Tuesday 7th March 2023 - Newton St Loe

 

For our birding walk today David and Tony were joined by Kirsty, Bryan was otherwise engaged. As I only had a few hours in the morning I picked the others up and we had a morning at Newton St Loe. On arrival we parked by the farm shop and walked towards the church passing overhead were several Rooks and in a hedge chirping away were many House Sparrows, also noted were Collared Dove, Jackdaw and Robin. As we approached the turning to the church we heard the distinctive call of a Greenfinch and I found at least 3 in the top of a fir tree several other birds were seen in the same area, Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Long Tailed Tit and a Mistle Thrush. As we approached the church 2 Magpies flew past and as we entered the field beyond the church Woodpigeons were sat in the trees. Kirsty then spotted a Green Woodpecker on the trunk of the tree, which she was excited to see and she had only previously seen them in flight. Our next sighting was a Stock Dove the first of about half a dozen we saw during the morning, a Lesser Black Back Gull flew over followed by a flock of about 30 Redwing. Goldfinch were in the top of a small tree and as we looked David found a Chaffinch again the 1st of many we saw. As we got to Send a Cow Kirsty found a Great Spotted Woodpecker above our heads. As we reached the footpath we heard a Nuthatch calling which we found as it flew from tree to tree. A Carrion Crow passed over and as we were walking down the footpath we saw movement in an ivy covered tree Song Thrush, Blackbird and Redwing were all seen eating the ivy berries. As we walked down Butterfly Alley a Black Headed Gull flew over and a pair of Teal flew by and landed on the stream, 3 more were on the top lake. We walked passed the water fall to look down the stream hoping a Dipper might be there but all I found was the carcass of a Carp most likely an Otter kill.

Carp carcass - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

On the top lake were 2+ Moorhen and 11 Mallard with a similar quantity on the top lake. About 2/3 of the way along the bottom lake David noticed things falling into the lake and as we looked up we found a flock of at least 12 Siskins, they were far too active to get an accurate count. On the top lake the first bird to show was a Coot and counting the numbers present I found 14 which for me is a record count for NSL. 2 Little Grebe and a single Cormorant along with the single Mute Swan its mate seems to have disappeared. 

Little Grebe - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

A Wren flew across the footpath and a Goldcrest was in the Yews. Looking from the Temple we could see 2 Grey Herons sat on nests and on the lake was the female Tufted Duck. We walked to the inlet stream but nothing new was found so we turned back and at the dam end of the top lake a Grey Wagtail flew up and away. A Dunnock was in the hedgerow in butterfly alley and that was the last sighting at NSL. I could not park close to home so when I found a space, walking back I added Pied Wagtail and Herring Gull, and in the garden the male Blackcap is still terrorizing the local Sparrows.

 

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