Tuesday 17 June – Sandford Wood Leader: Graham Blacker

Ten of us left via a footpath towards the Mendip Hills, a Goldfinch was on the overhead wires, as we climbed towards Sanford Hill towards the woods. A Chiffchaff was heard and seen. We passed by the entrance of a cave before we came upon a mendip sinkhole. We continued through the wood until we exited at the Mendip activity centre, where we stopped for a coffee break. Continuing we saw what at first we thought was a Green Woodpecker on a distant
post with a large beak but no red or green colouring so the group concluded it must be a large Mistle Thrush. We descended along a wooded path past a meadow full of daisies, on the southern slope the village of Star in the distance. We then joined Paywell Lane (a green lane) before taking a footpath across a newly mown hayfield. Our route took us past the sight of a Roman Villa. Then a short steep climb where a pair of Kestrels could be seen and a Buzzard soaring high, also Meadow Brown and Marbled White butterflies were in evidence. We re-entered the Mendip activity centre pausing by their base camp for lunch. A couple of Lesser Black- backed Gulls were flying around. 32 species observed overall Len Sheen