Richard Eley out running by Golden Grove wood saw two Buzzards in an area where he seen them in previous years and also a Red Kite.  He has not seen the latter recently and I have not heard of any recent reports.  He has had many sightings of Stoats this year and comments that it has been a good year for Fieldfares and Redwings.  This agrees with my impressions that though they were later in arriving, in numbers, when they did arrive Redwings were very evident.  We had over 20 on one occasion on the lawn hunting for insect larvae like a Blackbird or Starling.

Andy Goodey found a dead Barn Owl in the field south of Dunmow Road and west of Gatewoods Lane.  This could be the owl that my wife Sylvia saw in our farmyard.  I immediately looked under our owl box and there were owl pellets and I could also hear an owl in the box.  I'm unwilling to look in the box to see if it is a Barn Owl and not a Tawny as I do not wish to disturb it.  It is the first Barn Owl Andy has recorded since moving to Rayne 10 years ago.  Andy had his first Frog spawn in the garden pond during the last days of February and even more surprising a pair of Collared Doves hatched two young in their nest on the frame of a Sky TV dish.  Andy also saw a flock of approximately 700 Golden Plover on land adjacent to Shalford Road.  I have not seen flocks of this size for some 30 to 40 years.  Andy also reported a group of itinerant hare coursers walking the same area with their dogs.
Keith Rawlings, followed by many others saw the dead badger in the field to the east of Gatewoods Lane.  This was a very heavy, pregnant female that had not lactated in the past.  She was in excellent condition with no obvious physical injury.  It is possible that her death was related to her advanced pregnancy.
Jim Gepp, reported seeing two Little Egrets along Pods Brook.  They have returned to this Parish for many winters now, I wonder how long it will be before I report that they have nested.

In our own garden we have a pair of Goldcrests foraging in our Larch tree and hopefully they will successfully nest as in past years.  As I write this I have watched a Coal Tit taking insects from the eaves over the office window with its mate in attendance.  The Mallard duck has disappeared obviously to sit on its nest while the drake, its duties finished and no more responsibilities till next year, lounges about on the bank.  The Blue tits have decided who is having which knot hole in the wooden cladding of certain farm buildings for their nest site.

The Badgers have started digging holes in the garden in earnest and especially in any mulch that may be hiding earthworms or other possible food.  Fallow and Muntjac deer have left slot marks across the garden and on one occasion several fallow strolled only meters from the door.  Though the garden has a 6ft fence on three sides the Fallow leave by jumping over the fence and the Muntjac go under it.

The winds have blown the plastic cloches off the early pea and broad bean sowings exposing a series of holes down the row where the Short Tailed Voles have dug up the seed.  It is at times such as this that one finds it difficult to be a lover of wildlife.