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 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

 A small but select group gathered in the car park of the RSPB Newport Wetlands reserve in the presence of singing Chiffchaff and Greenfinch. As we made our way to the reserve centre we had the strident anthem of multiple Wrens & Cetti’s Warblers. The forecast of wind and rain proved to be correct as

 On a mild and sunny day, 25 walkers set out across the Doynton farmland to take a northern route into the Golden Valley. The youngest of us by far was a journalist-in-training from UWE, tasked with interviewing us about our choice of an official UK bird between the suggested options of Robin, Wren or Kingfisher.

 A new walk in warm spring sunshine, vocal lambs, Celandines and Primroses, plenty of bird-life – truly glorious! Led by David Tombs, 25 of us set off from opposite the Village Hall just as the sun was breaking through the mist. Our departure was marked by the busy, noisy occupants of the Rookery in the

 A group of 25 set out from the Druids Arms on a beautiful morning. Beneath the hedgerows and along the banks the early flowers of spring, the celandines, daffodils and primroses, provided welcome splashes of colour and the Stanton Drew stone circle gave us an historical theme. We were quickly treated to the sounds of

 On a blustery morning 21 of us donned our waterproofs for a walk around Elm Farm where the land is managed under the Defra Environmental Stewardship Scheme. As we set off we saw Goldfinch, Blue and Great Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Not far down the track we saw our first Yellowhammer and a