Monday 4th July 2022 - Newton St Loe

 




Bath Birdwatcher


David and Hazel plus Mary and myself Tony arranged to have a walk at Newton St Loe my first visit since the 14th of June. We met at the church. Walking through the field at the far end of the church a Lesser Black Gull, Magpie and a Woodpigeon flew over, we could hear a Greenfinch singing which we found right in the top of one of the tall trees on our right. On the road to Send a Cow House Sparrow, Goldfinch and Blackbird were seen. Walking down the footpath beyond Send a  Cow a Blackcap was singing on an exposed branch. As we reached butterfly alley the field on the right was full of cows where lots of Swallows were quartering the field obviously attracted by insects that themselves were attracted by the cows. As we watched a Grey Heron flew by as did Carrion Crows and Jackdaws above the trees were Swifts circling. Up to the bottom lake where the 1st bird seen was a Moorhen on our bank while on the lake was 13 Mallard one female had 2 small ducklings. House Martins flew overhead and as we walked up to the top lake David spotted a Kingfisher on the ground but soon flew off up the overflow where a Grey Wagtail was searching for insects, also seen was a family of Great Tits. 


Black Headed Gull - Bath Birdwatcher

On the top lake a Black Headed Gull was sat in the tree and on the lake and loafing on the bank at the top of the lake was 41 more Mallard while on the lake was 5 squabbling Coot and on the bank the 2 Mute Swan. Walking around the top end of the lake I spotted a Little Grebe  with a second that appeared to be nest building in the reeds. It must be a day for seeing birds on exposed branch as we spotted a Nuthatch right in the top of a tree. We walked to the stream where it flows into the lake but saw nothing different so we turned back soon finding a Robin on the footpath and walking down the footpath to the bottom lake we came across a family of Goldcrest. Walking back by the bottom lake we added Coal and Long Tailed Tits to our list of sightings and walking back through Butterfly alley our final sighting of the morning a Stock Dove. During the morning we also saw the following butterflies Speckled Wood, Comma, Ringlet and Meadow Brown. We also saw a couple of interesting insects a Swollen-thighed Beetle and what I think  is an Alder-leaf Beetle.


swollen-thighed beetle- Bath Birdwatcher

alder-leaf beetle- Bath Birdwatcher


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