Local Walk 2: Flitch Way with an extension to Stansted airport lagoons

Female blackcap, male shows, not surprisingly, a black cap!

This is a really good walk for those with mobility issues as the Flitch Way follows the old Stortford to Dunmow railway line. Also, the track is wide enough for safe passing. The only issue is actually gaining access to the track, up an incline, but if memory serves me correctly, there is a handrail.

Directions and Parking:
Head to the M11 roundabout and take the old road as if driving to Hatfield Forest. There is a petrol station on the left after 100 yards or so. Directly opposite is a junction. Turn right here and in front of you is an old railway bridge. Here is a layby that can take 3 - 4 cars. Park here and the path up to the railway line is right by the bridge. Turn right once on the flat.

Walking along here is great for insects and warblers. There will be whitethroat with their scratchy warble and blackcap, with their tick call and their more musical tunes, sung repeatedly but they stop once they see you. With patience they can be seen as they will emerge on to an open branch. Whitethroats in particular like bramble bushes, a chestnut brown bird with obvious white throat on the male and grey head. The males have a distinctive territorial flight pattern. They will fly up over their bush, often singing before a gliding spiral flight back to the bush with wings held above the horizontal.
I have heard that there is a nightingale singing along here, but unaware of precise site. Listen for the long song pattern, normally delivered from deep in vegetation. Amazing array of fast and fluent notes with repetitive clicks and ticking.
One other bird to listen out for is the local raven. Their call a very deep and loud Cronk type sound. Often delivered twice but sometimes repeated more often. Huge crow type bird, if seen look for the diamond shaped tail.

The track runs parallel to the old A120 with, firstly, fields on your right and then later, Hatfield Forest. Good views of fallow deer can be had in the fields and forest. There is an old station platform at Stane Street where there are gates into the forest, if it is now fully open. Plenty of wildflowers along here, too. Huge amount of buddleia so great for butterflies later in the year, but Greater stitchwort, Red, White and Bladder campion. Cut leaf geraniums, Herb Robert, parsley species all great for bees and pollen feeders.
No need for a map for this one. When you arrive at Stane Street station you can carry on, return along the track,  enter the forest or drop down on to the lane and take a left. You'll come to the main road opposite the Green Man pub.
To extend the walk to find dragon and damselflies visit Stansted Airport Lagoons. To get here cross the road and turn right, passing a few houses and finally a small workshop business. This is the last building on the left. Immediately after this is a footpath that runs along a stream. This is NOT suitable for scooters. You will emerge in a field and after 25 yards or so there is a footbridge on your right over the stream. Cross this, through some trees on a narrow path and this will bring you out on to the lagoons. Please pay heed to the signage about where to go and not walk. The path goes all the way around. In the top right hand corner, near the new A120 is a superb wildflower habitat which holds many butterfly species a little later in the year, but worth checking.

For those who just wish to visit the lagoons, parking is available just before the Green Man pub, on the right where there is a long layby. Park, cross the road and walk past the pub and to the last building.

As always, let me know how you get on so I can make any alterations, plus, happy to receive photos of the habitat, insects or whatever you find.

Have a good walk. Weather looks perfect.

14 spot ladybird, found on nettles

Dark bush cricket, also found on nettles.