Thursday 24th March 2022 - Newton St Loe

 

This is my 1st trip out since the 25th of February as I have not been feeling my usual self, not covid I may add. Mary and I drove to Newton St Loe just for a couple of hours to enjoy the beautiful weather. We parked by the church and walked through the churchyard and into the field where 2 Magpies were feeding in the grass and a male Kestrel flew through. Woodpigeons were in the trees to our right and left and a Blackbird flew into the garden of the cottage at the bottom of the field. As we walked towards Send a Cow Carrion Crows and a Lesser Black Backed Gull flew over. From the car park below Send a Cow Goldfinch were in the treetops with a few Jackdaw. Walking down the footpath a Coal Tit was calling from a bush and a singing Wren and 2 Dunnocks were seen. Towards the bottom of the footpath a Chiffchaff was singing high in a tree but remained out of sight but we did find a Robin, 2 Jays and a Blue Tit. Butterfly alley yielded 3 Grey Heron and a male Pheasant. A pair of Mute Swans along with 16 Mallard, 1 Cormorant and a single Moorhen were on the bottom lake. At the top end of the lake a Song Thrush was in the trees on the opposite bank with a pair of Great Tits. The top lake was as quiet as I have ever seen it with just 2 Coots and 3 Moorhens. The cormorant seen on the bottom lake flew into their usual tree joining a 2nd bird already in the tree. Lots of Woodpigeons were flying in and out of the tall trees to our right and while scanning these I spotted a single Stock Dove. Walking back to the car 2 Long Tailed Tits were at the beginning of the Send a Cow footpath with a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly, the only one I saw all morning. Back at the car a Buzzard was circling overhead.

At home the garden feeders and still being visited by m/f Blackcaps.


Cormorant-NSL(Bath Birdwatcher)


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