11th January 2022 - Newton St Loe

 

This week the 3 Amigos made their first visit of the year to Newton St Loe, on the way the days list started with Black Headed Gull and Rook. Parking in the usual place by the Farm Shop we headed for the lanes just outside the village. On the way we found Blue Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Magpie and Common Gull. Walking up the Lane a flock of about 26 Starlings flew by and a Pheasant running through one of the fields. Next a few Skylark were seen then a few more they all formed a flock of about 12 birds. The lanes were very quiet, but on the way back towards the village we came across a flock of birds which contained a single Song Thrush a small quantity of Fieldfare and c30 Redwings. A flock of Long Tailed Tits passed through, 3 Stock Doves and a Jay plus the odd Carrion Crow flew past. As we approached the main road 6 Chaffinch were in the top of the trees. Back in the village 2 Collared Doves were seen in flight and a Blackbird was seen eating ivy berries. We reached the Churchyard where we stopped for coffee here a Goldcrest was right in front of us in a Yew tree. A Great Tit and a Nuthatch were in the trees in the orchard. At Send a Cow a Dunnock was in a gateway, and a Goldfinch was on the telephone wires. From Butterfly Alley 7 Grey Herons, 3 Moorhens and 4 Mallards were in the fields by the stream. On the bottom lake 2 Cormorants were fishing and 25 more Mallard were seen plus another 4 Moorhens. Also on the lake was the female Tufted Duck. The top lake was still being dredged with a tug type boat pushing a barge that was being filled. On the lake were 22 more Mallards and 3 more Moorhens. The only new birds for the day were just a pair of Teal well down on the numbers previously seen. Walking back down the drive we counted 200+ Common Gull hard to get an exact count as they kept moving position in the flock. A single Lesser Black Back Gull and about a dozen Black Headed Gulls were with them. Back in the village Bryan heard a Greenfinch which we found at the top of a tree.

Not the best day with drizzle falling most of the time and poor visibility making it impossible to view anything distant but 34 species was a fair count with for me 6 being year ticks.

Rook-NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)


 

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