Tuesday 03 April – Winscombe – Leader Sue Watson

Rain threatened as 22 of us set off from Winscombe; however, we completed our walk in dry conditions with a little sunshine too. Crossing fields to Sandford Hill we heard a vociferous Wren and saw Jackdaw, Crow, Rook and a good variety of the usual suspects in the hedgerows, such as Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits plus a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Two large flocks of white domestic doves circled the area. Soon we passed the four donkeys, sharing their space with a squirrel. Up the hill we had a glimpse of a retreating Jay, clear views of Blackcap and, emerging from the wood, a brief glimpse of two tumbling Raven. There were lovely views before a grassy downhill where a Yellow Brimstone butterfly fluttered in the sunshine. Here in the next field were 50 crows on the ground. A Song Thrush entertained until a Chiffchaff took our attention and Fieldfare were also heard. Further along a beautiful pair of Kestrel swooped low across the lane and hedges, alighting on a wire and adding to our raptor score of five Buzzards. Later a Grey Heron left a garden pond to the clamour of Herring Gull mobbing. Our count included Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch and some of us were lucky to be able to watch a Roe Deer cross two fields in the sunshine. Bird species counted: 37. (Very many thanks to Sue for leading this walk.) Sue Watson