19th August 2022 - Newton St Loe





Today Mary and I went for a walk at NSL as it is our favorite place to stroll, we take a coffee which we sit and drink at the halfway point. Our walk started at the church, through the churchyard and into the field beyond here was our first bird sightings of the day Magpie, Carrion Crow and Lesser Black Back Gull. Walking to the bottom road by Send a Cow a Wood Pigeon flew over the field where a few Swallows were flying low to the ground. A Rook was in the top of one of the tall trees and Goldfinch twittered on the wires and House Sparrows were in the hedgerow to our left. In a garden is a Buddleia bush with a Red Admiral butterfly on one of the blooms. Walking down the footpath a Robin flew past and Speckled Wood butterflies were seen on a few occasions. Nothing until the bottom pond where 14 Mallard were seen with 1 female with 2 ducklings. Next the top pond which was much quieter than on the last couple of visits with only another 8 Mallard seen. The Coot numbers had also dropped to 5 birds but the Moorhens were about the same with at least 12 seen and a single Black Headed Gull was on the lake.

Coots- NSL(Bath Birdwatcher)

 Sitting in the Temple for a coffee a Green Woodpecker flew down the length of the lake continuing towards the bottom lake. The Little Grebe were also seen but just 2 adults and 2 chicks I do wonder if others were hidden in the reeds as 1 of the adults was not seen with the other or the chicks.

Little Grebe chicks-NSL(Bath Birdwatcher)

 A Grey Heron was stood on the top end bank with a few Jackdaw feeding close by. Walking on to the top end Blue and Long Tailed Tits were in the bushes and in one of the tall tree to our right a Spotted Flycatcher flew in sitting upright until it flew off never to be seen again. We walked back via the drive hoping to spot the Little Owl that had been seen recently but to no avail, we did add Stock Dove and Buzzard to the days list.

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