Field trip reports

Twenty-four walkers gathered outside the village hall on a sunny day. Graham had kindly stepped in to lead at short notice and displayed excellent map reading skills. An early highlight was a group of over 500 Swallows on wires over the ploughed fields. The coffee break Buzzard was trumped by one of three Red Kites. The woodland was quiet but the list does include Jay, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, and Goldfinch. Approaching the Badminton estate on our return there was a large corvid flock in tall trees, comprising over 200 Jackdaws and Rooks. The estate itself was short of birds, with a man and his dog at the lake. We had lovely close views of a Grey Wagtail on a roof in the village as we approached the hall. There were a total of 22 species seen or heard on this very pleasant walk. Many thanks to Graham for leading.  Gareth Roberts

Just six of us, including a new member, enjoyed a walk around CSC in fine and dry weather. We spotted a bright Chiffchaff as we passed the Golf Club entrance but the Common itself was inexplicably quiet (the warblers reported the day before had seemingly moved on). The most numerous birds were Goldfinches – a ‘charm’ of c80 flew around us as we walked. Notable birds overhead included a Grey Heron, four Ravens, a distant Buzzard and a Mute Swan (which is not that typical for CSC). Three small birds flying over our heads were Meadow Pipits. A Green Woodpecker, a Jay and half a dozen Skylark were spotted before we finished with an (unsuccessful) hunt for Yellow Wagtails amongst the cows. Nevertheless, a pleasant walk. (Thanks to Peter for leading) Peter Bryant

Fifteen members gathered at Folly Farm. It was an extremely windy day but dry and overcast. We set off at 10:00 into Folly Wood along a barked path. Not many sighting of birds but we heard a few Blue Tits and Robins. At 11:00 more people joined us. We were all excited to see a bird at last, a Green Woodpecker gave us a few flights from some trees. We had a fantastic view of a Roe Deer lying by the hedge, but still not many birds. We could hear the odd Chiffchaff along the way and there were beautiful views of Chew Valley Lake. Quite a few Crows, Ravens and Gulls were overhead on the open fields as we made our way down the hill, again great views of the Lake and seeing a few House Martins and Swallows. We walked through a wood and came across an opening where Alastair shouted ‘Red Kite above’. A raptor at last. Here we also viewed a large pine tree full of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Chiffchaffs, the most birds we had viewed so far. Ian collected some mushrooms for tea and Jean found some blue looking fungi called Wood Blewit (Collybia Nuda). It was a great walk in lush green fields, woods and muddy paths. We started with 15 got up to 20 then three left but we got back safely with 17 and only one stumble. Thanks to Jean for leading. Caron Thornton Trippit

Despite the dire forecast of heavy rain, the eight of us gathered had a very dry and sunny morning. The first stop was at the lake where we watched the Coots, Moorhens, Cormorant and one Little Grebe. Walking around the reed beds we heard Chiffchaff, Robin, Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Once in sight of the river we saw Herons and Little Egrets while one of the group saw a Whinchat perched on a tall shrub. Reaching the coastal path we saw more Little Egrets and an excellent view of a Peregrine Falcon flying down from the tall buildings of the Power Station and swooping over the river. Later in the walk we saw three Peregrines together having a playful battle in the sky. They seemed to be favouring the area around the tall Power Station building. A flock of mixed House Martins and Swallows were flying over the fields feeding, unperturbed by the Peregrines. Walking a short way down the Coastal path we heard and saw a small flock of Turnstones and Little Plovers that settled on the rocky edge of the river. Then the most exciting sighting, a Common Scoter was seen a short distance from shore, heading down river. Once we had all had a good look and discussed this, we returned to the path around the Power Station, past the reed beds and the small pool where more Chiffchaff were heard, and so back to the cars. A lovely morning of good company and excellent bird watching. (Thanks to Di for leading) Di Bunniss

