Tuesday 01 April – Arlingham Leader: Alastair Fraser

Arlingham is a small peninsula jutting out into the Severn. It was a pleasant, flat walk with only a modest rise onto the flood barrier. Around the village is mixed farming with some woodland, hedgerow, drainage ditches and the river. Hinckley Point Power Station proposed to convert the area to wetland (much to the horror of the local inhabitants) to compensate for sea life killed by the cooling water intake. There is an absence of formerly common farmland birds but passage migrants were possible, particularly along the riverside. As we started our walk, following a drainage ditch, we encountered Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch. We disturbed a pair of Mallards (three times) and a Moorhen. A large flock of Rooks foraged in an adjacent field. Raptors were hard to find with Buzzard our only species. A close fly-over of a Common Gull afforded a good view of the white, wing tip ‘mirrors’. Several Linnets, Skylarks and a Reed Bunting were the best of the rest. Thirty five species in total, twenty three club members and a lovely sunny day. (Thanks to Alastair for leading). Alastair Fraser