Monday 20 March 2017

20th March

A long walk around the southern side of the parish this morning and then back up along the river. A total of 58 species seen. Highlight was the first Sand Martin of the year over the river…


(it is one honestly!)

And I also added Corn Bunting (three singing birds) and Canada Goose to the year list. The latter were a group of 11 birds on the Magic Garden lake including this push-me/pull-me bird…


I totted up a reassuring total of 18 singing Skylarks, there were also three pairs of Grey Partridge seen (including one pair feeding on the mud at the edge of the river), five pairs of Lapwing and three displaying Curlew.
Other birds included a single Golden Plover (flying over the top fields) and very large numbers of winter thrushes, mainly Fieldfares, with upwards of a 1000 birds seen in two main feeding areas. This is a small part of one flock flushed by a Sparrowhawk….


I also saw this Roe Deer nibbling the fresh shoots of hawthorn..


And this striking fungus Phellinus igniarius - The Willow Bracket…



Less happily the lovely little flash near Greenhills Farm (which has held breeding Yellow Wagtail, Shelduck and Little ringed Plover as well as passage waders) has been drained. A depressing loss and presumably subsidised by our taxes…


The fantastic ‘Rich Ditch’ with its excellent mix of aquatic plants has also been  hit hard with heavy dredging and flailing of the ditchside plants…


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