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Chill was in the air at the Park Avenue car park but at least the high winds of the previous night had moved on. As the four in our party gathered, a Sparrowhawk cruised overhead, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was high in a tree down the slope and a Dunnock sang lustily in the vicinity.

Five members walked from Severn Beach to New Passage and Pilning Wetlands and back, taking in the inland Pill. We saw about 300 Wigeon along the shore; Canada Geese, Shelduck, Curlew, Little Egret, Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits on the salt marsh; Shovelers, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, 12 Dunlin, Redshank and

I was assigned to the monthly WeBS count on the estuary at Uphill in mid-2016 so I’ve monitored birds there regularly for more than four years. The last thing I expected as we set out for this morning walk was to get not one but TWO “patch ticks” – species I’d never seen there before.

Five members met on a bright and sunny morning eagerly anticipating a good morning’s birding. The local gamekeeper was distributing feed at a small pond which disturbed the birds for us. There was a large group of Mallard and another of Teal, the eventual count for both being 56 and 206 respectively for the morning.

The weather was kind to us; a frost free start and a bright sunny day. The route starts at the Druids Arms following the Two Rivers Way to Pensford and then returning via Upper Stanton Drew. The farmland is predominantly pasture (sheep) with hedgerow (scalped) and copse. Leaving Stanton Drew, and the Green Woodpecker on

On a cold, fine day we met at the churchyard where grain on the path was attracting Chaffinches and a Collared Dove with a couple of Magpies in attendance. We walked along the woodland edge to the harbour where the tide was at its full height, and peered around the southern side of Wains Hill

Assembling for a chilly start, six members met at Snuff Mills car park for a wander through Eastville Park and environs. Reaching the bridge over the Frome, we could see that the river was in spate and so there would be little chance of seeing a Kingfisher unless on the ponds or in flashpast. We

One upside of COVID-19 numbers restrictions – we all got to see the three Goldcrest that were frantically feeding in the hawthorn bush above the welcome sign in the car park. Those and a dozen Long-tailed Tit were about the only species we saw before we got to the top of the windswept steps. It

One member had to with withdraw from this walk, so five of us met at Compton Dando where visibility was quite poor but there was no significant rain and it was quite mild. We stopped at the bridge within the village but did not find either Dipper or Grey Wagtail on this occasion. On the

A woodland walk, mainly deciduous with some conifers and areas of plantation. The woodland is largely closed canopy, creating an impoverished habitat at lower levels due to the lack of light. The ash trees are suffering from dieback that may, ironically, lead to more open clearings. The first section along the Combe was very quiet,