Our morning started cold and damp, but with hope of improvement we set off along the brook into the park. Our first bird was a Blackcap moving through the bushes. As we approached the lake a Willow Warbler gave good views singing on the end of a branch. Through the park and on to the common we had more Blackcaps…
Author: BOC
Trip report: Castle Combe (10th April 2012)
The threat of April showers did not deter the 19 members who set out from the car park in Castle Combe. Ravens were circling overhead and birds were in full song in the bushes and ancient hedgerows. Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler were joined by Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. The most prolific bird of the day was the Nuthatch…
Trip report: Easton-in-Gordano (3rd April 2012)
26 members arrived at the car park, two off the bus, and we set off across the road and over some fields on a bit of local footpath actually not known to all! Dunnock and Greenfinch were singing to start with and we soon added other common species, but there was some uncertainly about a Sparrowhawk/Kestrel before it started hovering.…
Trip report: Sand Point (31st March 2012)
Eight members met in the car park and were immediately listening to Chiffchaffs seemingly singing from every direction. As we walked up on to the Point a Blackcap sang from a hidden perch close to the path, its sweet song filling the air. Overhead passage was quiet with only a few Meadow Pipits moving. At the end of the Point…
Trip report: Hambrook (27th March 2012)
A magnificent weather day brought out 41 walkers – quite a crowd – to the White Horse car park. The walk was firstly beside the motorway where, thankfully, traffic noise was reduced by the easterly breeze. By the time we had reached Quarry Barton and Bradley Brook Bridge 16 birds, including Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Jay and Mallard, had…
Trip report: Bridgeyate (20th March 2012)
26 members gathered on a mild spring morning for this walk through varied habitat. Near the start, some agitated corvids drew attention to a Sparrowhawk which flew into a dense hedge and disappeared. Two Jays were seen and the walk was notable for the number of Jays recorded (eight by this observer.) A Blackcap was heard and then seen sitting…
Trip report: Backwell Lake (13th March 2012)
It was a cool misty morning, but 34 birders arrived in The Perrings to walk around the lake, along Youngwood Lane and out towards Chelvey church and manor. The lake held the usual Coots, Swans and Canada Geese, but seven Shovelers gave us a fly past and there were a pair of Gadwalls, a few Tufted Ducks and a female…
Trip report: Forest of Dean (11th March 2012)
14 members met up at the car park by Speech House on a bright and sunny morning to walk the surrounding woodland and look at the nearby pools. Leaving the car park we observed Nuthatch, Tree Creeper and Redpoll moving through the trees plus a Mistle Thrush. Moving on towards Woorgreens Lake we saw Brambling, Green Woodpecker, more Redpoll, a…
Trip report: River Exe Coach Trip (4th March 2012)
As I arrived to meet up with the club members on the coach at Exminster, the rain which had been heavy all morning in Devon stopped. As we made our way down the lane towards the river, wildfowl such as Teal, Shoveler, Pintail and Wigeon were busy feeding on the flooded pools and in amongst the Wigeon we were rewarded…
Trip report: Forest of Dean (3rd March 2012)
31 members turned out on the annual Tuesday visit to The Forest of Dean. The chosen time was perfect, a bright clear and almost cloudless day, perfect Goshawk watching weather. The Goshawks did not disappoint us. We witnessed some brilliant displays by at least three birds high in the sky, which included an aerial battle between Goshawk and Sparrowhawk, keeping…
Trip report: Mid-Wales (24th – 26th February 2012)
What a treat – three balmy days in West Wales with an accompaniment of glorious soaring Red Kites for the latter part of the outward journey, in an elegant new minibus driven in turn by three cautious drivers over what was often truly exhilarating terrain. Our first luncheon stop alongside Tregaron Bog (Cors Caron) produced the only rainfall of the…
Trip report: Bristol City Centre (21st February 2012)
Drizzle has accompanied us several times when we’ve done the February urban walk and this year was no exception. However, it was very light and intermittent and 18 members set off from Millennium Square without any opened umbrellas. Several Cormorants were soon spotted with breeding patches showing. Searching the buddleia and brambles past the new M-Shed museum was at first…
Trip report: Midford Brook (18th February 2012)
Ten members met at 0930 hrs at Monkton Combe car park for the walk to Midford and back. We had a brief stop to see the grave of Harry Patch in the churchyard, where Goldcrest were seen and we also saw five species of Tits at bird feeders nearby. We went on to Tucking Mill and to the fishing lake,…
Trip report: Greylake (14th February 2012)
On a bright winter’s morning 17 members met at the RSPB Greylake reserve in Somerset to view the mixed flock of wintering wildfowl – Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Mallard, Tufted Duck plus Mute Swan, Little Egret, Snipe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Lapwing and a very close view from the hide of a Water Rail. Following a picnic lunch we headed for the nearby…
Trip report: Pucklechurch (7th February 2012)
The forecast encouraged 27 walkers this overcast morning; the light levels rendered LBJs virtually colourless! Before we left the Rose and Crown car park, the Thrushes decorating the tall trees had been identified as both Fieldfare and Redwing, the tail-flicking Sparrow as a Dunnock and the flocks of others as House Sparrow. We headed right towards Parkfield where the grass…
