The Meadow Hide – Saturday 15th January 

It’s a welcome return to normality here at the Meadow hide after a few fabulous days away on a mini break to an unseasonably warm and sunny Devon with my wife Anne, Graham and his wife Louise. I love travelling and exploring new places so staying in a castle on the coast was absolute heaven for me. Good food , great company  and we had the whole castle to our self’s complete with three acres of woodland to explore ! ( Kingswear castle , booked via the Landmark Trust ) 

Coming home from a holiday always used to leave me a little flat , especially since this was our first few days away since the start of the Covid pandemic, but not anymore. It’s lovely to have the hide so close and be able to escape here and immerse myself into nature . I certainly know I’m a very lucky chap .

Anyway enough of me , who else has been visiting the hide today. Star of the show has to be the humble Robin. Here once again in good numbers and trying to boss the feeders . Most of our Robins in the U.K. will only survive one winter with very few making it to two years old . I have moved a few of the feeding stations around and the Robins are straight in there , always the first to explore new things. 

Most of the regular visitor made an appearance with the Blue tits , Great tits , Long tailed tits , Dunnock and Chaffinch all here in good numbers. There was a first sighting for me here at the meadow , a Fieldfare. It was nearly impossible to photograph but a pleasure to watch feeding in the semi long grass behind the paddling pool. 

Also spotted , the Song thrush , Blackbird , Wood pigeon , Magpie , Great spotted woodpecker , Pheasant , Crow , Goldfinch and Wren. Not a bad tally for a bitterly cold January day. 

Gallery

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