(According to Susie Dent, in Old English this month was known as 'Solomona∂' or 'Mud-month'. It seemed too good a phrase not to use.) The weather made working on Liddells difficult this month, however after a frustrating time with the trail camera not working properly, February has seen it back functioning as it should, so there follows plenty of footage to show all the activity that goes on when John and Clare turn their backs. The footage also reveals the gradual accumulation of snow and tracks.
1st February
The trail camera has picked up a female blackbird in the Pit Wood. They are usually not as much in evidence as the males. John and Clare have learned from Keith that any larger male blackbirds with black beaks might be from Scandinavia, while smaller ones with black beaks will be young birds. Apparently for native blackbirds, the more orange the beak, the more desirable the male is to the female. The male pheasant in pursuit of the female is puffing himself up to appear more desirable. The female remains unimpressed. A male then seems to be offering himself up for a festive image.
4th February
John and Clare saw three deer on the Crag today. Clare checked her bees and again saw activity in two of the hives while the third is keeping its status well guarded.
6th February
Clare saw a hare on the north edge of the Pit Wood, two deer jumping out from near the bees and running up into the Scrub, and a Tree Creeper in a Hawthorn near the hide. Recent snow and rain has meant the old spring site is still in full spate and joining the run-off water from the current spring.
7th February
The trail camera has captured another first for Liddells - two foxes. Foxes mate in winter so this may be a pair.
11-14th February
The snow has its attractions. Tim walked over Liddells with his camera, John took his camera up too and Clare topped up the feeders. Keith visited to look at tracks. During his visit Keith heard a Woodpecker drumming and a Marsh Tit singing. Admittedly not a huge range of notes but lovely to hear. The footage of the bounding doe above demonstrates what different tracks this action makes - sets of four prints, each set about 6 to 8 feet apart.
When icicles hang by the hut… Tim pointed out that the icicles are directly in line with the furrows in the roofing sheets
Not a carefully dug path but the result of snow drifting
Large pond from the south
The Wetland and Crag looking east
Scots Pine with snow decoration
Brown hare print
Brown hare tracks
Fox print with size indicator
Fox tracks - Keith says they are much more direct than those of a dog, which would wander all over the place
Roe deer print
Roe deer tracks
John’s image of deer tracks across the Top Grazing
Blackbird
Pheasant
Wood pigeon
Resting Wood pigeon (‘probably’ Keith added)
Rabbit prints and size guide - a shorter span that that of a hare
Yak
Meadow and path west
Wetland showing desire paths - unofficial shortcuts which become worn into the land (the term was coined in relation to planned city parks to illustrate how architects of these spaces sometimes fail to anticipate the needs and desires of the users. Here the desire paths show animals’ habitual routes
15th-25th February
Still no work possible on Liddells, so the trail camera is coming in to its own recording other activities. There is much pairing going on and evidence of territory marking. The badger appears most nights nearly always going in the same direction and has more than once appeared twice on the same night going in the same direction, which begs the questions - is it one badger or two and, if it is one badger, why does it come back round again?! The fox, too, seems to prefer the same directional route and pees/marks the same tree most times.
John notes that the footage of the buck shows that it will have a very fine set of antlers this year. It is almost certainly the same buck caught on camera last year, when it had noticeably irregular antlers.
Clare’s annual hopes that she might see hares boxing on Liddells are raised.
Clare heard her first singing Thrush this year on 22nd. It was a sunny day and she noticed a couple of bees flying in and out of Hive 1, the hive where the bees hadn’t touched the fondant and so where Clare was a bit concerned about their survival.
26th February
Clare and John risked the rootling badger’s appetite for bulbs and transplanted Snowdrops in the north side of the Pit Wood. John had s few camera moments.
The waxing February Snow moon
The last of the snow in a shaded north-facing hollow in the Quarry
Bluebells emerging
Long-tailed tit
Great tit affronted by Pheasant table manners
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Yes, it’s twin prop
27th February
John took delivery of a flail mower, which will cut the time spent on strimming.
Hal, Beth and Juno visited Liddells. Juno sowed wildflower seeds she had been given for her birthday. She chose to sow them round the hide. She then made potions from things she had collected - moss, lichen, bark, feathers, leaves, pine seeds, etc. - all stirred up in pond water with magic powder (ground turmeric and beetroot). While Clare was collecting pond water she heard a male frog’s mating call and saw a sudden flurry of activity in the water. She’ll be looking out for frogspawn soon. Juno ended her visit with a ride on ‘Grandpa’s toy’!
There were lots of bees flying in and out of all three hives. They will most probably be foraging on Snowdrops, Gorse, Hazel and Alder catkins on Liddells and any flowering bulbs in nearby gardens.
As Clare walked home, she heard her first Curlew song of the year, about a mile away from Liddells. Jane W who lives near Liddells, had heard a Curlew the day before in the fields close to Liddells.
Mower awaiting grass to cut and demonstrating its dominance over the strimmer