Having taken the school bird club out for a morning around Stansted airport lagoons and Hatfield Forest lake (38 species in all) I spent the last two hours of daylight on the north west route. Very quiet birding, with the highlight being a flock of 26 pied wagtails in a field north of Chapel Lane. Good numbers of house sparrows and chaffinches were observed around Home Farm barns and 2 green woodpeckers were noted. A lone muntjac was photographed near Westland Green.
A charm of goldfinches made their presence known in Chapel Lane and a flock of 50+ fieldfares headed west to roost. Large numbers of rooks ( 500+) fed on a field near Queer Wood as blue and great tits kept me company throughout the walk. A single great spotted woodpecker was heard to add to the 19 species seen. Becoming quite sharp as the temperature dropped with the setting sun.
This walk, although devoid of many birds at present, looks good for scrub birds, especially warblers later in the year. Several patches of unmanaged land should hold chiffchaff, willow warbler along with blackcap and whitethroat. Roll on April.
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