Searching For Feathers

For forty seven of the last forty eight years I have´started the breeding season by filming Long Tailed Tits. This year was no exception and it is always a delight to be able to watch Long Tailed Tits at close quarters as they search out feathers for their nest. Great distances are covered as they gather up to two thousand in only a ten day period. They particularly like white feathers which mainly come from Wood Pigeons. So far during March I have only found half a dozen nests but looking back to 1986 I note that I had a record twenty six nests by the 31st – surely a record that is on the shelf forever! Click here
The warm weather, with southerly winds, of the last five days has brought an influx of Chiff-chaffs, with six singing in Hopwood woods on one morning. A quick visit to my Adder site on the 29th produced four male and two female Adders, enjoying the warm sunshine.