Having safely received my written permissions for trapping from Natural England and the landowners for Pilmoor, I decided to have a walk round the SSSI and old railway track. A cold crisp morning, still below freezing, which felt worse once the mist lifted to hide the sun, and with up to three inches of snow blanketing the heath.
The best bird was a Red Kite flying over on motionless wings, while a flash of orange showed an amorous male Goldcrest trying to impress a female while circling her on a silver birch trunk. Plenty of Long-tailed Tits, none with white heads, despite looking....dozens of Siskins feeding on the birch buds, and the odd Reed Bunting acting sentinel on the tops of trees.
The most impressive sight of the morning, was the number of Seven-spot Ladybirds huddling on the dried-out umbellifers and on a tall thistle; at least 40 were counted.
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| Seven-spot Ladybird |
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