Dawn Chorus wander 13.04.14

Little Hadham sunrise

 5 of us met up at the village hall at 4.45  for a 6 mile dawn chorus walk through the south and west side of the parish. Setting off with no birds calling meant we were alert to the first sounds. A skylark was the first to begin, soon followed by chaffinch, wren, robin, dunnock, blackbird and song thrush. Pheasants, green and great spotted woodpeckers could all be heard with the great spot also heard drumming.
As we approached Bush Wood near Much Hadham a red kite appeared, heading south. This is the regular local bird, a 2nd year bird, identifiable by the cuts on the primary feathers.

pre dawn red kite

note cuts on right wing primary feathers.

looking east over rape field

sky beginning to show colour.

From here we headed down towards Ash Valley golf club  but not before hearing a lapwing calling from a field. Need to return to check this out as a rare record for the parish and be great news if they were breeding on the earthy field. Only 3rd time since 2008 that I have come across lapwing in the parish.
Great tits, blue tits and chiffchaffs abounded before a coffee at AVGC. From here, over the golf course where linnets and goldfinches were seen and heard and a lone skylark on the ground. New Lane gave views of more yellowhammers and the first whitethroat of the year. A pair of canada geese flew over as dunnocks, wrens and other song birds competed with each other. Rooks and carrion crows were on the golf course, but no sign of the local barn owl.

As yet: unidentified fungus

pair of yellowhammers

flyover canada geese

skylark

Species list;
canada goose, mallard, red kite, red legged partridge (heard), pheasant, moorhen (heard), lapwing (heard), wood pigeon, collared dove, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, blackbird, blackcap, whitethroat, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jackdaw, carrion crow, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, yellowhammer. 31 species