Trip report: Portbury (31st January 2012)
27 well clad birders met at Portbury on a cold and dull morning. Some favourites to begin with were Redwing, Robin, Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tit. At the top of Wharf Lane the Little Owl showed well and delighted everyone as it glared at us from the barn. Approaching the first hide a Greenfinch showed and a flock of Lapwings flew…
Trip report: Steart (28th January 2012)
Ten members met on, what would be for Steart, an unusually beautiful sunny, windless morning and set off to follow the coast path to Steart Point. The tide was falling by the time the group reached the hides on the Point and the exposed mud was covered with roosting and feeding waders. A mixed flock of many thousands of small…
Trip report: Compton Dando (24th January 2012)
Even the most optimistic forecast didn’t promise dry conditions for this walk and that proved to be correct, as did the Bird News warning about mud! However, ten hardy souls assembled in the drizzle. Before we left the cars a Cormorant was spotted. We set off across a large field, one third of which had been planted with bird friendly…
Trip report: Poole Harbour Weekend (21st – 22nd January 2012)
With stunning heathland to explore, we started at Wareham forest (Sherford Bridge), a potential spot for some of the rarer species, many of which sadly remained elusive! We were treated to a scold or two from the Dartford Warbler however and had excellent views of pair-bonding Ravens on a pylon. There was potential sighting of Crossbill (which had been teasing…
Trip report: Frampton on Severn (17th January 2012)
It was a still chilly morning as 31 Birders gathered to begin their walk around Frampton Pools. The first lake still had ice on it and there were only a handful of Coots skating gingerly around. As we started down the wooded 9 track there was a flock of Long- tailed Tits in the overhead trees flitting from branch to…
Trip report: Golden Valley Wick (14th January 2012)
It was a very cold, frosty but sunny start to this morning meeting. As we walked along the road to the entrance to the valley several members picked up on Redwing, Bullfinch and Blackcaps feeding in bushes on the opposite bank of the river. After entering the reserve we all had good views of Goldcrest and Treecreepers, a real bonus.…
Trip report: Somerset Levels (10th January 2012)
The prospect of the Somerset Levels starling roost attracted 37 members to Ashcott Corner on a dry but overcast afternoon. We first walked down the track to the viewing platform at Ham Wall and soon encountered over a dozen passerines in the willows, alders and surrounding scrub including Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff. Two lucky members also had a good view…
Trip report: WWT Slimbridge (1st January 2012)
At least 23 members appeared in the car park (or later!). As we assembled a Peregrine rushed over us all, heading for a large flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover. We were soon on our way to the Holden Tower, some stopping at hides en route. It took some time to sift through all the birds on view of geese,…
Trip report: Hambrook (27th September 2011)
The benign forecast swelled our numbers this week to 27 who all made the climb out of the White Horse car park towards Winterbourne. Jackdaws aplenty along this stretch of road, and on the Whiteshill cricket pavilion. We struck across country at Pye Corner where one keen eye spotted a circling Sparrowhawk, at a height over the distant tree line.…
Trip report: Brean Down (25th September 2011)
A very wet morning, but ten of us walked up the path to the top of the Down enjoying Ravens and Jackdaws performing aerial acrobatics and a distant Peregrine. Then a male Kestrel flew over.The mud flats held a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, a Cormorant, lots of Shelducks and a few Mallards and Teal. A couple of Curlews and…
Trip report: Portland (17th September 2011)
Nine members met with Jane, our leader for the day, at Ferrybridge car park at 9.30 on a very blustery day with lots of white horses out to sea. High tide coincided with our arrival and the only birds to be seen were a juvenile Herring Gull, a Black-headed Gull and a diminutive wader which appeared to walk under the…
Trip report: Yatton (13th September 2011)
Not a very bright day, with heavy rain early on, so it was not surprising that only ten people turned up. Collared Dove, House Sparrow and Blackbird were seen around the Church, and as we walked down the Gang Wall path the first Chiffchaff was heard and later seen. A Sparrowhawk was seen by a few as it hedge hopped,…
Trip report: Blagdon (6th September 2011)
We had an unpromising start with rain which seldom let up throughout the walk. However 13 of us persevered during which time Gadwall, Sand Martin, and Common Tern put in an appearance on the sheltered side of the lake, taken to give us some protection from the elements. Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard and Swallows and House Martins seemed to…
Trip report: Chew Valley Lake (3rd September 2011)
Ten members met at Herriotts Bridge on a grey overcast morning for this walk around the various areas of the lake. At Herriott’s Bridge and Pool we observed Water Rail, a Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, and seven Ruff as well as Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Pochard, Shoveler and Tufted Duck. A Reed Warbler flew across the reed bed and a Wheatear…