A Goldcrest was our first species, hovering in the trees by St Adeline’s church, just by our departure point. A dedicated party of 13 were entertained by a Kestrel in the fields just above the now heavily screened reservoir. The pull up Horton Hill seemed long but a Blackcap, a Tit flock and accompanying finches went some way to making it enjoyable. The good number of Swallows and House Martins feeding over the houses and farm buildings were bolstered by a steady stream of migrants. A couple of Greenfinches sat above the gate, where a rowdy group of House Sparrows clamoured for attention. Coffee was taken by the Millennium Folly with rare glimpses in the murk of the panorama below. A lolloping Hare stopped as we entered the lanes and paths to Little Sodbury Manor, moving on as we did, with another Kestrel perched above. A few Chiffchaffs called and fleetingly showed with the rather splendid view over the Severn Valley as a background. The black sheep within the Iron Age Camp came over to be petted and Stock Dove sat obligingly within a large group of Rooks. Another Green Woodpecker called and a Kestrel perched up above Old Sodbury village, as we gained our vantage point for lunch close to the tower of St John the Baptist. The dining entertainment was provided by a party of Starlings – going for the record of how many could squash between the power line supports and many more migrating hirundines. We ambled back along the footpath with a further Green Woodpecker calling and my first Great Spotted Woodpecker who flew off, undulating its way into the trees. The weather was kind and our final total was 35 species. (Thanks to Nick for leading) Nick Hawkridge

Swallows and House Martins were flying overhead as we arrived at Goldcliff. A dozen members enjoyed dry and fair weather although conditions were not ideal as a couple of the pools had dried out completely and the tide was out. The walk started with a pair of Stonechats perched on a fence and a fly-past Marsh Harrier. Monks Lagoon held three Herons but little else although a Red Kite flew over as we were leaving the Curlew Hide. Views from the hide overlooking the deeper pools revealed a range of ducks including Teal and Shoveller as well as a Little Grebe. A hovering Kestrel greeted us at Avocet Hide. Initially disappointed by the lack of water in Priors Lagoon, we hit the jackpot with both Wheatear and Whinchat being seen, both giving good views. Venturing to the sea wall, two Whimbrels were found, with Curlews and Shelduck for company, and another Wheatear was spotted on the seawall fence. A Sparrowhawk flew close over our heads. The walk back to the carpark was interrupted by sightings of several migrant warblers including Lesser Whitethroat. A Southern Hawker dragonfly stopped long enough for a photograph. (Thanks to Peter for leading) Peter Bryan

On a slightly grey Tuesday morning, with a balmy southerly wind, 19 BOC members including two new recruits met in a car park in Barrow Gurney. As we set off the sighting of the day flew straight towards, and over, us; a Marsh Harrier! With plenty of Swallows and Martins around, we set off uphill and a squirrel amused us with its high wire trapeze act along a power line. At great risk to the membership, we crossed the A38, then spotted flocks of Canada Geese, Starlings and Rooks, and then the second-best sighting of the day; a Hobby. Dropping down through a grass crop, a flock of Greenfinch flew past, and we arrived on the outside of the upper Barrow tank, showing the usual ducks and gulls, Great Crested and Little Grebe, Cormorants, and in the distance, Wagtails, both Pied and Grey. We skirted round the tank, a Raven flew nearby, and Buzzard and Chiffchaff were regularly heard. A Dunnock was spotted on a dungheap of gargantuan proportions, but the number of birds was now diminishing so it was some relief to come across a feeder with Chaffinch, tits, and a nearly adult Robin. After an even more horrendous crossing of the A38, we found ourselves immersed, totally, in a dense high crop of maize covering our route (we continued through it; no birds were seen, but no members were lost, or so we believed). Easier walking  followed, then a stubble field where there were numerous gulls and corvids on the ground, groups of Swallows, Starlings and Rooks on wires, and Skylarks singing – life was back to normal after the monoculture hell. 41 birds, a lovely, scenic, walk, with some unusual excitement, so many thanks to Graham for leading and Alan for the bird list. John Skinner

