Ten of us met at a lay-by on the A432 on a baking hot morning. After my really quite good sausage sandwich from the local food van, we set off down a footpath which led us by way of a couple of fields to the suburbia of Frampton Cotterell. It wasn’t birding weather and very little was showing; a couple of Robins, a Wren and a Dunnock were spotted along the way and a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling. We stopped at the “Village Pond” where there were ten Mallard and a couple of Moorhens, one a juvenile. There was also an Emperor Dragonfly, a Common Darter and Beautiful and Banded Demoiselles flying around. A further footpath took us out of the housing estate where we saw a Buzzard on the way down to Nightingale’s Bridge where we stopped for coffee in the shade. Then we battled down the Frome Valley Walkway which was quite overgrown with nettles everywhere. Brief sightings included a Song Thrush, a Grey Heron, a House Martin, five Swallows and a further Buzzard. We returned to the main road by way of a track past Huckford Farm. Twenty species in total. Thanks to Peter for leading and the occasional history lesson. Alan Craddock