There were 18 participants on this birding walk led by David Body, who took us on a walk devised by, and last walked with, Stan Willmott in July 2010. Soon after leaving the Griffin pub we had Pied Wagtail, Buzzard, Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Dunnock and Wood Pigeon on the list. It was an excellent and sunny weather morning, clouding over…
Month: October 2013
Sunday 27 October – Clevedon Yeo
Despite the less than promising forecast 16 members joined me for a walk from Wains Hill down to the Yeo. The very strong wind was a constant reminder that a storm was heading our way the next day and it made birding difficult. Clevedon Pill was quiet with just a small group of Redshank and Lapwing of note, a Grey…
Tuesday 22 October – Severn Beach
Despite the weather forecast 22 members walked along the seawall from Severn Beach to New Passage in time for the high tide roost. Conditions were not pleasant, being very windy with driving rain at times . The only birds of note were three Shelducks flying south. When we reached New Passage the weather improved and we were rewarded with good…
15 – 18 October 2013 – Brandenburg, Germany.
We found ourselves in a spirit-level landscape of vast horizons, towering cloudscapes and pastel colours, where the acres of tilled fields are lined by hedgerows or punctuated by picturesque clumps of trees, like something out of a painting by a Dutch or German Old Master. To put it in English terms, imagine the Levels or Holkham Freshmarsh, but on a…
Tuesday 15 October – Swinford
A windless and reasonably warm morning with a clear blue sky saw 21 birders assemble at the Swan Inn. After a slight delay, while lunch orders were taken, we set off with a spring in our steps and were soon walking dew-fresh paths to one of the many viewpoints in the area, noting Jackdaws, Crows, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Raven, Song…
Tuesday 08 October – Barrow Gurney
20 people set off, but before even leaving the car park we had already seen Pied Wagtail and a flock of Starlings, some flying through and others sitting on a telephone wire along with a Mistle Thrush enabling us to see the difference in size. As we walked up Hobbs Lane, we pushed a Kestrel from telephone post to post,…
Sunday 06 October – Portland and Lodmoor
About a dozen members met at Ferrybridge on the causeway to Portland on a lovely, sunny day. The Fleet at Portland was a bit quiet but notable sightings were 15 Mediterranean Gulls, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Brent Geese with Wheatear, Kestrel and Swallow on the shingle bank. We then went to Wyke Regis where Jane had heard of some rarities…
Tuesday 01 October – Hillesley
Instead of one of those “misty, moisty” autumn mornings with shafts of sunlight catching the seasonal colours, 21 members turned out on a wall-to-wall grey morning. However, before we set out our leader told us “This is a lovely walk” – and it was, through a varied habitat of lanes, open hillsides, deep tracks with overhanging trees, which were surely…