Eight members tackled the 5+ miles down the old railway line and up river. We started with House Sparrows at the start of the railway line, saw or heard many of the commoner species as we walked along the first part, Blue & Great Tits, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Wren, Robins, Long-tailed Tits, a calling Nuthatch. We heard a Stock Dove singing – if that’s not too generous a term! When looking across to Rye Farm it looked as though there were a lot of birds moving about near a pond, but on closer inspection they turned out to be strings of light bulbs swaying in the wind!
After all the rain, there was plenty of water again on the fields to the west, containing a group of Black-headed Gulls, approx. 70 Teal, 60 Wigeon, 12 Pintail, half a dozen Shoveler. Along the railway line we heard a rather unusual call, which turned out to be a male Chaffinch, at least 2 Ravens went over, and in fields to the west were 2 Mute Swans, and a mixed flock of Greylag and Canada Geese, about 60 combined. The Herons were on two of the nests, 1 on the northern nest and 2 on the southerly one – these two doing some display and the male looking very handsome.
A 3 raptor moment near Stretham Bridge, with Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Kite within five minutes. The river and overflow pit were rather disappointing this morning, but the two swans looked fine after the encounter with the power lines. Just south of New Inn was a large flock of gulls, estimated at about 500, 300 Black-headed and 200 Common, which we had a look at through the scope to note the differences in plumage. Some rather nice Turkey Tail fungus noticed on a dead log.
Ee did a quick divert down the track where about 8 Chiffchaffs were flitting around the ponds, and Godlcrest and Wren also present.
Some not very clear pics of the Herons and gulls attached. The Common Gulls are the larger ones with the greeny-yellow beaks and similar coloured legs. Generally slightly slatier grey backs than the Black-headed Gulls – not all of which have black heads at the moment! Better photo of the fungus.
