Saturday 24 May – Inglestone Common Leader: Mike Jackson

Ten of us met at Lower Woods Lodge where a woodland-based Pied Wagtail and a nesting Robin caught our attention. We set off eastwards along Green Trench to the woodland edge listening to bird song by the usual suspects. It had been surprisingly quiet up to the point we left the wood, but now on the common, we were now
seeing Linnet, Stonechat and Whitethroat, with Swift and a soaring Sparrowhawk. The scrub on the Common produced Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Green, Gold and Bullfinch’s. Away from the scrub the open grassland yielded a hovering Kestrel, several Skylark and more Stonechats. Flying above were Buzzard, Raven, Mallard, House Martin, Swallow, a Grey Heron, and a sudden gathering of Jackdaws and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The few houses in the area held a good population of House Sparrow and a Starling family. A large raptor flew over the common to disappear beyond the woodland providing good enough views to identify it as a Goshawk. With a Great Spotted Woodpecker busying itself in the trees, a flushed Pheasant, and a Whitethroat delivering food into a bush, we walked on past gardens showing Collared Dove and our only Magpie towards the car park adding only Goldcrest to our list that now numbered 41 species. Thanks to the group for ensuring such a pleasant morning, and thanks to Caron for keeping score (and thanks to Mike for leading). Mike Jackson