Evening walk: 10th March

A wonderfully lit evening stroll to Millennium Wood this eveing gave great views of a hunting barn owl. This was observed over the polo and cricket fields at the top of Hoecroft Lane.

A tawny owl was seen in Millennium Wood and plenty of roosting fieldfares recorded in trees along Hoecroft.

Tits and finches were abundant and a solitary song thrush sang in the wood. Both green and great spotted woodpeckers were recorded before dusk turned to darkness, offering great sunsets and a full moon as shown here.

4th March; Long walk

I set off, with picnic, at 11.00am with a view to cover all my local areas. I headed up Chapel Lnae, through footpaths to Westland Green and to the pits at Caley Wood. A break at the golf course before heading east to the River Ash and then on to Bush Wood and along the Ridge path. The trip was completed with a trip along Hoecroft Lane and then returned home via Brick Kiln Hill. In all 40 species were observed, nearly half my total for the area since 2008. Highlights were the first reed buntings and linnets of the year. The former were in a party of 40+ yellowhammers and chaffinches along Hoecroft Lane whilst the linnets were heard in Bush Wood. A group of 6 with 2 singing males.The fieldfares south of Chapel Lane are still present in big numbers, joined by 75+ starlings and 35+ redwings. In all I would estimate the flock to be 300 strong. Quite a noise. A superb goldcrest was seen in a hedgerow, unfortunately not keeping still long enough for the camera. However, a dunnock, robin and long tailed tit were considerably more obliging, as shown here.

A male bullfinch was observed and the mandarin ducks remained shy on the pits. 5 common buzzards were recorded in total, with 3 in a party circling over Bush Wood, where I enjoyed my picnic. 2 woodcock were flushed from Caley Wood as I made my way to the pits. From here moorhens and mallards could be viewed along with the drake mandarin. From the bench I watched a marsh tit move alng the shrubs. 2 singing skylarks were recorded and the 40th species was a black headed gull heading south to roost at around 3.30. A most enjoyable 4 hours.

Saturday 28th February; Morning Walk

A brief circuit along the River Ash, west towards the golf course and then along New Road. Skylarks (2) sang overhead and a stock dove headed east. Yellowhammers were in good voice and a party of 11 long tailed tits were recorded along the river. A pair of mallards were on the river, the male shown here. Both great spotted and green woodpeckers were heard and observed whilst a group of 6 black headed gulls wended their way north.

Thursday 26th February

An evening walk up Acremore Street gave a few sightings in the hour I was out. 6 reed bunting circled overhead on the return journey and yellowhammers were calling from most hedgerows. Fieldfares were apparent overhead, with a general movement north east. A mistle thrush watched from a treetop as robins, chaffinches and dunnocks all appeared to be in good evening voice.

A photo here, looking up Acremore Street from the west of the war memorial village green.

Surprising discovery 20.02.09

A long walk in increasingly fine temperatures today. Journeyed up Chapel Lane through to Caley Wood gravel pits. Here, I was in for a huge surprise. As I entered the wood the regular sound of mallards could be heard. With my attention fixed on the largest pit, I failed to check a smaller one on my left. Suddenly 6 duck rose, calling their unusual alarm call: mandarin ducks! My 84th species for the area. They flew overhead, circling the lake before alighting briefly, but my presence once again forced them into the air. This time they returned to the other side of the pit, where the trees grow from the edge. Here, they did what they like to do best and hid in the vegetation. After an hour wait, no sign, so I left them without managing a successful photo. I returned 4 hours later and managed to get a poor snap of a male, behind the willows.
Also, whilst in the wood, I flushed a woodcock, whilst on the lake were 2 canada geese, 10+ mallards and several moorhens. A great spotted woodpecker called as a common buzzard mewed overhead; the resident bird.
Before this excitement I had encountered 195+ fieldfares with 25+ redwings. Presumably a pre migratory group.
As I had a coffee at the golf club a grey heron breezed its way northwards and yellowhammers called from the hedgerow. On my return for the mandarins, I registered a kestrel and a pied wagtail, taking the day’s total to an impressive 38. Other highlights included a pair of bullfinches, a coal tit and a solitary mistle thrush.

