Our group of 13 birders set out from the car park at Tortworth under skies that seemed less than promising. It was the first time since 2004 that we’d taken this route! Although the weather was milder than usual, heavy clouds threatened rain; fortunately, we only experienced a brief light shower. Despite the conditions, our efforts were rewarded with an impressive list of birds. Winter thrushes were abundant, with multiple flocks of Fieldfares estimated to number over a hundred. Their distinctive “chacker chack chack” calls rang out clearly. Redwings were also present in large numbers, seen hopping among the trees and flying between them. We spotted several Stock Doves in flight—noticeably more direct than Woodpigeon, lacking white markings and sporting dark fringes on their wings. Following our refreshment break along the Little Avon river, we observed a remarkable flock of around 30 Siskins feeding high in an Alder tree by the riverbank. Even more exciting, they were joined by another group of about ten, making it easily the largest gathering of Siskin I have ever witnessed. Birds of prey were scarce, with just a single Buzzard sighted, but our total species count reached 32 – surpassing most expectations at the start. Thank you to Alan for tracking the bird count and to Graham for leading our walk. Graham Bennett