November 5, 2019
Our walk set off from the village (with 23 members), in cool, cloudy conditions but little wind. We headed down the first grassy field, passing House Sparrow, Jackdaw and where a flock of 300 Woodpigeons whirled away in flight. A further field provided Meadow Pipit and the first Magpie, before a path between trees and
November 3, 2019
Fourteen members, including two on their first meeting, enjoyed a sunny Sunday at this RSPB reserve. At the feeding station just outside the visitor centre the activity simply wouldn’t stop. We quickly got our first 30 species including Little Grebe, Water Rail, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Jay, Long-tailed Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare,
October 29, 2019
The autumn weather stayed dry and cool as the group gathered for this walk through the Blaise estate. We passed by the mansion and took a short lane to the churchyard where a lone Mistle Thrush was seen perched high above us. From there we took the path out and through the short tunnel to
October 22, 2019
30 members met on a radiantly warm day to walk Tickenham’s moors and wooded ridge. This was nearly a month later than our usual walk date, so it was interesting to see the differences in birds found. This included a flyover Fieldfare and Redwing, Tit flocks in the woods with Blue, Great, Coal, Marsh and
October 18, 2019
Sixteen club members met in Gillingham on Kent’s north-west coast. Weather was generally mild and dry. Day 1: Oare Marshes is 81 hectares of grazing marsh with freshwater dykes, open water scrapes, reed bed, saltmarsh and seawall, on the north Kent coast facing the Isle of Sheppey across the Swale. (It was thought too
October 15, 2019
A fat, puffed up Woodpigeon was dozing on a TV aerial, when its reverie was disturbed by the settling of 15 Starlings, exit stage left – one pigeon. The Starling count (43) was only bettered by Common Gull; c140. As the road climbed slightly, more and more gulls were revealed, all searching for food in
October 8, 2019
On a morning of gathering gloom and a forecast of rain and wind, a goodly gathering of about 20 set off from Old Down cricket club, having first spotted two Common Gulls and a Black-headed Gull on the playing field. One of the last Swallows flew over our heads. Across the cricket pitch and down
October 6, 2019
Half a dozen people met at Ferrybridge on a bright sunny day with a brisk south-westerly wind. Unfortunately, that describes the least productive conditions at Portland where the birding tends to be much better in a howling easterly or poor weather – fog or rain – to bring seabirds and migrants into the Bill. The
October 1, 2019
After a very poor weather forecast of heavy rain three members set off up Dolebury Warren. Contrary to expectations some blue sky was emerging and the brighter weather held for the majority of the walk, although the wind was strong. On the way from the Crown to the A38 several Wood Pigeons, Goldfinches, Robins, Blackbirds,
September 29, 2019
This meeting was cancelled due to adverse weather.