Tuesday 12 December – Pucklechurch Leader: Duncan Gill

After the coldest night of the year, 22 well-wrapped members met for the pre-Christmas Lunch walk on a crisp, sunny morning. The Rose and Crown car park proved productive with eleven species sighted before we set off (but after ten o’clock!). These first sightings included flocks of both Redwings and Fieldfares. After crossing the road and climbing the first stile we saw two foxes. We then went along a lane adding to our list with Wren and Blackbird and Collared Dove, Starlings, whose plumage was showing well in the bright sunlight, and then Redwing close enough for everyone to see in detail. Redwing were spotted on various occasions during the walk, 15 plus the largest flock noted. Coffee was taken near the garden centre where distracted by a horse and two ponies meant that most missed a flock of Golden Plovers and another of Lapwings. However, good views of about 40 Golden Plovers were seen in the next field as they wheeled around and eventually landed. Yet another flock, seen by some, were Linnets, again about 40, on the electric wire at the end of the walk. The morning’s total was 29 species. We were back at the pub by midday to join other Xmas lunchers, who hadn’t walked, and we all enjoyed an excellent meal with lots of laughs. Many thanks to Peter Holbrook for arranging it, and then re-arranging it after the original choice of pub closed, and to Duncan Gill for leading the walk and Mark Watson for organising all our Tuesday walks. Nancy Barrett