IanF
Moderator
A pretty good morning. A little overcast starting off but quite sunny by lunchtime and quite warm with no wind.
Starting of from the car park I headed along the cycleway. Wren, Dunnock, Robin and Yellowhammer singing along the way. A few Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch by Cloff Bridge but not many.
The bridge is still under construction - another week maybe. The workmen haven't seen many birds. They mentioned the Little Owl are a daily sighting when they arrive.
Very little along Claxton Beck towards the hill though a lady mentioned the Kestrel have been displaying around the pylon where they nested last year.
On reaching the old hide I heard a 'yaffling' Green Woodpecker call from Faith Wood direction and calling again as I headed over that way. It must have been coming towards me as calling a third tiime it flew by along the ridge by the dragonfly pools heading south along Cowbridge Beck. I followed the beck but didn't relocate it. Best sighting of the year so far for me as it's a few years - 2005 - since I last saw one here.
I then back tracked to the pond to the benches by the railway line. Fewer ducks than my last visit though and extra Goldeneye with 3m and 1f. Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe x2, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen plus the Mute Swan pair.
The Sparrowhawk was sat in it's usual tree. Magpie, Reed Bunting, Dunnock and Robin were in the bushes by the benches and a Skylark singing across the railway.
Back to the car park and feeding station which was very busy compared to my last few visits. Even the GSW dropped in as did Goldfinch x3 to one of the tables. Barely 10 mins went by without a Treecreeper being present. Strangely just one LTT on it's own.
Just I was leaving a Sprrowhawk was soaring over the car park gradually heading south when a Crow repeatedly mobbed it - more accurately they mobbed each other as the Sparrowhawk gave as good as it got.
Starting of from the car park I headed along the cycleway. Wren, Dunnock, Robin and Yellowhammer singing along the way. A few Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch by Cloff Bridge but not many.
The bridge is still under construction - another week maybe. The workmen haven't seen many birds. They mentioned the Little Owl are a daily sighting when they arrive.
Very little along Claxton Beck towards the hill though a lady mentioned the Kestrel have been displaying around the pylon where they nested last year.
On reaching the old hide I heard a 'yaffling' Green Woodpecker call from Faith Wood direction and calling again as I headed over that way. It must have been coming towards me as calling a third tiime it flew by along the ridge by the dragonfly pools heading south along Cowbridge Beck. I followed the beck but didn't relocate it. Best sighting of the year so far for me as it's a few years - 2005 - since I last saw one here.
I then back tracked to the pond to the benches by the railway line. Fewer ducks than my last visit though and extra Goldeneye with 3m and 1f. Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe x2, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen plus the Mute Swan pair.
The Sparrowhawk was sat in it's usual tree. Magpie, Reed Bunting, Dunnock and Robin were in the bushes by the benches and a Skylark singing across the railway.
Back to the car park and feeding station which was very busy compared to my last few visits. Even the GSW dropped in as did Goldfinch x3 to one of the tables. Barely 10 mins went by without a Treecreeper being present. Strangely just one LTT on it's own.
Just I was leaving a Sprrowhawk was soaring over the car park gradually heading south when a Crow repeatedly mobbed it - more accurately they mobbed each other as the Sparrowhawk gave as good as it got.