Dawn chorus walk

I met with the 6 enthusiastic dawn chorusers at the village hall at 5a.m. All that could be heard was a solitary pheasant and an early starting skylark. As we walked through the village dunnocks, blackbirds, robins and song thrush all sprang into good voice. We wandered up Brick Kiln Hill, but no tawny owls, just more of the same along with great tit, blue tit and further along at the polo fields, yellowhammers. Carrion crows, rooks and jackdaws appeared to be the first into flight. Good bird song in Millfield Lane before we entered Millennium Wood. Magpies and jays were seen and heard whilst in the wood our first of 5 chiffchaffs as well as a wisping treecreeper. A couple of fieldfares called in flight as we headed towards Bury Green. Here, our first (and only) blackcap. First record for this bird of the year. Greenfinches, goldfinches and chaffinches could be heard in Bury Green along with several flypasts by 3 mallards. A bullfinch was seen fleetingly just before our first swallow. Round the fields of Clinton's Farm where we added more chiffchaffs and squabbling jays. As we left the footpath to walk back down Acremore Street to Ford Hill and the war memorial a yellowhammer burst into good song above us and 3 greylag geese flew overhead.

These were later seen doing several circuits of the village before heading off south.

sunrise at Bury Green

yellowhammer

yellowhammer in song

robin

All in all a most enjoyable walk in good company although not too many summer migrants appear to have yet made it to Little Hadham. Shall do another village walk in early May when we should get many more summer singers.

Complete Species list

greylag goose, mallard, red legged partridge, pheasant, lesser black backed gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, tawny owl (heard) green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, swallow, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, redwing, mistle thrush, fieldfare, blackbird, blackcap, chiffchaff, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, treecreeper, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, yellowhammer (39)