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 Three National Trust members, including Dyrham Park’s well-informed head gardener Dale Dennehy, joined six from the BOC for this walk through the parkland of Dyrham Park, north of Bath. Dale made this a most interesting walk as he identified various plants and trees and told us about the NT’s ongoing plans for the park and

Rain and strong winds abated to allow eleven of us to set out into the green world of Prior’s Wood. However, Nick pointed out that there were white horses on the distant Severn and the sound of the wind and the motorway made it hard to hear any song. We had already notched up nesting

 A group of about 20 members gathered at the Snuff Mills car park to be welcomed by the spring sunshine and a cool breeze. We set off towards Eastville Park then crossed over the motorway bridge where a Greenfinch was heard and a perched Buzzard was spotted. From here we made the climb up to

 Five members gathered on a rather chilly morning, but the sun and walking soon warmed us – not to mention the bird song! A very loud Song Thrush started us off and soon we added Dunnock, Great Tit, Blackcap, Robin and Chiffchaff as we headed off down the valley. The fields and borders were magnificent

 We set off from the car park on the edge of Castle Combe under a cloudless sky, albeit a bit chilly to start with. We had some early sightings in the adjacent field including a Pied Wagtail, Stock Dove, numerous Corvids, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The initial part of the walk took us up

 It was at nine o’clock when a baker’s dozen of members embarked on a circumnavigation of Woorgreens Lake, led by Keith Williams, serenaded by Nuthatches, Wrens and Great Tits. Thoughts of Asterix the Gaul came to mind as we spied a large wild boar that appeared to be shadowing our party! Arriving at the lake

 Outside the pub at the end of the walk, as the stragglers rolled in, I met Nick who asked if I’d seen anything else in the Skylark field (at least three were singing). I said no, we were hurrying as late for lunch. But he and Annie had seen seven Wheatears! Anyway, apart from that

 It was a bright, sunny morning with a fresh south-westerly breeze and a rising tide as Paul Gregory led a group of five out past the cliffs of Uphill onto the Bleadon Levels. The many singing hedgerow birds included plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, probably newly arrived. Out on the marsh, Shelduck and Redshanks were

 The morning started misty but by the time we were leaving the car park – in a part of Eastville Park unfamiliar to many, the sky was beginning to break up. Almost immediately we spotted an occupied Carrion Crow nest which, as it turned out, was the first of several. We headed down through the

 There were more Ravens than any other corvid during our walk today, with five seen at close range from our start point at New Fancy View. All the common tits called and displayed around us and our pulses quickened with distant views of raptors but most resolved into Buzzard. A Goshawk did appear after half