Beckett Park woodland stroll

At lunchtime I took a circuitous stroll through Beckett Park woodland past the Victorian Monument to follow the track left and down through the wood. The shaded area was chilly, silent & still. The path curved round and the woodland brightened & became marginally warmer & the woodland floor began to peep through the snow and ice. Here appeared a veritable cornucopia of birdy delights... Seven Long Tail Tits danced around on overhead branches and they were accompanied by two Nuthatch scratching away at tree trunks. A noisy Jay perched high above & I spotted two more nearby. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into view, metres away from where we'd seen it a few weeks ago, its bold markings standing out in the sunlight. Suddenly a couple of metres ahead of me 6 Redwing flew through the wood in succession, their red flanks & underwings clearly visible. In turn they scattered a handful of Blackbirds feeding in the thawing undergrowth. A few steps ahead Blue Tits, Robin & Wrens were all making the most of newly bare earth. One of those occasions where I wish I'd taken my camera...