November 2012

November’s cooling shortening days bring naked trees which exposes the evergreen holly with its stunning red berries and English racing green leaves.  Ivy is also apparent like Christmas decorations in the brown and grey deciduous timber.  First frosts have happened, and the non-hardy plants are done for the year.  However, the birds are looking at their best, because they have moulted and grown their winter plumage.  With the leaves coming off the trees there is no better time to go bird-watching, and any food you put out in the garden will attract beautiful, willing visitors.  Do not worry if you have cats around, as it is better to feed the birds than not, as there will be more pairs of beady eyes looking out for predators and if one is spotted, the bird will give an instant warning call which will confound the cat.

I spotted two ravens this morning at Falmer where I work, this is a rare sight in Sussex.  Ravens used to be common, but were persecuted to extinction in previous centuries.  Now they are protected, and are coming back to Sussex.  They are the biggest passerine or perching song bird.  Many bird books record them as larger than a buzzard.  Ravens are highly intelligent shy birds that tend to nest on remote cliffs away from people.  Their ‘kronk kronk’ call/song is evocative of mountains and truly wild places.  They generally feed on dead animals, and apparently pair for life which can be more than 20 years.

The berry crop is good again this year, some say that it is a harbinger of cold weather to come.  I am not sure about that, but it will bring in the migrant winter visiting birds such as redwings, fieldfares, blackbirds and song thrushes.  Yes many of our winter song thrushes and blackbirds are just visitors from a frozen Scandinavia.  Because Britain is bathed in warm winds and sea water, it is warm for its latitude.  On a par with Moscow and Saskatoon we should be getting winter temperatures of minus 25° Celsius.  However, we do not, and the birds know that, and flock to our shores in their thousands from the frozen lands of the north and east.  Many waders winter on the mud-flats of the Thames estuary which abounds in worms, seaweeds and shellfish.  Many politicians do not seem to realise this when they support the building of an airport there.  A bird in a plane engine will die and cause the plane to crash.  How will politicians keep the birds away?