Sixteen people set out from Priddy Green rightly optimistic that the rain would stop. We walked up through the churchyard before zigzagging our way towards the Nine Barrows at the top. A few tits and Wrens were calling as we walked up until someone called out a Sparrowhawk overhead. A large flock of Jackdaws and a few Crows and Magpies were spotted and a distant calling Raven. A small patch of woodland gave us a Nuthatch while failing to locate some possible Treecreepers and Bullfinches. Emerging back into the field one Kestrel turned into a family of three. Small numbers of Swallows and House Martins were overhead and crossing the top threw up Meadow Pipits and Skylarks and a flock of 40 plus Herring Gulls with around five Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Some distant brown jobs on a farm building revealed their Wheatear white rumps as they flew off, also sending up a flock of Linnets as they all circled back over us. Dropping back down to the Mineries we disturbed an Adder from the path, an even greater shock was overtaking some walkers, a first for me on a BOC walk. A pond gave us a family of Coots before heading back towards Priddy seeing three female Roe Deer wall hopping, two Tree Pipits, a few Chiffchaffs and Goldfinches. We thought a Buzzard rounded off the raptors for the day before a great spot whizzing low overhead, a Hobby, probably heading southward. A final bird fly-catching along a hedge top was frustratingly too distant to positively ID but the consensus was a probable Redstart based on the flashes of red as it flitted up. Excluding this the bird count was 29. (Thanks to Graham for leading) Ian Price

Six members joined me to have a look around the lake, albeit mainly using our cars rather than walking any great distances. We started at the south end of the dam where we saw the usual Common Sandpiper on the wall and scanned the west end of the lake carefully. Due to an angling competition being held at the same time, I decided we would walk along Park Lane and down the entrance drive to the Lodge, birding as we went. From there we saw four Egyptian Geese among the Canada Geese on the north end of the dam, before we ventured into Lodge Copse and watched the feeder for a few minutes to try and see some small passerines, at this difficult time of year, before retracing our steps to the cars. There were a few birds showing in the trees by the Inspection House by the time we got back and were pleased to see two Nuthatches there. We drove along the south side track to Green Lawn, where we parked and took a look along one of the few exposed margins of the lake. The water level is still a bit too high to attract passing waders unfortunately, so we checked the waterfowl, saw the first Teal of the autumn, and took a look at some of the plants. One keen-eyed person spotted a green beetle in the middle of a yellow flowerhead which I was able to tell them was a Fleabane Tortoise Beetle. At the east end of the lawn there were three Little Egrets and we took a look through one of the large flocks of, mainly male, Tufted Ducks for anything unusual. We drove again to Rainbow Point, where we could scan most of the Top End of the lake. There were around a thousand Coots feeding on the extensive weed that grows at that end of the lake. As the meadows had been cut at Top End, we drove on again to Bell’s Bush where we walked out across the meadow to look more closely at the Shoveler, Gadwall, Little Grebes and Pochard that were at this end of the lake. A Buzzard, momentarily gave us the impression it was a Red Kite, due to its moulted central tail feathers, and a few Sand and House Martins were feeding over the water in front of us. Three of us then carried on to the north shore where we checked Rugmoor Bay, then drove slowly along to the car park at the end of the track where we saw male and female Roesel’s Bush-crickets in the long grass by the hedge. As the time was approaching 14:00, we decided to call it a day at this point and make our way back to the Lodge. We logged 46 bird and five butterfly species, a fair representation of what there was to see. (Thanks to Nigel for leading the walk.) Nigel Milbourne

There was a healthy turnout of 17 members. It had been a while since I’d been out with the Tuesday group, and it was great to reconnect with the friendly folk. A distant Raven got the bird count off to a good start. We set off from the car park down a lovely woodland path. There weren’t many birds but there were lots of interesting wildflowers. The group stopped several times to admire butterflies, the star being a magnificent Silver-Washed Fritillary. Those at the front of the group were lucky enough to see a Slow Worm, before it retreated into the undergrowth. A Buzzard was heard and then seen, so the criteria for stopping for refreshments had been met. After our break we were then out into open countryside, with picturesque views over Hawkesbury Common. Beautiful Demoiselles, plus Muntjac and Roe Deer were seen as we crossed the fields. For the last stretch, we were back in the woods, where Bullfinch and Marsh Tit were seen by a lucky (or perhaps just more observant) few. In total, 23 species of bird were seen, plus several other notable species. Lower Woods is well worth visiting – I’ll be back! Thanks to Jean for leading the walk, to Alan for recording the species count, and to all present for their great company. Tim Fell