, and in increasing numbers in some cases to help balance the losses. Rough accidental habitat on the village edge is helping support numbers; but the role of gardens in providing good habitat and bird food is a significant factor too.

Many of the birds listed below are often to be seen throughout the year, whilst some are less commonly seen but part of the rich mix across the year, and others of course are seasonal visiting migrants.

Garden and farmland birds

Robin, blackbird, house sparrow, dunnock, wren, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, coal tit, marsh tit, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch, bull finch, goldcrest, tree creeper, nuthatch, song thrush, mistle thrush, starling, wood pigeon, collared dove, stock dove, feral pigeon, carrion crow, rook, jackdaw, raven, magpie, jay, green woodpecker, greater spotted woodpecker, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, wood cock, linnet, siskin, skylark, yellow hammer, mallard, mandarin duck, coot, moorhen, Canada goose, ring necked parakeet, lapwing, heron, kingfisher, greater black backed gull, herring gull,
cormorant, pheasant and partridge.

Raptors

Kestrel, buzzard, sparrow hawk, red kite, peregrine falcon, tawny owl, barn owl and little owl.

Migrant birds

Swallow, swift, house martin - all nesting in the village, blackcap, chiffchaff, white throat, wheatear, redwing and fieldfare.

No doubt there have been other unrecorded birds, but all of the above have been reliably reported making an impressive total of 67 species.

Bob Topp      bob.topp at btinternet.com