Tuesday 02 November – Stanton Drew Leader Alan Craddock

Twenty-four of us set out from Stanton Drew heading for Pensford on a cool and bright morning. We stopped at the farm by the Church to pick out a mixture of a Wren, Robins and House Sparrows in amongst the shrubs and brambles. There was a mixture of gulls (including Common Gull) and corvids around the standing stones, with the long neck and head of a Grey Heron showing behind. A solitary Buzzard sat on a post and watched as the gulls took off to give us a flypast. Further down the fields, eight Redwings flew over and a couple of Linnets sat on some wires long enough for some discussion as to their identity. We headed towards the River Chew and a sharp-eyed member pointed out the first of the day’s three Green Woodpeckers. A Great Spotted Woodpecker put in an appearance during coffee at Bye Mills. Coming into Pensford for a quick look at the River Chew from the bridge, a Grey Wagtail made a brief appearance as it hopped across and behind the rooftops. The river was still quite high and running fast, murky after the weekend’s rain, so no sightings of Kingfisher or Dipper today. Back along the Stanton Road and another Green Woodpecker was showing very well at relatively close range. On the footpath to Upper Stanton Drew a party of Long-tailed Tits worked its way along a hedgerow. In the next field a Song Thrush made a very brief appearance before making a rapid exit over the hedge. A short walk through Upper Stanton Drew and back up the hill and two Pied Wagtails greeted us on our return to the farmyard. 41 species in total. (Thanks to Alan for leading.) Alan Craddock