Mark Ash Wood - 9th Feb 08

Perfect cold, clear morning today & not even a breeze. Shame I only had a couple of hours to walk round.
At last its getting noticably lighter in the mornings too, as I parked up in the half-light at 7.10am.
With Robins & Song Thrushes singing all around me, I tried to take a pic of the sky lightening up in the east through the trees, but it was a bit too dark for the camera so they didn't come out very well.
As I walked through Mark Ash Song Thrushes & Robins were singing as was a Treecreeper, Blue Tits & Great Tits.
I went through the gate in to North Oakley Inclosure. A couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers started to drum, one back at the fence-line of the Inclosure & one further in. Goldcrests were singing in the tall Douglas Firs & as I walked round the Inclosure I saw & heard Coal Tits, Dunnock, Siskins (with one singing), Green Woodpecker, Greenfinches, Chaffinches & Crossbills.
Just as I came out of another gate, back into Mark Ash I heard the 'ticking' of a Hawfinch high in a big Beech tree. He then broke into song which consists of more 'ticking' & a few pipes & whistles.
Walking through Mark Ash & back to the car there were more of the same birds with Nuthatches, Stock Dove & Redwing & another Fallow doe.

On the way back I took a couple pics of Mark Ash Wood with the morning sun.