In recent years, the only real taste of winter has consistently occurred around the New Year period. Thus far the 2003-2004 winter has followed the pattern; a severe freeze which commenced on December 29 continued unabated through to 3 January, with most of the ponds on the park being frozen solid. The exception was the eastern site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and a part of pond A north, where the resident wildfowl maintained an area of open water throughout.
Mild Atlantic air arrived on 3-4 January accompanied by freshening winds that quickly broke up the ice cover. The next two weeks of the month were a mix of sunshine and showers with some spells of heavy overnight rain. This helped to raise the levels of most of the ponds, though even by mid month most were still well below their usual mid-winter depths. Heavy rain in the third week though quickly restored most ponds to their typical winter depths. A short cold snap at the end of the month brought a decent covering of snow between 28-30 January, before milder air with yet more rain ended the month.
On a pleasant afternoon, 13 January produced the first records of the year for what has become a regular breeding bird on the park: the Stock Dove. After an absence during the winter, when they join into large flocks and feed on stubble fields on farmland, the first six birds were noted around the nest boxes. They were displaying and falling out in their attempts to occupy the best nesting box for the coming season. The first birds returned to the park on 8 January in 2002, so this early January appearance is typical although seemingly rather early with spring so far away. If bad weather with prolonged frosts or snow cover returns the birds will move away again to feed in arable areas.
The Stock Dove is an attractive bird with its subtle shades of grey plumage set off by an iridescent coloured patch on the side of the neck. Being a hole-nesting species, they typically breed in old trees or derelict buildings. However, in the past, particularly when rabbit warrens were more plentiful, they were also known to nest widely underground in disused burrows. As the supply of old timber has declined they have taken to nesting in any suitable building. On the park they quickly adopted the nest boxes erected for owls and Kestrels. Typically six to eight pairs attempt to nest each year and, as they can have two broods, a good number of young can be reared in a successful year. Even in nest boxes though they can suffer losses of eggs and young from predators, especially Grey Squirrels. Squabbles over nest boxes can involve three to four different pairs, but when Barn Owls or Kestrels adopt a box the resident doves are quickly ejected!
The familiar hueet call of a Chiffchaff echoed from the sallows at the southern end of the Middle Lagoon on 13 January, marking the end of a ten week absence from the park. Principally a summer visitor, most Chiffchaffs arrive in Britain during March and April and, after nesting, depart our shores in September and October for wintering areas around the Mediterranean. A few have always wintered in the warmer southern half of Britain, but this behaviour has become more common as far north as the Humber during the last twenty years. Even so, they are a very scarce bird during the December – February period, often favouring sites such as sewage works where there is an adequate supply of insect life to get them through the winter. In periods of severe weather, many no doubt succumb to the cold but in mild winters they can survive adequately. They may then be the first to sing and claim the best breeding territory in the coming spring. Unlike the Siberian bird, which created such interest in early 2001, this bird was a typical western individual.
Persistent and often heavy rain in the third week of the month quickly restored the water level in most of the ponds, assisted by some pumping into the Middle Lagoon. The effect of regenerating the shallow muddy southern end of the lagoon was immediate, with all of the Teal flock and good numbers of Mallard, Gadwall and Shoveler all moving in to exploit the newly available food resources. Teal numbers reached 65 on 29 January, but otherwise waterfowl numbers were unremarkable. However, 14 Ruddy Duck, present by 20 January, was an unusual taste of spring. A Woodock was flushed from the bracken-covered Middle Lagoon copse mid-month, but waders were otherwise in short supply with just a few Redshank and occasional visits from small numbers of Lapwing being typical.
The feeding stations held good numbers of birds, with the most interesting being the continued presence of at least eight Tree Sparrows. A Coal Tit was fairly frequent in the southern park and Long-tailed Tits again started to feed on the peanut feeder by Pasture Road. On the northern park the small wintering flock of Linnets increased to 15 birds by 24 January. The spell of snow cover brought in some wintering thrushes, with about ten Redwing foraging on the ivy covered ground in the south-west woodland. Seven Fieldfare, a Mistle Thrush and two Song Thrushes squabbled over the remaining guelder rose berries. A Mealy Redpoll and a Lesser Redpoll joined the charm of Goldfinches on the alders, but there were no Siskins in what has, thus far, been a poor winter for this charismatic species.