Nineteen members braved the rain for the walk at Leap Valley and over to Moorend – they must have heard it was Graham’s 100th consecutive Tuesday walk. Despite the drizzle the walk started well with a noisy Great Spotted Woodpecker (two in total for the day), 31 Long-tailed Tits (in total), a Chiffchaff, three Goldcrests and three Wrens. There were plenty of other small birds around including twelve Starlings, three Blackbirds, a very bold Robin, seven Great Tits, lots of House Sparrows in the hedges and three Pied Wagtails. Wandering through Moorend, along the water there were two Dunnocks, three Moorhen and two Mallards. Someone had helpfully put out some bird feed in their garden which led to a tussle between pigeons; there were a few Great Tits also helping themselves. There were plenty of Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Magpies, Crows and Jackdaws along the way. We enjoyed seeing Roe Deer in the fields and using the scope we also spotted a Mistle Thrush in the distance. Just when we thought the rain had chased the birds away, Joyce led us to a wild field where we saw two Greenfinches, five Chaffinches, five Goldfinches and 20 Linnets. A lucky few also spotted a Grey Heron and a Little Egret. Overall, a very enjoyable walk, seeing 30 species in total – thank you Joyce and Kate for leading. (Caroline) Charley McKerr