The last few nights we have heard loud explosions – almost certainly fireworks at close proximity. Behind the house is a wood so I was puzzled how this could be. If the noises were coming from the houses beyond the noise would be carrying a long way.
My afternoon walk through the wood was made more enjoyable by the presence of Mrs. Ha, who donned her wettest-weather gear to plough through the mud. Yesterday our garden was under water and even the garage was starting to ship water. I understand the local river has broken its banks but we are safe enough here. We also met a gaggle (?) of dog walkers. Very pleasant company for a 15 minute chat. Not much to show in the way of birdlife but the woods always please me, especially when they open up a little.
These are iPhone shots BTW. And then, came my disappointment: 
Somebody is setting off fireworks in the wood. This comes hot on the heels of catching somebody mountain-biking through them a few days ago. Is nothing sacred? The woods are a small haven for wildlife. Deer live here as we well know. I have seen the odd fox and there are rabbits, owls and maybe a badger or two. How do they react at midnight when the fire crackers explode? Sometimes I despair of the mentality of my fellow beings.
After 4 days my garden bird list for 2016 is a meagre 17. Despite having Firecrest on the list I don’t have a Blue Tit, Coal Tit or Goldcrest. Maybe they can’t find snorkels to fit. No Song or Mistle Thrush either. Very odd. Of course they may have decided to pack their bags and go. To noisy. Find a quieter neighbourhood. I may just do the same thing.
All downhill from here 
Distressing. Around here there are lots of little lakes left over from the melting glaciers. For most of my life they were pleasant pools of life but nowadays they are ringed by beige mcmansions and strifed by waverunners and screaming speedboats. Fireworks are becoming an increasing nuisance here, as well.
That sounds awful. Normally we are fine and I hope this is just seasonal.
What a shame that the dummies have no respect for the refuge center nor for the wildlife there. The law is too lax.
Feel a bit miserable for you over the fireworks. We have a good, small, local zoo in Linton (we have just dropped off our Christmas tree for the lions to play with). Every year there is a gigantic firework display in the village, this is misery for the animals. Now that fireworks are part of new year festivities, it is worse.
I’m surprised local authorities are not stricter on such things. I would not wish to antagonize a lion, with or without a Christmas tree!
Some people are just so thoughtless. Is it legal to set off fireworks like this?
Legal if bought by someone over 18, I believe. That’s age not IQ
Ture!
It’s sad that lesser humans chose the woods to use fireworks. A fire could start even on a wet day. 😢 I think planting some poison ivy might do the trick 😉😉
Now there’s an idea 👹
I don’t even like things that go BUMP in the night, Andrew. BANG is off the charts for us ever since an arguing group of party goers shot out the windows of each other’s cars last year.
Nope, nothing is sacred space for deer and wildlife in the woods, or pets and children in their own back yards.
Such disrespect. It really is a sad situation and seems to be growing pretty much everywhere as personal pleasure and the unending need for thrills is getting out of hand. And then we have the folks over here who decided to take a bird refuge hostage in the hopes of freeing their fellow ranchers who think public lands are theirs for the taking. The state of the world…I really don’t see what is going to make things better-at least in our lifetimes.
I am sure your birds will soar in numbers given time…and quiet.
Sorry to hear that and hope the nuisances stop soon. People were letting off fireworks frequently over the NYE weekend around the pond and square near our place, and often we wondered if it were fireworks or gunshots that we were heard.
Leave it to people to disrupt
The natural order of things
Sadly, yes Sheldon.
There were 5 explosions here too. They were at 9.48pm on New Years Eve, but looking out from our up-stairs window I did not detect any fire-works lightening the sky. Even so, I suspect there was some kind of celebration going on somewhere. I even heard some laughter but I closed the window quickly. One just never knows. It was really upsetting our Milo.
That’s a shame but hopefully it’s just temporary..for the New Year. There were some fireworks nearby on NYE and then we heard some a few nights later, probably just people firing off the excess.
I don’t mind the fireworks Marissa but I don’t think it’s right to let them off in the wood. I do hope it stops soon
I don’t really like them much at all, unless they are really beautiful and in a very controlled environment. Certainly not in the middle of a wood.
The kids will be back at school soon so that should help on the rocket front. As for the birds, Im afraid I cannot help.
Could it be a “pack of dog walkers”, maybe a “bark” or even a “pooch” You could start a competition here Andrew. As for the pyromaniacs I’m sure they will run out of money and enthusiasm soon enough.
Do you think that the mild weather and probable still plentiful food in the woods are why you’ve not seen so many birds as you would like?
Keep on mud sliding!
Could be Paul but until recently all were regular visitors. I think they are just drying out. I hope the pyromaniacs do stop soon. There must be better placed to fire a rocket than in a wood!
Such a sad sight 😦