Tuesday 16 July – Felton Common (Picnic walk) Leader: Melanie Patch

Twenty members met for the walk. It was cloudy, 15C, with a breeze but the threatened showers didn’t really appear. A Kestrel was hovering by the church as we set off. We walked up the western hedge boundary and saw Skylarks in flight and perched on the bracken. We took a path behind the old football pitch and found a Linnet family feeding young and two Whitethroats also in the bush. We also saw a Chiffchaff with caterpillars but none of the resident Willow Warblers or Stonechats were sighted. We all had good views of a singing Yellowhammer and a Buzzard hovering possibly with prey. We enjoyed our coffee break by the Round House dog kennels that
supports a House Martin colony. The sun broke through and the Skylarks sang. Some of the group saw Chaffinches bathing in a puddle and Goldfinches here also. Our walk along the back hedge didn’t yield the usual Blackcaps or Thrushes but a fleeting Bullfinch was seen as well as a Green Woodpecker. We detoured to the top of Kingdown Lane to see the Nettle-leaved Bellflower and came across a Common Scorpionfly, Soldier beetle and silver Y. Meadow Browns and Ringlet butterflies were seen and some members spotted a couple of Marbled Whites and a Small Skipper. We saw several birds we couldn’t identify skulking in foliage and a pair of Buzzards
on our return journey. 21 species seen. Thanks to Graham for recording the birds. (Thanks to Melanie for leading). Melanie Patch