Saturday 05 November – Frampton on Severn Leader: Mike Jackson

On our way to Court Lake we checked out the gull flock in front of Frampton Court house. Black-headed dominated, with the exception of a single Common Gull, a Herring Gull, plus a lone Greylag Goose. Court Lake was busy with many Mute Swan, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler and Coot, but much fewer Mallard and Moorhen. Six Little Grebe dived together, several Cormorant resting in the trees and a Little Egret stalked the bank. In between the lakes, Chiffchaffs became a feature with foraging birds, calling birds and even a singing bird giving an unexpected total of eight on the day. The crop fields produced winter thrushes, a pair of Stonechat, Skylark and our first and only Chaffinch sighting. At the sailing lake a smart adult Yellow-legged Gull presented itself on the floating platform for us all to take in the field marks. More than a dozen Great Crested Grebe, more Coots and a handful of Tufted Ducks completed our water bird tally, before three Greenfinch and a single Great Tit became the last birds on our list of 47 species. Thanks to our group of six for making such a pleasant trip (and thanks to Mike for leading). Mike Jackson