Thursday, 16 January 2014

Otter Feast

Am I imagining things or does the river in flood make less noise than when at its normal level? That is certainly the impression I had this morning whilst walking beside the River Wye at Symonds Yat.
What I found on the bank, where the water had receded a little from the flooding, was  a pile of freshwater mussels. Some had been crushed and their contents consumed, and around them were prints which I hope were made by an otter.
At Wyewood Cottage, a huge number of birds come down to the feeders. These currently include great tits, blue tits, coal tits, chaffinches, siskins, and goldfinches. In addition blackbirds, robins, hedge accentors and thrushes, feed on the ground. This morning, with these birds I counted seven pheasants: three cocks and four hens. Given that there is no shoot nearby, I am not sure where these come from, but they certainly benefit from the food put out for them.

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