Not a great morning for birding, so Angel, Carol, Hazel, Paul R and myself, together with Ezio the collie, got rather distracted on the walk through the fields by the many plants we could see!

On the birding front, there was a single Little Egret in the distance, some Canada Geese, a close flying Kestrel and a Linnet perched on the same tree where I saw one a few days ago.  Merlin kept telling us there were Redstarts calling, but we never saw one, and it was probably from Chiffchaff.  We heard the wheeze of a Greenfinch and the song of a Yellowhammer.  Where grass was being cut and baled on the east side of the railway line were approx. 700 black birds, mostly Rooks I reckon, but some Jackdaws too.  Paul noted some hirundines in the distance. A couple of young Herons were still sitting on their nests – expecting to be fed?  Paul saw a couple of Coots scuttling across. We heard Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

As the wind was quite strong and the misty drizzle continued we thought walking on the exposed river bank wasn’t the best way to spend the rest of the morning, so we turned at Stretham and headed back up the railway line.

Thanks to all for enduring the lack of birds – I made it only 25 species,  and diverting to plants!

Val Bentley, 22nd July 2024