A long walk around the southern side of the parish this
morning and then back up along the river. A total of 58 species seen. Highlight
was the first Sand Martin of the year over the river…
(it is one honestly!)
And I also added Corn Bunting (three singing birds) and
Canada Goose to the year list. The latter were a group of 11 birds on the Magic
Garden lake including this push-me/pull-me bird…
I totted up a reassuring total of 18 singing Skylarks, there
were also three pairs of Grey Partridge seen (including one pair feeding on the
mud at the edge of the river), five pairs of Lapwing and three displaying
Curlew.
Other birds included a single Golden Plover (flying over the
top fields) and very large numbers of winter thrushes, mainly Fieldfares, with
upwards of a 1000 birds seen in two main feeding areas. This is a small part of
one flock flushed by a Sparrowhawk….
I also saw this Roe Deer nibbling the fresh shoots of
hawthorn..
And this striking fungus Phellinus igniarius - The Willow Bracket…
Less happily the lovely little flash near Greenhills Farm (which
has held breeding Yellow Wagtail, Shelduck and Little ringed Plover as well as passage waders) has been
drained. A depressing loss and presumably subsidised by our taxes…
The fantastic ‘Rich Ditch’ with its excellent mix of aquatic
plants has also been hit hard with heavy
dredging and flailing of the ditchside plants…
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