Tuesday 9th August 2022 - Newton St Loe.

 

This week the 3 Amigos were down to 1, David was at his caravan and Bryan was feeling unwell. But as it was such a lovely day I decided to go alone to try and find 2 species of flycatcher that had been seen recently at NSL. As the weather forecast was for a hot day I decided to make an earlier start than we usually do and as the target birds had been seen by the top lake I decided to go straight there to spend most of my time in that area. Parking by the church I set off through the churchyard down through the field and through the kissing gate here I had the days 1^st sightings with Coal and Blue Tits in the trees. By Send a Cow Goldfinch were on the wires and a Carrion Crow was in the top of a close by tree, Woodpigeon and Lesser Black Back Gull flew over along with a single Mistle Thrush the 1^st I have seen here for a while. Nothing more until Butterfly Alley here House Martins were overhead and a Chiffchaff flew into a bush and a young Blackbird was on the footpath. The only butterflies were Meadow Brown and Gatekeepers.

Gatekeeper - (Bath Birdwatcher)

As I walked up to the bottom lake I disturbed a Kingfisher that must have been perched close by. On the lake were 11 Mallard. In the wooded area between the lakes was 2 Speckled Wood butterflies, but it was Pied Flycatcher I was looking for here but as I looked the only birds seen were Dunnock, Wren and Goldcrest. After waiting and looking for what seemed an age but was probably about 20 minutes I gave up and moved on to the top lake. The first bird I saw was a Stock Dove flying across the lake followed by a Grey Heron stood on the grassed area at the top of the slope which soon flew away when it saw me. On the lake were 8 Coot and at least 12 Moorhen with another 35 Mallard but no sign of the female Tufted Duck seen the previous Friday. Also on the lake were the pair of Little Grebe but they were split up with one looking after 2 chicks and the other with 3, so all 5 chicks were still present. Looking from the dam down to the area where the Pied Flycatcher had been seen I added Great Tit and House Sparrow to the days list but again no Flycatcher. Walking on around the lake the pair of Mute Swans were on the bank under the trees and as I walked on a Great Spotted Woodpecker called as it flew over, I could hear the call of Bullfinch in the trees to my right then 1 flew away showing its white bottom. I was now at the area where the Spotted Flycatchers had been seen but after standing looking and drinking coffee nothing moved or called so after 30 minutes I decided to turn back as it was getting increasingly hot. A Comma butterfly settled on a bush, and back on the dam I gave the lake a last scan the two Little Grebes were still towards the top end of the lake with their chicks and as I was looking I heard the call of a little grebe to my right, strange I thought, so I looked towards the area the call had come from but all I saw was a Coot, then I noticed movement in the reeds and there was another Little Grebe and while looking another swam out of the reeds. I have never seen more than 2 of this species here before. As I walked away a Black Headed Gull flew down onto the lake. Walking back up Butterfly Alley a Long Tailed Tit flew up the hedgerow and a small flock of Rook were in the field over the hedge along with 2 Jackdaw. At the top end of Butterfly Alley a Green Woodpecker flew from the field on my right. This proved to be the last sighting of the morning. Not a morning I was hoping for with the Flycatchers not showing but more that made up for with the 4 Little Grebe seen.

Stock Dove (honestly) - (Bath Birdwatcher)