Photographs attached show a singing dunnock, the first signs of cuckoo pint pushing through in Chapel Lane, a green woodpecker, a poor record shot of one of the manadarins, this one a male and a brown rat keeping a close eye on me

Allotment Work: 19.02.09

The warm temperatures tempted me to the allotment for some digging and eventually managing to get my garlic, some early shallots and spring onions into the still damp ground. Whilst toiling with the heavy clay I heard my first great spotted woodpecker drumming this year, indicating its territorial rights. Also in the two hours I was there, gold, green and chaffinches were seen as well as long tailed, blue and great tits. Robins were inquisitive as starlings thronged overhead. Corvids and wood pigeons took to the skies frequently and 2 black headed gulls were also noted.

Ridge path to Bush Wood: 18th February

Having returned from Poznan, I went out for a local walk in considerably warmer climes. Birds sang all around the village, with robins, dunnocks, chaffinches and blackbirds being most vociferous. A party of fieldfares flew overhead in an easterly direction; perhaps the rise in the temperature telling them it was time to a make their way back to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia. A skylark sang as I walked towards Bush Wood as many yellowhammers were heard. A pair of linnets called overhead and a moorhen squawked from the River Ash behind Lordship Farm. 4 mallards were enjoying the flow in the Ash.
Upon returning home I discovered a roost of 37 goldfinches in the back garden. Today’s photographs depict a singing dunnock at the Ford, the end of the hazel catkins and a view of the River Ash south of the village.

Poland visit: 16th - 18th February

A two day visit to Poznan for a day’s bird watching and a chance to catch up with friends at Poznan University. I was taken out by Irek, from the biology faculty, to woods and the river valley north of the city. This was my third days birding with him in two years. Very useful to have a local guide as he knows all the routes. Our target bird was the crested tit, a bird I have searched for in vain on several continental visits. After a walk of 2 hours in forests adjacent to the River Warta, Irek pointed to the undergrowth, where a crested tit was hurriedly feeding. At last: my first sighting of this species. Brief glimpses confirmed the species but it remained camera shy. I managed one poor “record” shot but had more luck photographing a middle spotted woodpecker, crested lark and tree sparrows. Later on we heard another calling in amongst a group of mixed tits, but they were high in the conifers and difficult to view. A visit to a lake on the outskirts of the city added mallard, coot and great crested grebe along with mute swans. All these were concentrated into a small pocket of free flowing water, with the majority of the huge lake being frozen solid. The temperatures dropped to 10 degrees below zero, so the ice was thick enough for people to skate and ice sail. Photographs shown here:

1. waterfowl concentration on frozen lake

2. River Warta

3. Tree sparrow

4. main road through the forest

5. Middle spotted woodpecker in snow

6. another middle spotted woodpecker

7. crested lark

8. crested tit

9. jay

10.frozen fish ponds

Valentine's Day wander

An afternoon walk up Chapel Lane, through the footpaths to Westland Green to check on the gravel pits in Caley Wood. A skylark was heard singing over fields towards the golf course and two bullfinches were observed in the undergrowth along the footpath. A green woodpecker called overhead as a party of fieldfares was recorded feeding in horse occupied field. A common buzzard mewed over Caley Wood as my arrival at the pits signalled time for 10 mallards to fly from the frozen water. As I headed back a lone chaffinch was singing, competing with a song thrush. The usual songsters were in fine voice; dunnocks and robins were predominant, joined by a single blue tit. A photo of one of the robins is shown here, along with a view through the trees at Alder Wood and a panorama looking north east from the golf course.

Photos here, show a singing robin, a view looking north east over the golf course and a view through Alder Wood

Long walk

I set off at 9.00am, with a route planned that would encompass Muggins Wood, Millennium Wood, Bury Green and then on to Tescos and back via Green Street and Millfield Lane. In all 28 species recorded. A solitary redwing was seen on the snow at Muggins. This is the first record of this migratory thrush this year. Usual finches and tits were abundant whilst an overhead northerly herring gull was a little more unusual. Fieldfares were in good numbers and also, to round of the thrush family, a mistle thrush, song thrush and numerous blackbirds were observed. Several great spotted woodpeckers were seen as too were a solitary sparrowhawk and the pied wagtail depicted here. A good walk in bright yet snowy conditions. The second day of school closure.

Photos attachedshow the piedwagtail, a view of Little Hadham church from east of Muggins' Wood and a view looking towards The Ford from Brick Kiln Hill