14 walkers met at Morgan’s Hill in Nailsea. There were two heavy showers during the morning but we escaped getting really wet and when the sun broke through it felt mild. We even found a few snowdrops in flower. A circuit of the lake gave us good views of two male and a female Goosander, Tufted Ducks and a female…
Month: January 2014
Saturday and Sunday 25/26 January – Poole and Wareham Forest
The ground might have been water-logged but the air was dry on Saturday morning when we met at Sherford Bridge to begin our walk through the varied habitat of Wareham Forest. We saw a Moorhen walking the river bank and Song and Mistle Thrushes were singing. As we progressed we saw a Goldcrest, a pair of Ravens, a Carrion Crow,…
Tuesday 21 January – Meare Heath and Ham Wall
19 members met in the Natural England car park on an overcast and breezy afternoon. We first walked down to the viewing platforms overlooking the Ham Wall reedbeds. A couple of members were really lucky on the way down to have a brief glimpse of an otter swimming in the adjacent South Drain; a rare sighting during daylight. The open…
Saturday 18 January – Eastville Park
Eight BOC members turned out on a grey day; the rain held off until 1pm and we had sunshine for part of the walk. From the car park we followed the path round the playing field, then went on the Frome River Walkway, passing the lake and along the river path and the Jewish Cemetery before returning to the car…
Tuesday 14 January – Badminton
A sparkling sunny, frosty morning attracted 19 members. The walk, led by Peter Holbrook, began with a flurry of activity with feeders in a garden and the woodland on the edge of the village producing Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Robin, House Sparrow, Mistle Thrush and Buzzard to name just a few. As we continued along the fringe…
Sunday 12 January – River Exe and Dawlish Warren
Leaving Bristol on a bright but cold Sunday morning 37 members were looking forward to a day’s birding on the Exe and at Dawlish Warren. Our first stop was at Exminster Marshes where the extensive flooding precluded a planned walk to Powderham Church; it was, however, a bonus for the wildfowl. From the bridge and road, good numbers of Wigeon…
Tuesday 07 January – Pensford
Eight of us started walking from the Pub car park, first seeing Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Pied Wagtail and Robin. As we passed over the fast flowing River Chew there was nothing in sight, in fact when we walked along it from Woollard to Publow it was the same. Up over the fields out of Pensford there was a…
Wednesday 01 January – Slimbridge
As the rain poured down on my arrival I wondered whether there would be anyone else there. I shouldn’t have doubted. BOC members are made of tough stuff! Nine appeared, well kitted out for the weather and we were soon in the shelter of the hides. The Tack Piece and Dumbles were full of water and birds. As usual, it…