Dawn chorus walk: Saturday 21st March

The first early get up of the year, with 7 of us meeting at the village hall car park at 5.00pm. There was a frost and mist but the birds begun to sing as we made our way through the village towards Acremore Street and on to the Ridge footpath. A little owl called and the first rooks, blackbirds, robins and dunnocks broke the silence. Skylarks sang above the fields from the ridge path and long tailed tits, yellowhammers and great tits were heard in the darkness along the hedgerow. Green woodpeckers “yaffled” in the distance as we approached Bush Wood and a great spotted woodpecker was heard calling and drumming. By Winding Hill a brief search for goldcrests proved successful and with the time now approaching 6.15am we were able to watch the silhouette moving in the conifers. Collared doves and wood pigeons seemed to be the first birds to take to the air and chaffinches, goldfinches, carrion crows, jackdaws and great tits soon joined them.
Across the river and up the path to Lordship Farm gave distant views of 2 black headed gulls heading north and a jay flew from an oak. 2 pied wagtails were seen near the road before we arrived at the golf club for coffee and sandwiches. A welcome break and time to notice just how cold we were. Upon emerging from the club house the sun was up, birds were visible in good light and we made our way to Caley Wood. Yellowhammers were seen in the hedgerow, along with blue, great and long tailed tits. Search for treecreepers did not produce any, but mallards and moorhens were seen near the pit. A lone stock dove fed on a field, as did a solitary redwing. The latter was in fine plumage and soon to be moving to its breeding grounds in Scandinavia. A sparrow hawk darted for cover as we came to Westland Green where a skein of 5 canada geese flew overhead. Song thrush and greenfinch were recorded singing here, as was a chiffchaff, close to The Green. Over Chapel Lane and down the side of Queer Wood offered us views of common buzzard (fleetingly) and woodcock. 4 hares were noted behind Lodge Farm before a house sparrow made the last addition to the list of 38 species.
A super walk with good company. It will be interesting to compare this list to the one made next month when I shall organize another Dawn chorus walk, meeting at the village hall car park on 18th April at 4.30am. Please contact me if you would like to come along.

Photos attached show the sunrise over the River Ash, pied wagtail and yellowhammer, plus an alert hare near Queer Wood.