Wednesday 6th December 9.00 to 11.00 a.m. Part 1
It is a cold, grey morning at the start of our first winter bird transect survey on behalf of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
Even the steep walk up to the Jubilee Stone Wood gate is not enough to warm the hands and as we stand and listen the wood is dark and still. It takes a few moments before we finally hear soft, brief bird sounds. The contact call of a Blue Tit or a snatch of Robin song.
Suddenly we hear the loud call of the Jay – often described as screaming, to me it is more scratchy and crow like – but certainly abrasive. Then another appears – and the noise level increases. Jays often call when they are on the move and it may be these are just contact calls – however there also appears to be a bit of a dispute with some Jackdaws who are reluctant to shift from the Jay’s chosen perch. After a few minutes the Jackdaws fly reluctantly away and the Jays settle.
The wood returns to its quiet and sombre tone and we continue our walk up through the wood listening out for the occasional note of the Blue Tit, Great Tit and even Nuthatch as we go. Gradually I can pick up the squeaks and chit chats of approaching Long-tailed Tits. 
With their bouncing personalities, ability to hang any way up and constant chatter they cannot fail to make us smile as they dive in and around the small trees each side of us. They are foraging on the cold tree branches as they go and, as we walk, they join us for a while before peeling off as if to find more interesting entertainment or better food.
As we reach the new tree line we catch sight of thrush-like birds darting out of the trees in front of us and flying ahead. They are quick and silent and in this grey light initially difficult to identify. It is only their characteristic flight pattern, shyness and the occasional chack chack chack or an up and down song that confirms that these are Fieldfares and Redwings.
In good numbers all over North Somerset during the last 2 weeks we are not surprised to see them in these woods. They come for berries and both woods have had an excellent crop this year.
Fieldfares (left) and Redwings (right) often group together in flocks in the winter and can, at first glance, be difficult to tell apart. However the Redwing is the smaller of the two and notable for its shorter tail, spotted breast, rusty red underwings and bold white supercilium (eyebrow). 
Whereas Fieldfares are more Blackbird sized with a light grey head and back, a more patchy chest pattern and a longer tail. Both are rather shy birds and fly off into the trees quickly at the slightest sound.
We follow them up the path and through the woods to the Jubilee Stone, catching sight of Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws and Goldfinches as we follow the field line and then pass through to the gateway at the end and finish the first half of our survey.