Worcester (1 Viewer)

[Steve Newland]

Odd that there isn't a thread for the county town and yet it's not devoid of birds. Just today north of Worcester Bridge I added great spotted woodpecker, goldcrest and pied wagtail to the year list. It got better down by Diglis Weir with a kingfisher, a big flock of linnets and three goosanders.

 

[Veracocha]

Worcestershire

www.birdforum.net

 

[Steve Newland]

Yesterday the goosanders and linnets were still by Diglis Bridge while the meadows across from the cathedral provided seven stock doves and the usual kestrel. Redwings all along the Severn seem to be growing increasingly tame with one hopping to within ten feet of me.

 

[Steve Newland]

A good start to the month with a red kite over St John's campus this morning. It got better slightly outwith the city limits when I flushed a great egret from the (defunct?) fishing pools that drain into Laughern Brook to the west of the campus. Only a matter of time before that goes on to the city list...

 

[Steve Newland]

I ventured over the river to Northwick (actually on my way back from Porter's Mill) to see if the pintail was still around. It wasn't. Nor was much else until I returned to the car and found a couple of little egrets south of the car park and therefore well within the city limits. Grey wagtail is another species that has eluded me thus far but a few days ago one was on the edge of town at Laughern Brook.

 

[Steve Newland]

Northwick again but a very dried-out site today that didn't promise much. How wrong could I be? One reed warbler gamely sang, as did a couple of reed buntings. Whitethroats were legion and one lesser also rattled somewhere off in the distance. (Both also occur in Chapter Meadows.) But the best was a calling cuckoo somewhere over in Hallow - across the river and hence not technically in Worcester. I was resigned to dipping on it for the city list when a cuckoo-shape flitted over the trees on the far bank, then crossed the river and flew right across the warth, pursued by another cuckoo. So I didn't have to cheat at all. The calling then restarted somewhere towards where the new housing is going up.

Later in the day back at the ranch in Henwick a few swifts flew over, much as I thought they would have to somewhere in Worcester.