My patch: the river stort

[mini-colster]

hi all,
literally just joined. thought i'd start off talking about my patch. It is the river stort, and it's convenient that the stort navigation starts in my town. it runs 13 miles before joining the river lee at rye meads. sometimes i walk down the whole way and then round rye meads, but often i just do b/s to sawbridgeworth. My total patch count so far is 61.
Birds that i always see, all year round, include kingfishers, grey wagtails, gs and green woodpeckers, grey herons, kestrels, common finches and tits. Summer often brings common terns and spotted flycatchers, as well as warblers like whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs, sedges and reed warblers. Winter brings snipe and water rail (especially at sawbridgeworth marsh), and i have also sighted brambling. Other nice sightings have included quail, scaup (at glen faba), willow tit and nightingale.
Well that's all for now
Cheers, Mark :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat: :eat:

[pauco]

Hi Mark, welcome to BirdForum, some nice birds you got on your patch, look forward to more of your local patch reports.

[Marmot]

Sounds like a great birding spot.

[hornet]

Hi Mark,

Nice patch you've got there, with some great birds. I know Sawbo and the surrounds a bit - are the bitterns back at Rye Meads yet?

Marc

[mini-colster]

hi Marc,
no i don't think so. However there were reports about 2 weeks ago of bittern at fishers green, you know at the bittern hide. There haven't been any reports since then though.

[Larry Lade]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to BirdForum! I enjoyed reading the list of the various species of birds you have been seeing on your patch. Please continue letting us know what you have been seeing.

[pduxon]

Hi Mark

welcome to BF. I'm 13 miles down the road from you in Harlow.

[mini-colster]

Hi everyone,
thanks for looking at my post. Hi pete, that's cool. where abouts do you go birding?

[pduxon]

if its local then Rye Meads, Amwell or Hatfield Forest. Sometimes over to Hanningfield Reservoir. Just look for the bloke in the green BF cap.

[mini-colster]

cool, those places are exactly where i go often. went to the forest today actually but it didn't have anything that good.

[Neil Crossley]

Mini-Colster

Really good to here about about a "patch" where I grew up. Was in a local YOC club in Stortford about 1977-81 - Went on "night watches" on Sawbridgeworth Marsh. never saw a snipe - took 20 years ! (noise of 20 under 10 's). Saw my first reed and sedge warblers round about "the Mills" - keep it all safe ! (falls back into late night nostalgia)

Happy East Herts Birding !

[mini-colster]

wow, it's great to hear how people have previously got on on the river. Just to let you know I'll be posting every now and then about what I've seen on it

[Keithec]

Hi Mark,
I lived at Bishop's Stortford when I was about three years old and have very early memories of walking along the river with my father, who used to point out a lot of the wildlife. That was in the 1950s!! I went back for the first time for a walk along the Stort about 10 years ago and did a little canoeing. I'm sure I saw a water vole that day. Do you ever see them on your patch?

Cheers,
Keith

[Gill Osborne]

Hello Mark and welcome to BirdForum.

Your local patch sounds really good....I love rivers! I used to go birding regularly at the coast and, as at river sites, there is ALWAYS something to see isn't there? I'm now inland close by to the Cheviot Hills so it's all totally new to me...I'll have to sort out a local patch of my own soon...I should be ashamed of myself as I've been living here for about eight weeks!!! Should have been sorted out in the first few DAYS! Perhaps I'll get the chance to sort it out this weekend! I've got a vague idea of where I want to go and what I'll see...got a pond and some river habitat local so I'll work that into my route.
Looking forward to hearing about your days out...it's always interesting to hear about others' days and what species they have seen.

GILL

[mini-colster]

Hi all,
Hi Keith. Nice to hear that; I've never been canoeing along the river, but I walk along it regularly. I still remember walking along with my Dad, this was when I wasn't a serious birder but I was interested in the outdoors. It's probably where my fascination of wildlife comes from. Unfortunately I haven't seen a water vole yet, but I do see other creatures, thanks for reminding me to post them. Every now and then I see a fox, sometimes approaching a farm a couple fields away. One morning in August (about 6:30 am) I saw a weasel scuttering towards me on the path with a dead mouse or something in it's mouth. It stopped about 5 feet away, then hurried into the long grass. Then 5 minutes later i saw a slow worm, well actually i nearly trod on it. That was a great morning. Shrew and voles are also seen, (bank voles, not water, but it's nice to hear that they may be there). Cheers, Mark.
Gill, you're right! There is always something to see, especially kingfishers, never fail to see them. On average I see 25 species altogether. And besides the wildlife, the scenery can be wonderful. I have taken some photos of things, especially "sunrise on my patch". I'll see if I can put them on member photos, if not check out my website.
Cheers, Mark