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Along the river into town... great stretch for wildlife!
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<blockquote data-quote="Fozzybear" data-source="post: 1711274" data-attributes="member: 69297"><p>Went out in my wellies for a squelch around one of the footpaths on the Baddow Meads I'd not walked before, heading east along the southern edge and through the fields of Manor Farm, then looping around to the river and back along the riverbank to Springfield Lock near town before crossing the meadow and heading home. Was very muddy and wet, I had to cross some swampy areas and little offshoots of the brook that runs along the edge so the wellies were really essential, especially in one area where I thought the water was ankle deep but I sank in halfway up to my knees!</p><p></p><p>This southern track seems good, I saw a lot of birds along that part of the meads - a <strong>Little Egret</strong> and <strong>Grey Heron</strong> near the tunnel under the main road (seems to be a frequent haunt for both birds), <strong>Green Woodpeckers</strong>, <strong>Greater Spotted Woodpeckers</strong>, lots of <strong>Magpies</strong>, <strong>Carrion Crows</strong>, five <strong>Jays </strong>(not sure I've seen so many together before!), mixed flocks of <strong>Long-tailed Tits</strong>, <strong>Blue Tits</strong> and <strong>Great Tits</strong>, quite a few <strong>Wrens</strong>, <strong>Robins</strong>, <strong>Black-headed Gulls</strong>, <strong>Woodpigeons</strong>, <strong>Collared Doves</strong>, five <strong>Red-legged Partridges</strong> feeding on the ploughed field next to the meads, a few <strong>Reed Buntings</strong>, lots of <strong>Moorhens </strong>feeding on the field margins, <strong>Coots </strong>on the fishing lake, <strong>Mallards </strong>near Barnes Mill, a fair-sized flock of Redwings flying over Chelmer Village and <strong>Little Grebes</strong> at Springfield Lock. </p><p></p><p>Not much around walking along the river to Springfield Lock, lots of people in motorboats today and there was a canoe race going on between the town centre and Barnes Mill so the usual Tufted Ducks and other birds I see there had been scared off by the people lining the banks and all the canoes on the water. I did find more of the 'possible' Otter spraint at Barnes Mill, a fresh patch deposited on the same little hump as the previous lump. A bit trodden as this is right by the footpath where people and dogs go by but it does match pretty well the descriptions and some photos despite being partly squashed! I didn't feel much like sniffing it and there were people around the lock so felt self-conscious enough taking photos of it! :-O</p><p></p><p>Was a good walk (as I always seem to say!), good exercise trudging through a few miles of sticky mud in wellies and I'm glad to have finally got around to exploring this other track. Here are some photos, although I didn't get close to any birds so just distant snaps of a few...</p><p></p><p>Pics:</p><p></p><p>1. Greater Spotted Woodpecker</p><p>2. Grey Heron takes flight</p><p>3. one of the five Jays I saw together flying over the fields</p><p>4. footbridge over one of the reed-filled ditches at Manor Farm</p><p>5. fungi and lichen on a fallen tree beside the brook</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fozzybear, post: 1711274, member: 69297"] Went out in my wellies for a squelch around one of the footpaths on the Baddow Meads I'd not walked before, heading east along the southern edge and through the fields of Manor Farm, then looping around to the river and back along the riverbank to Springfield Lock near town before crossing the meadow and heading home. Was very muddy and wet, I had to cross some swampy areas and little offshoots of the brook that runs along the edge so the wellies were really essential, especially in one area where I thought the water was ankle deep but I sank in halfway up to my knees! This southern track seems good, I saw a lot of birds along that part of the meads - a [B]Little Egret[/B] and [B]Grey Heron[/B] near the tunnel under the main road (seems to be a frequent haunt for both birds), [B]Green Woodpeckers[/B], [B]Greater Spotted Woodpeckers[/B], lots of [B]Magpies[/B], [B]Carrion Crows[/B], five [B]Jays [/B](not sure I've seen so many together before!), mixed flocks of [B]Long-tailed Tits[/B], [B]Blue Tits[/B] and [B]Great Tits[/B], quite a few [B]Wrens[/B], [B]Robins[/B], [B]Black-headed Gulls[/B], [B]Woodpigeons[/B], [B]Collared Doves[/B], five [B]Red-legged Partridges[/B] feeding on the ploughed field next to the meads, a few [B]Reed Buntings[/B], lots of [B]Moorhens [/B]feeding on the field margins, [B]Coots [/B]on the fishing lake, [B]Mallards [/B]near Barnes Mill, a fair-sized flock of Redwings flying over Chelmer Village and [B]Little Grebes[/B] at Springfield Lock. Not much around walking along the river to Springfield Lock, lots of people in motorboats today and there was a canoe race going on between the town centre and Barnes Mill so the usual Tufted Ducks and other birds I see there had been scared off by the people lining the banks and all the canoes on the water. I did find more of the 'possible' Otter spraint at Barnes Mill, a fresh patch deposited on the same little hump as the previous lump. A bit trodden as this is right by the footpath where people and dogs go by but it does match pretty well the descriptions and some photos despite being partly squashed! I didn't feel much like sniffing it and there were people around the lock so felt self-conscious enough taking photos of it! :-O Was a good walk (as I always seem to say!), good exercise trudging through a few miles of sticky mud in wellies and I'm glad to have finally got around to exploring this other track. Here are some photos, although I didn't get close to any birds so just distant snaps of a few... Pics: 1. Greater Spotted Woodpecker 2. Grey Heron takes flight 3. one of the five Jays I saw together flying over the fields 4. footbridge over one of the reed-filled ditches at Manor Farm 5. fungi and lichen on a fallen tree beside the brook [/QUOTE]
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Along the river into town... great stretch for wildlife!
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