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Eventually 14 BOC members met in the WWT car park for this all-day visit. Unfortunately, some arrivals had been delayed by the loading of bullocks into transport vans, which temporarily blocked the access road. The day was rather cold and cloudy with a 15 mph wind adding to the chill factor. However, whilst in the

Forecast as a very cold day with a biting wind, 36 walkers still turned out for this walk – a good deal of which followed the Frome Valley walkway route. A Dipper was an early spot, along with various tits, 12 Long-tailed among them. The narrow path did mean the group was well strung out

On a fine, sunny morning 36 of us arrived in Saltford; so many that car parking had to spread all along the river. Those parked in the designated “The Shallows” were treated to the sight of a hovering, diving Kingfisher, soon joined by a second flash of electric-blue. A Greenfinch wheezed as we set off

Orange was a theme for this new walk through Goblin Combe as, despite the overcast weather, the beeches and birches were at their late autumn best. Before entering the wood we had seen Blue Tit, Great Tit, and the first of eight Long-tailed Tits. A Mistle Thrush stood out on a bare tree and Goldfinches

Thirty six of us set off from Elm Farm on a fresh, dry autumnal morning. Initially we went along a level track for about 30 minutes before turning right into the valley crossing several fields with adjacent hedgerows and woods. Two Roe Deer eyed us suspiciously from a nearby field. Early birds included a Green Woodpecker,

Not many field trip reports bother mentioning Woodpigeon but on our approach to Newport Wetlands, and during the first hour and a half, Woodpigeons were passing southwards at around 1,000 birds every five to ten minutes. It would be no exaggeration to estimate in excess of 10,000 passed southwards by 10:30. Six of us had

A glorious autumn day encouraged a group of 44 to come along for the walk through Blaise Castle Estate. We set off past the mansion house and museum, heading down Church Lane into the grounds of St Mary’s Church. There we sighted a flock of 17 Greenfinches plus one lone Pied Wagtail. The walk continued

On an overcast but very mild day, seventeen people gathered at Uphill beach despite the threat of being made to count ducks and waders all morning. The beach here at the mouth of the River Axe is so flat that there is a huge difference between the height of the spring and neap tides. Today’s

We met at Ferrybridge with misty rain and high winds, and at high tide. Not much to see, except by the Chesil outlet a small group of waders remained on the few stones still above the water. A few Skylarks called as we walked down to see them, a couple of Brent Geese stopped on

A resurrected walk to the north of the village, hilly, so resuscitation was on the cards, but thankfully all 21 got round unscathed – even the octogenarian. We started by going through the gardens of the old pub, where a pair of Pied Wagtail ‘chizziked’ at our intrusion, and three Dunnock played chase. A couple